Magpies to shake up off-field operations

[bradrowe#32]

Magpies to shake up off-field operations
By Caroline Wilson
October 3, 2006

Collingwood looks certain to restructure its football department, with several key positions under threat, including those of former Special Air Service officer Reg Crawford and team manager Mark Kleiman.

For the second successive year, the Magpies have submitted to an external review of their extensive football operation, this time with a view to cutting back senior roles.

The positions of Crawford, Kleiman and football chief Neil Balme all are being analysed.

Already, the club and forward-line coach Wayne Carey have unofficially agreed to a parting of the ways, with Collingwood resolving now to avoid deals for part-time coaches.

The board has approved another high-altitude training camp in Arizona, for two weeks next month.

Several weeks ago, the club employed external consultants who have questioned almost every member of the football department and are assessing whether the football structure - only minimally rearranged a year ago - has become cumbersome.

Chief executive Greg Swann now heads the football department with Balme, Swann's No. 2, as operations manager. Kleiman is team manager and Crawford is the club's general manager of football. Crawford conducted last year's review, after which no senior staff were removed and the former SAS lieutenant-colonel was himself added to the structure.

Swann confirmed last night that the external consultant had been reviewing operations over the past three weeks and was expected to complete the study within three weeks. "All clubs have reviews this time of the year," Swann said. "We brought in external consultants last year and we are doing it again."

The Arizona trip was approved a fortnight ago and this year will involve a 16-day overseas trip for the senior list to include three days' vacation.

Despite the misgivings of the AFL Players Association, the Collingwood players are expected to financially contribute to the trip.

While Mick Malthouse's assistant coach Guy McKenna has withdrawn from all current list-management discussions until after being interviewed for the senior St Kilda coaching job, no other big changes are planned for the assistant coaching structure, player development or recruiting.

The club will make a profit of almost $2 million for 2006 but that is expected to more than double next season with Collingwood's new assets, the Diamond Creek Hotel and the bayside Beach Hotel, being managed and run full-time by Collingwood staff.

The review is expected to result in reduced football department costs or, at the very least, a more efficient staff structure.

The Collingwood board met six nights ago and president Eddie McGuire is still to make a decision on whether he continues as president next year.

McGuire still has one year to run in his current term, but the relocation of his family to Sydney, where he is now chief executive of the Nine Network, could force him to stand aside.

But he has indicated that he will do all he can to remain in the job, believing he can adequately perform the voluntary role from interstate.

The strong preference among the club's board and management is for McGuire to continue.

 

[Coin_Toss]

View from outside

* Crawford Gone
* Kleiman Gone
* Balme Safe?
* Carey Gone - and not surprised
* McGuire Safe - serve out his contract

High-altitude training did not benefit the team in the business end of the season.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

The club will make a profit of almost $2 million for 2006 but that is expected to more than double next season with Collingwood's new assets, the Diamond Creek Hotel and the bayside Beach Hotel, being managed and run full-time by Collingwood staff.

You bolded the wrong part...

"that is expected to more than double next season"

$4-5 million profit next season?

 

[understudy]

View from outside

High-altitude training did not benefit the team in the business end of the season.

We dont know the counterfactual on that one. May not have run games out at the same level without Arizona (yes it could have been even worse).

Problem towards the end of the season appeared to be in not being able to get first hands on the footy in centre square, around the clearances, loose balls and contested situations. Bulldogs absolutely killed us in these areas. Thought we actually werent as bad when we had the footy, running and bouncing the thing and rebounding off half back.

 

[Jabso]

The high-altitude training benefited the team. The thing is it was never going to be a miracle cure.
While we do need pace in the midfield, our gameplan revolved around a quick running game. People think because Bulldogs thrashed us in a final that it was because of pace. Like undies says it was the hard ball they killed us at. We are a loose running team and our gameplan means there aren't many contested situations. So when a hard ball get is there to be won, we have to win it. People forget we beat bulldogs the game before (we were both in great form) by running them off their legs.

IMO the problem with the midfield is just lack of quality and depth in the midfield. The problem is not necessarily not enough in and under quality and not enough pace, it is just quality.

 

[understudy]

Thats it, quality in every sense of the word, blokes that have stand out attributes and abilities with very few if any weaknesses or areas where they can be exposed.

Our best shot at landing these sorts of players is through the draft and developing the few quality youngsters we've got imo.

 

[bradrowe#32]

You bolded the wrong part...

"that is expected to more than double next season"

$4-5 million profit next season?

Fair point.

Another positive step in the security of our club.

 

[magpies42]

which beach hotel do we own? is it the one near st kilda beach on beaconsfield parade?

 

[FIGJAM]

which beach hotel do we own? is it the one near st kilda beach on beaconsfield parade?

Yep. Albert Park.

 

[Jabso]

I wonder if we can make a sitcom out of one of the pubs. Like Jason Cloke becomes the lovable drunk "That old goat can't delist me!".

 

[Hadders]

The thing that sticks out of the article is the farce that last year's review must have been.

Crawford conducts the review, makes virtually no changes and gives himself a job in the process? I don't care about the blokes credentials in the SAS, that sounds pretty sketchy to me.

Hopefully the unnamed "external consultants" do a better job this year instead of just adding themselves to the gravy train.

 

[jefffff34]

Diamo Pub - Ha!

Makes sense though, the ground next door produced the Shaw brothers, JA, and of course the Coventry brothers.

It's still a pretty average establishment.

 

[MarkT]

Just hard to see much direction at Collingwood unfortunately. For $4.50 I’ll do the review. Just find my 12 month old posts. We got Crawford to bring accountability and now he’s being sacked. Wonder if he was no good and did nothing or too good and they couldn’t stomach his recommendations. Carey in one year, Carey out the next. Surely there’s a headline somewhere in there. Kleiman – what does he do again and how long has he done it for? Not quite sure how Balmey has helped us in the past or how his role works with Swan now in charge of the footy department. Ex board member is CEO and that got (reputedly) Eddie’s replacement onto the board. Sally Cap. No idea what she does. How did she get onto the board again?

It’s depressing watching re runs that weren’t any good to begin with. Any of you lot going to the AGM to praise the board and the football department for another job well done? We rose all the way from 15th to 7th didn’t we? We are on the way up.

You all reckon I'm negative. Trust me, I wasn’t always this p’ed off about our club.

 

[FadeAway]

Its better they are finding the problem now rather than later and fixing the footy department, most important part of the business in winning premierships, we all know that! Carey gone is no surprise, i dont think he did much this year anyway.

Another bloke they need to sack is adrian fletcher, and get a decent midfield coach, i think this is the key to bringing up our youngest midfielders.

Why know get someone like platten, or ratten as the midfield coach.

 

[MarkT]

Its better they are finding the problem now rather than later and fixing the footy department

Wasn’t that what they did last year?

 

[FadeAway]

Wasn’t that what they did last year?

looks like they didnt attend to the job properly! They are outsourcing consultants again to come in and do the job, it would be good to find out which company they are from...

 

[Dazman]

Another bloke they need to sack is adrian fletcher, and get a decent midfield coach, i think this is the key to bringing up our youngest midfielders.

I saw this and immediately thought of Ratten. He did wonders to Melbourne's midfield and he was only there one year. And then I read your comment below, so we have the same train of thought.

Why know get someone like platten, or ratten as the midfield coach.

Michael Voss could also be a possibility.

 

[Murray]

Wasn’t that what they did last year?

EVERY Club does a review EVERY year.
This is not something new

 

[FadeAway]

I saw this and immediately thought of Ratten. He did wonders to Melbourne's midfield and he was only there one year. And then I read your comment below, so we have the same train of thought.



Michael Voss could also be a possibility.

If Voss retires, they would be IDIOTS not to chase him as a midfield coach!!!! Would be perfect for the role!

 

[magpie78]

Magpies to shake up off-field operations
By Caroline Wilson
October 3, 2006

Collingwood looks certain to restructure its football department, with several key positions under threat, including those of former Special Air Service officer Reg Crawford and team manager Mark Kleiman.

For the second successive year, the Magpies have submitted to an external review of their extensive football operation, this time with a view to cutting back senior roles.

The positions of Crawford, Kleiman and football chief Neil Balme all are being analysed.

Already, the club and forward-line coach Wayne Carey have unofficially agreed to a parting of the ways, with Collingwood resolving now to avoid deals for part-time coaches.

The board has approved another high-altitude training camp in Arizona, for two weeks next month.

Several weeks ago, the club employed external consultants who have questioned almost every member of the football department and are assessing whether the football structure - only minimally rearranged a year ago - has become cumbersome.

Chief executive Greg Swann now heads the football department with Balme, Swann's No. 2, as operations manager. Kleiman is team manager and Crawford is the club's general manager of football. Crawford conducted last year's review, after which no senior staff were removed and the former SAS lieutenant-colonel was himself added to the structure.

Swann confirmed last night that the external consultant had been reviewing operations over the past three weeks and was expected to complete the study within three weeks. "All clubs have reviews this time of the year," Swann said. "We brought in external consultants last year and we are doing it again."

The Arizona trip was approved a fortnight ago and this year will involve a 16-day overseas trip for the senior list to include three days' vacation.

Despite the misgivings of the AFL Players Association, the Collingwood players are expected to financially contribute to the trip.

While Mick Malthouse's assistant coach Guy McKenna has withdrawn from all current list-management discussions until after being interviewed for the senior St Kilda coaching job, no other big changes are planned for the assistant coaching structure, player development or recruiting.

The club will make a profit of almost $2 million for 2006 but that is expected to more than double next season with Collingwood's new assets, the Diamond Creek Hotel and the bayside Beach Hotel, being managed and run full-time by Collingwood staff.

The review is expected to result in reduced football department costs or, at the very least, a more efficient staff structure.

The Collingwood board met six nights ago and president Eddie McGuire is still to make a decision on whether he continues as president next year.

McGuire still has one year to run in his current term, but the relocation of his family to Sydney, where he is now chief executive of the Nine Network, could force him to stand aside.

But he has indicated that he will do all he can to remain in the job, believing he can adequately perform the voluntary role from interstate.

The strong preference among the club's board and management is for McGuire to continue.

just on the Arizona trip, guess who is the only player not going?...... Chris Tarrant.....now if you dont believe me ring the club or ring 3AW when shawry is next on or get the panel to ask

its true

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Diamo Pub - Ha!

Makes sense though, the ground next door produced the Shaw brothers, JA, and of course the Coventry brothers.

It's still a pretty average establishment.

Maybe, but these average establishments always tend to do pretty damn good business.

If it's too classy, eventually it won't be cool anymore, and the clientele will suffer, but places like that always just keep going and going.

Another bloke they need to sack is adrian fletcher, and get a decent midfield coach, i think this is the key to bringing up our youngest midfielders.

Why know get someone like platten, or ratten as the midfield coach.

I agree with this - I used to believe that it was very much the players we had that was the problem, but after seeing some of these once-hard players shirk the issue and refuse to get under a pack or even lay basic tackles, I think the blame has to fall on the coaches.

Not to mention that I don't know if we've seen anyone but Brodie Holland turn into a TRUE midfielder in the past 4 years.

 

[MarkT]

EVERY Club does a review EVERY year.
This is not something new

We had a heralded extensive review last year with specific aims in addition to the general review aims that an annual review would encompass. This year we are have external consultants conduct a review. Neither are the run of the mill post season reviews. What we are doing this year indicates the concerns aired last year were valid. We’ll what comes of this years review.

 

[Coin_Toss]

Just hard to see much direction at Collingwood unfortunately. For $4.50 I’ll do the review. Just find my 12 month old posts. We got Crawford to bring accountability and now he’s being sacked. Wonder if he was no good and did nothing or too good and they couldn’t stomach his recommendations. Carey in one year, Carey out the next. Surely there’s a headline somewhere in there. Kleiman – what does he do again and how long has he done it for? Not quite sure how Balmey has helped us in the past or how his role works with Swan now in charge of the footy department. Ex board member is CEO and that got (reputedly) Eddie’s replacement onto the board. Sally Cap. No idea what she does. How did she get onto the board again?

It was a big mistake to get Carey and Crawford. Carey's heart was not in it. I can't believe Daicos did not get the role ahead of Carey. Crawford is very good at his profession - what makes Mick assume he could discipline a football side?

 

[MarkT]

It was a big mistake to get Carey and Crawford. Carey's heart was not in it. I can't believe Daicos did not get the role ahead of Carey. Crawford is very good at his profession - what makes Mick assume he could discipline a football side?

I don’t think he was there to discipline a football side. I think he was for off field issues. KPIs, performance monitoring, accountability etc. Not sure how much of that translated to player performance and how much of his role crossed over to player issues.

What concerns me is that he conducted a review, got the job to fix whatever he said needed fixing which I understand included what I said above and is then looking like being axed, presumably for under performing, after 1 year. Perhaps the speculation is wrong and he’ll stay or perhaps it is right and so is the decision to terminate him. I don’t really know but something in that chain is just not right. It is like a lot of things at Collingwood at present. These things don’t add up to success and low and behold we get what ask for.

Speculation on my behalf but I suspect Carey was a trophy but a part timer on a full time salary was always going to be problematic. Whether he actually brought anything to the table is hard to judge. We scored heavily in spite of a poor ruck and midfield in the main so it wasn’t all bad. At least we are making quick decisions on these blokes.

 

[Jabso]

I agree with this - I used to believe that it was very much the players we had that was the problem, but after seeing some of these once-hard players shirk the issue and refuse to get under a pack or even lay basic tackles, I think the blame has to fall on the coaches.

I'm not the biggest fan of A.Fletcher either but I can't see how this has to do with the midfield coach. Tackling is a team-wide problem, not just midfielders. And I don't think we were that soft this year at all, we have played the most unaccountable gameplan MM ever used which lowers the number of contests (and hard ball gets) significantly, the problem is, when the hard ball is there to be won you have to win it otherwise we are caught on the counter attack. Even if we were soft, it is not down to the midfield coach.