The only problem is the club doesn't consult the supporters and I'm guessing wouldn't even consider what we think. To an extent they shouldn't either. Imagine taking the advice flowing freely from here. They need to do what's best for the long term chances of the club. If that means moving on veterans who are finished, tough.
No they wouldn't have. No one is going to walk away from the money players make now. That's why they can't be trusted. It's why they habitually lie about their injuries. It's also why the clubs can't afford to be sentimental.
That culture doesn't exist anymore anyway. 2007 was 8 years ago now. That particular culture might have existed then, but the coaches and most of the playing group are all different now. Does paying McIntosh a ton of cash to sit in what must be very comfortable medical rooms for all of 2013 improve the culture of the club? Or watching Johnson get suspension after suspension without any punishment from the club?
I'm guessing players from other clubs would be absolutely queueing up to get to Geelong. Get in Scott's good books and you won't ever be dropped. Get a serious injury and you'll be maintained on the list indefinitely.
I tend to agree with much of what you write generally. I think that too many supporters wear rose (maybe Blue and White) glasses. No team or club is perfect. That is what you strive for although you can never each it. That is the game being played.
But I disagree with you on the culture of a club - and professionalism of a club. That has to be the main priority. You can have the best footy players in the land and without a professional culture that has integrity it is unlikely you will win the flag.
Money counts for a lot to a lot of people. And yes players move from one club to get a better deal. But when you are out on the field and you have to go run back into an on coming pack, knowing you are seriously going to get crunched - you are not thinking of the money in that split second to go or not to go.
I would suggest it is about team - it is about club and maybe pride in performance. You need to develop a good team culture that has everyone on the same page regardless of what they are paid. If you have a crap culture at the club this can impact on a player's performance.
I can tell you that if I thought the club did not care about me - I did not respect the players around me - I probably would not run back into that pack.
They do it because they believe in the cause, the team and the club IMO. That is what a good culture can do for a club. It can make a good team into a great team.
Yes culture changes over time so you have to be ever vigilant to keep creating and building on the past culture - to keep making it better.
Its no surprise to me that we performed much better than we had when Costa and Cook came to the club. And Thompson was also good as he cared about the players and they knew it.
I saw a replay of Warren Treadrea interview last night. He was asked about Chocko Williams and Tredrea said Chocko was seriously concerned about the welfare of his players and he would bleed for them. And that made the players unite and play better as a team - and in 2004 they won their first premiership.
yes footy is a business but that does not mean that clubs do not have cultures and that culture makes no difference. It makes all the difference IMO.