Opinion Vent & Offtopic

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Iva Bigun said:
Listening to Brian Taylor and Special Bruce talk about how the “Suns would be looking on in envy at their former players” as if we had a choice in them leaving just rubs in the fact that the football world doesn’t rate us
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Are they saying "Suns" as in our current players would be envious of those guys who left, or "Suns" as in the organisation.
 

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Cochblocked said:

Highly recommend this documentary about the merger of the Bears and Fitzroy. A lot of parallels with the Suns situation and actually left me hopeful for our future based on the success of the Bears towards the end and the eventual 3 peat of the Lions.
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Something I found really interesting about this documentary was the acknowledgement from several interviewees that the Bears were in fact a Gold Coast team for most of their history, not a Brisbane-based team. Prior to seeing this video, I found it was almost something that was hidden historically despite everyone knowing they played games at Carrara.

But you're right. There are certainly a lot of similarities there with the way we were initially set up. You only have to listen to Andrew Ireland talking about admin and training buildings being portacom units, which is essentially what we had for about nine years of our existence. It's crazy to think the AFL made the same mistakes in this market AGAIN and sadly some of these issues were actually foreshadowed by former Bears player Mark Williams in 2008.

Learn from the Bears’ mistakes
By Mark Williams
1:50 PM Thu 15 May, 2008

I SUPPOSE I’m in a bit of a unique position having been the first signed player of the Brisbane Bears and also very much involved in the infancy stages of Port Adelaide, where I still am, 12 years on.

There are a lot of things to consider when you decide to add a new team to an existing competition, and I’m a lot more confident now than I was 20 years ago that the AFL has covered all the necessary bases.

In 1987 the Brisbane Bears were set up to fail. The draft concessions the club received were totally unfair because no one was compelled to come to Queensland.

The existing clubs were given the opportunity to choose which players they would cast off, so naturally, most of the players weren’t of a recognised high standard, were injured or decided to jet off overseas.

South Australian players like Chris McDermott, David Brown and the Jarman brothers were drafted to Brisbane, but they didn’t have to come, so they didn’t.

The players who did make the move soon realised there were no facilities or training venues in place. I think we probably trained at four or five different bases in the first year and we didn’t have a home ground. There was so much debate over where we would be based that everyone bought houses in the wrong places and we were forced to relocate one or two years later.

It didn’t help either that the people put in place to run the club, both on and off the field, had little or no experience in AFL football or in the particular position they were given.

Peter Knights was a fantastic ambassador for the club and a great player, but I’m not even sure if he had coached before. Just like Mark Mickan, who was a wonderful player and person, but had never played a game of AFL prior to coming to Brisbane. Straight away there were two people on the match committee, who had had no experience at AFL level in the new roles they were given.

All these people had the greatest intentions and worked hard, but because the club was built on such an inexperienced foundation, it fell apart after only a few short years. New owners came in, took over and basically started the untried route again …only to fail…again.

The club also wasted an exorbitant mount of money. In the beginning, I think players and their partners spent up to three months in a hotel with all expenses paid and no limits on spending…the seafood platters were great at the Park Royal.

At times the owners were arriving at games in stretch limousines and were flying in food from Maxim’s restaurant on Toorak Road in Melbourne so they could eat it pre-game and half time. It was the 80s – a time of excesses and the Skases, so all in all it was a bit of a circus.

We had an older group of players at Brisbane, who were consistent without being stars. We won six, seven and then eight games in the first three years, but it was when we traded in some star players that animosity was created among the group.

At the time, it was said that some of these players couldn’t be dropped because it had been written into their contracts that they would play every week. You just can’t build a solid culture around such flawed values.

My advice to the new licensees would be to put people in place who have actually done the job, who have an intimate knowledge of interstate teams and travel and have a good track record.

I think it made sense when Port Adelaide entered the AFL in 1997 that we traded away some of our early draft picks for experienced players. Port Adelaide became competitive very quickly, unlike Brisbane, who didn’t make the finals for nine years.

With the introduction of many young players into these new club lists, I think a ‘footy school’ environment will work best. The search for improvement and perfection is the key. The working conditions must be well resourced with money and cutting edge equipment, combined with innovative, hard working and resilient people surrounding and moulding these future stars. A solid leadership program is also essential.

The people chosen to lead the Gold Coast team off the field also need to be able to handle poor on-field results, as well as poor crowds and poor financials. The ability to deal with bad press is also an essential pre-requisite for longevity and success at a football club.

One thing I’m certain of is that having five coaches in six years at Collingwood and three coaches in three years at the Bears, along with countless owners, CEOS, presidents and managers cannot work and will never work, so choose carefully!

In the Coaches Association meeting last week, the issue of draft concessions the 17th and 18th teams would need in today’s competition was raised. We all agreed that it was important the AFL looked at the impact having limited early picks in the next few years would have on the individual clubs.

Every club’s list is at a different stage, age level of experience and needs. For instance, right now Melbourne would be very, very disadvantaged if they couldn’t get some of the very best young players in the coming years.

Every team will have to face the fact that, probably, one very good, uncontracted player will have to go to the Gold Coast or to western Sydney.

Every team will be affected, but at the same time, you’ll get another good, young player in return and in a few years time you’ll be building up again, just like Essendon did when Gavin Wanganeen came back to Port Adelaide.

The 17th and 18th teams will change everything, just like the national competition did. I suppose the oldies will always say the earlier years were better, and maybe I’m part of that too now, but I think the game is going quickly in the right direction.

The AFL has consulted greatly with the clubs and also with people in the know before deciding upon this expansion of the league. The idea of another team certainly excites the 16 football clubs and, in time, I’m sure it will excite the public too.
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It's sad to think we have fallen into the same traps which held the Bears back. Let's all hope the AFL is committed to properly addressing the issues this off season!
 
Some of you guys are in the know, and I realise this season isn’t over yet (for some)
But wondering, this Darwin game; is it really happening or rumour?
If it is, is there a rough time of the year?
No doubt wouldn’t be in the first 6+ rounds so wet season is well and truly over. So I’d assume between mid May and July. But if anyone has any intel that would allow me to begin planning a family holiday to Darwin that ironically coincides with a Gold Coast suns game
 
nutstar said:
Some of you guys are in the know, and I realise this season isn’t over yet (for some)
But wondering, this Darwin game; is it really happening or rumour?
If it is, is there a rough time of the year?
No doubt wouldn’t be in the first 6+ rounds so wet season is well and truly over. So I’d assume between mid May and July. But if anyone has any intel that would allow me to begin planning a family holiday to Darwin that ironically coincides with a Gold Coast suns game
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No idea but the game before the bye would be logical
 

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After that sprint we should sign for Ben King for seven figures tomorrow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Reflecting on yesterday’s game it occurred to me that we are wasting our time. It’s pointless supporting any club that isn’t either a super club in Melbourne or at a stretch the Eagles or Swans.

Why? The system is set up for the MCG tennents in particular to win, the home ground advantage, home crowd, no travel and playing something like 12 out of the last 13 games at your home ground ( even if you are the away team) puts you at a massive advantage in comparison to a Suns or Giants that play there twice a year.

I am super jaded about the entire competition at the moment but i don’t think i am far off the mark with the above comments
 
Iva Bigun said:
Reflecting on yesterday’s game it occurred to me that we are wasting our time. It’s pointless supporting any club that isn’t either a super club in Melbourne or at a stretch the Eagles or Swans.

Why? The system is set up for the MCG tennents in particular to win, the home ground advantage, home crowd, no travel and playing something like 12 out of the last 13 games at your home ground ( even if you are the away team) puts you at a massive advantage in comparison to a Suns or Giants that play there twice a year.

I am super jaded about the entire competition at the moment but i don’t think i am far off the mark with the above comments
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The only thing that gives me any hope is that the Lions turned it around. I’d be happy with just a few finals
 
Suns of Anarchy said:
The only thing that gives me any hope is that the Lions turned it around. I’d be happy with just a few finals
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I was the same but realise that the current system will see all talent drain to the big clubs for more picks that if they are any good will just repeat the process.

Where as if you are a Hawks / Collingwood etc it’s exactly the opposite. Cherry pick talent from the small clubs and challenge for a premiership every few years
 
Iva Bigun said:
Reflecting on yesterday’s game it occurred to me that we are wasting our time. It’s pointless supporting any club that isn’t either a super club in Melbourne or at a stretch the Eagles or Swans.

Why? The system is set up for the MCG tennents in particular to win, the home ground advantage, home crowd, no travel and playing something like 12 out of the last 13 games at your home ground ( even if you are the away team) puts you at a massive advantage in comparison to a Suns or Giants that play there twice a year.

I am super jaded about the entire competition at the moment but i don’t think i am far off the mark with the above comments
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Agree but as an ex west Australian it’s bloody sweet to shove it up the VFL when it does work - those eagles GF against the cats made my childhood
 
Suns of Anarchy said:
The only thing that gives me any hope is that the Lions turned it around. I’d be happy with just a few finals
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You are spot on.
I hate to say it but the Lions have done an amazing job.
They are now a club and workplace that players and staff want to be apart of.
That most important thing nowadays is you need to build a football club that players and staff just can’t wait to wake up in the morning a get into work and build something special.
 
Iva Bigun said:
Screaming at people while giving them the finger as they sing the song. What a disgraceful club they are
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You can focus on that 1% of the supporter base or you can look at the rest who for 30+ Years were the laughing stock of the AFL.

Let’s hope us Suns fans don’t have to wait another 20+ years to get some success.

 
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