News Welcome Luke Beveridge

[Fossie 32]

Apologies if it's been dealt with elsewhere but ...

I reckon if Griffen hadn't walked out on the club in October 2014 we wouldn't have the joy of his thread right now.

It's a teasing thought, given that for many of us it seemed that with Griffen's desertion we were about to implode as a club. How it turned out was totally different. It precipitated the departure of Brendan McCartney (to be replaced by Beveridge) and gave us the opening to grab Tom Boyd. It was all upward from there. Those two initiatives were ultimately crucial in getting us the premiership cup.

It could be argued that we would have ended up with Beveridge and Boyd a year later anyway, but more than likely Bevo would have stayed or progressed at St Kilda, McCartney's continued tenure would have led to the loss of more guns in 2015 and we would have had serious competition for Boyd from other Melbourne clubs if we waited another 12 months to make our bid for him.

Yep, I agree

 

[Fossie 32]

Its a good thing that fans (more-so the bigfooty variety) don't run football clubs. "Undisciplined rage" didn't help GWS during the prelim, so I don't see why it would help the swans. Should they bring it to our next encounter the only consequence will be that they rack up their 4th consecutive lose to us.

Just made them and Hawthorn look stupid trying to rough us up and sledging.


UpComing posting milestones: 15,954, 16,000, 16,016, 16,054, 16,116.....

 

[Hard Ball Get]

Apologies if it's been dealt with elsewhere but ...

I reckon if Griffen hadn't walked out on the club in October 2014 we wouldn't have the joy of this thread right now.

It's a teasing thought, given that for many of us it seemed that with Griffen's desertion we were about to implode as a club. How it turned out was totally different. It precipitated the departure of Brendan McCartney (to be replaced by Beveridge) and gave us the opening to grab Tom Boyd. It was all upward from there. Those two initiatives were ultimately crucial in getting us the premiership cup.

It could be argued that we would have ended up with Beveridge and Boyd a year later anyway, but more than likely Bevo would have stayed or progressed at St Kilda, McCartney's continued tenure would have led to the loss of more guns in 2015 and we would have had serious competition for Boyd from other Melbourne clubs if we waited another 12 months to make our bid for him.

True. But he's still a flog.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

True. But he's still a flog.

I'm still amazed at the lack of hindsight in understanding how toxic our club environment was during 2014.

Of course, not defending Griffen here for a second - not only did he walk out in contract and it was his responsibility to take action earlier upon such a environment, given he was captain. But I'm surprised on this board how little intrigue or discussion or speculation on that environment. Remember the rumours of a Stevens and Minson fight? How about the rumours of Minson's exit interview?

The red flags were certainly there:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/bre...s/news-story/e18c4fc9b5ca5e94af534c79d75addb5

I also know through sources/connections etc that more players outside Griffen, Jones, Talia were ready to walk out, like Grant and Talia, if McCartney stayed. Not saying they're the superstars of the team but ideally you'd want a club culture in that the only reason any player would want to leave is that they can get more money elsewhere.

Not to mention we all but had Docherty signed and delivered with a trade with Brisbane until all this went down.

Am I defending Griffen? No. But am I surprises at the hindsight discussion of the toxic nature of the club, as a whole, through 2014 on this board in the 2 and a half years since? Yes. Club captains don't go through the very difficult process of requesting a trade in-contract and the fallout as a result simply because they are "flogs".

I suppose given this thread we are looking to celebrate rather than dwell on the bad times. But I also think it's critical in understanding how monumental Beveridge's cultural shift upon the club was.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

I'm still amazed at the lack of hindsight in understanding how toxic our club environment was during 2014.

Of course, not defending Griffen here for a second - not only did he walk out in contract and it was his responsibility to take action earlier upon such a environment, given he was captain. But I'm surprised on this board how little intrigue or discussion or speculation on that environment. Remember the rumours of a Stevens and Minson fight? How about the rumours of Minson's exit interview?

The red flags were certainly lunch there:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/bre...s/news-story/e18c4fc9b5ca5e94af534c79d75addb5

I also know through sources/connections etc that more players outside Griffen, Jones, Talia were ready to walk out, like Grant and Talia, if McCartney stayed. Not saying they're the superstars of the team but ideally you'd want a club culture in that the only reason any player would want to leave is that they can get more money elsewhere.

Not to mention we all but had Docherty signed and delivered with a trade with Brisbane until all this went down.

Am I defending Griffen? No. But am I surprises at the hindsight discussion of the toxic nature of the club, as a whole, through 2014 on this board in the 2 and a half years since? Yes. Club captains don't go through the very difficult process of requesting a trade in-contract and the fallout as a result simply because they are "flogs".

I suppose given this thread we are looking to celebrate rather than dwell on the bad times. But I also think it's critical in understanding how monumental Beveridge's cultural shift upon the club was.

To me him leaving isn't the issue. It's the way he left. The way the club found out and his actions immediately after the decision.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

To me him leaving isn't the issue. It's the way he left. The way the club found out and his actions immediately after the decision.

This is the other thing I don't understand why people hate him for that. For me I see it much the other way - he didn't go to the media or make any public comments degrading the club. He made his decision, informed the club and removed himself from the public eye.

I get that it would have been good for us as a club to be able to contact him, but that is just, I dunno, a selfish way of looking at things.

I mean he could have made his problems known to the club earlier than the trade request. I certainly don't think he acted very well on that regard. As a club captain he should have acted in such a way before the trade request in that the trade request itself wasn't as much of a surprise internally than it was.

But given that he requested the trade, as a result of the very fact he requested the trade, I find it a bit surprising that so many people slam him from not being contactable. I think I that's a lot more respectful than flapping his gums through the media or having his agent make degrading (even if true) statements about the club's culture of McCartney's coaching.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

This is the other thing I don't understand why people hate him for that. For me I see it much the other way - he didn't go to the media or make any public comments degrading the club. He made his decision, informed the club and removed himself from the public eye.

I get that it would have been good for us as a club to be able to contact him, but that is just, I dunno, a selfish way of looking at things.

I mean he could have made his problems known to the club earlier than the trade request. I certainly don't think he acted very well on that regard. As a club captain he should have acted in such a way before the trade request in that the trade request itself wasn't as much of a surprise internally than it was.

But given that he requested the trade, as a result of the very fact he requested the trade, I find it a bit surprising that so many people slam him from not being contactable. I think I that's a lot more respectful than flapping his gums through the media or having his agent make degrading (even if true) statements about the club's culture of McCartney's coaching.

My understanding was that he didn't inform the club. GWS informed the club. I could be wrong, but that's what I was led to believe.

I'm sorry, but that's just poor form. Especially if you're the captain of the club.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

My understanding was that he didn't inform the club. GWS informed the club. I could be wrong, but that's what I was led to believe.

I'm sorry, but that's just poor form. Especially if you're the captain of the club.

I didn't realise that. I mean I heard it was the other way around then that's fair enough, that's a pretty terrible thing to do.

I do find it pretty unlikely though.

 

[Hard Ball Get]

I didn't realise that. I mean I heard it was the other way around then that's fair enough, that's a pretty terrible thing to do.

I do find it pretty unlikely though.

The initial story was that the club found out through a tweet from the Giants. I'm not sure if that's true or not either.

 

[maddog37]

All of my anger for Griff is gone now. His loss.


At the risk of opening a can of worms,
Macaranartney did one thing well imho and that was break down the weaker ones from the club.

 

[The Buck]

My understanding was that he didn't inform the club. GWS informed the club. I could be wrong, but that's what I was led to believe.

I'm sorry, but that's just poor form. Especially if you're the captain of the club.

Yes. A captain of our club who colluded with GWS for months before he blurted to Peter Gordon on B and F night that he wanted out.

My knowledge is that the club did everything it could to support him and also Macca, who was apparently devastated by this bombshell.

I understand that Griffen, during discussions with the club at this time, looked Chris Grant in the face and told him he would stay.

A week later Griffen's manager informed the club that his intentions were to go to GWS.

Yes, the upshot of this crisis was the end of Macca's reign, the recruitment of Tom Boyd and the appointment of Bevo.

Yes, we should let bygones be bygones and not be bitter.

But let's not forget that Griffen's actions were premeditated and he deliberately concealed his true intentions from his team mates and those who trusted him. He must have known the repercussions his actions would have for the club.

If anyone comes out of this with honour it is Macca. He may have alienated some of the list and tried to take on too much but he fell on his sword without one whinge. Took it like a gentleman.

Griffen however, weak and sneaky. I have no admiration for him but understand those who do.

 

[Mutt]

The initial story was that the club found out through a tweet from the Giants. I'm not sure if that's true or not either.

That's what I was told by one of our medical staff.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Yes. A captain of our club who colluded with GWS for months before he blurted to Peter Gordon on B and F night that he wanted out.

My knowledge is that the club did everything it could to support him and also Macca, who was apparently devastated by this bombshell.

I understand that Griffen, during discussions with the club at this time, looked Chris Grant in the face and told him he would stay.

A week later Griffen's manager informed the club that his intentions were to go to GWS.

Yes, the upshot of this crisis was the end of Macca's reign, the recruitment of Tom Boyd and the appointment of Bevo.

Yes, we should let bygones be bygones and not be bitter.

But let's not forget that Griffen's actions were premeditated and he deliberately concealed his true intentions from his team mates and those who trusted him. He must have known the repercussions his actions would have for the club.

If anyone comes out of this with honour it is Macca. He may have alienated some of the list and tried to take on too much but he fell on his sword without one whinge. Took it like a gentleman.

Griffen however, weak and sneaky. I have no admiration for him but understand those who do.

Again, I'm not defending Griffen for a second here. His actions even if we don't truly know what they were, were without doubt terrible for a club captain.

But my point is that these things never happen in a vacuum. It's a very long bow to draw to say that Griffen was lying when he told journos he wanted to be a Bulldog for life, or that he didn't have the full intention to play out the rest of his contract when he extended it. The environment nudged him to act in a pretty terrible way. We understand how toxic that environment was given the rumours that were going on at the time and the fact that other players quit the club as well (albeit being out of contract) like Jones and Tutt.

Like I said a few posts back I'm very surprised whenever anyone mentions Griffen it's always "he acted like a terrible person" in isolation and not in the context of how toxic our club was to be around which provided the environment in which Griffen as a person felt like it was actually better for him himself to do a terrible thing that he did. In other words, Griffen thought it was in his own interests to negotiate behind the clubs back and request a trade to GWS, a pretty terrible thing to do for a captain, than to stick around under McCartney's coaching. That speaks volumes in my eyes.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Yes. A captain of our club who colluded with GWS for months before he blurted to Peter Gordon on B and F night that he wanted out.

My knowledge is that the club did everything it could to support him and also Macca, who was apparently devastated by this bombshell.

I understand that Griffen, during discussions with the club at this time, looked Chris Grant in the face and told him he would stay.

A week later Griffen's manager informed the club that his intentions were to go to GWS.

Yes, the upshot of this crisis was the end of Macca's reign, the recruitment of Tom Boyd and the appointment of Bevo.

Yes, we should let bygones be bygones and not be bitter.

But let's not forget that Griffen's actions were premeditated and he deliberately concealed his true intentions from his team mates and those who trusted him. He must have known the repercussions his actions would have for the club.

If anyone comes out of this with honour it is Macca. He may have alienated some of the list and tried to take on too much but he fell on his sword without one whinge. Took it like a gentleman.

Griffen however, weak and sneaky. I have no admiration for him but understand those who do.

Agree on Macca, definitely bowed out without any fuss.

Griff had a problem with being captain, and dealing with player discontent. As the meat in the sandwich, he wasn't equipped, personality wise, to confront the powers-that-be with issues, especially after McCartney's contract was extended. It must have seemed like a no-win situation. I'd say he was desperate to remove himself from it any way he could. Obviously he'd discussed it with Cameron during the year and was offered a way out, which he grabbed.

I was angry at the time, but time heals. So does our good fortune.

 

[The Buck]

It's a very long bow to draw to say that Griffen was lying

That's exactly what he was doing. The environment nudged him? Mate, he made his own decision in, my opinion, a very sneaky and irresponsible way.

Other players, real leaders like Murph and Boyd and Morris, Roughy et al must have been similarly concerned about the malaise that existed at the time. But they held fast. Griffen took the coward's path and secretly collaborated with GWS for months and then waited for the worst possible moment for the club, his club, of whom he was captain, to rat.

Let's not feel too sorry for a bloke who ratted on our club. There are too many good people to feel sorry for.

 

[Super Hans]

Whenever you feel like you shouldn't hate Griffen and everything about GWS (can't say I've ever had this feeling..) just remember they made this.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

That's exactly what he was doing. The environment nudged him? Mate, he made his own decision in, my opinion, a very sneaky and irresponsible way.

Other players, real leaders like Murph and Boyd and Morris, Roughy et al must have been similarly concerned about the malaise that existed at the time. But they held fast. Griffen took the coward's path and secretly collaborated with GWS for months and then waited for the worst possible moment for the club, his club, of whom he was captain, to rat.

Let's not feel too sorry for a bloke who ratted on our club. There are too many good people to feel sorry for.

Well if you didn't selectively quote halfway through a sentence you'd see I was saying, that up until the 2014 season I don't think he had any intention of leaving.

Not defending his actions in a difficult situation as club captain for a second - I've made that clear in every post since, but the fact of the matter is that it was a difficult situation and a difficult club environment created largely because of McCartney's management skills.

I mean, other players left the club as well, which proves that it wasn't just Griffen being a s**t bloke alone. Do you really think that Griffen was in cahoots with GWS for the entire season, but Carlton was not in contact with Jones and he decided to sign with Carlton until only after the season ended?

Go through the posts on this board during September of 2014. Even before Griffen got up and left, there were mass discussion points and speculation about the culture that McCartney had fostered at the club. You have to really have your head in the sand to think that there wasn't cultural and environmental problems going on at the club and that influenced Griffen's decision

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...ldog-discussion.644157/page-155#post-35242531

Part 1 of that post

https://bigfooty.com/forum/threads/jon-ralph-on-why-macca-was-sacked.1080094/#post-35738464

etc. etc. I could go on for days.

Pretty funny how "tell it like it is" people thought was a good management style and getting the players to "toughen up" was the way that people thought an AFL club should be coached.

That was the style that had a club captain walking out and 20 wins from 66 games.

Bevo however was emotional, understood Gen X and Gen Y, and didn't tell the players to toughen up basically the opposite of McCartney and the opposite of the people defending McCartney's coaching style - and you have a premiership and not a single player walking out of the club in 2 years and players like Cloke taking pay cuts to come here.

 

[The Buck]

Well if you didn't selectively quote halfway through a sentence you'd see I was saying, that up until the 2014 season I don't think he had any intention of leaving.

Not defending his actions in a difficult situation as club captain for a second - I've made that clear in every post since, but the fact of the matter is that it was a difficult situation and a difficult club environment created largely because of McCartney's management skills.

I mean, other players left the club as well, which proves that it wasn't just Griffen being a s**t bloke alone. Do you really think that Griffen was in cahoots with GWS for the entire season, but Carlton was not in contact with Jones and he decided to sign with Carlton until only after the season ended?

Go through the posts on this board during September of 2014. Even before Griffen got up and left, there were mass discussion points and speculation about the culture that McCartney had fostered at the club. You have to really have your head in the sand to think that there wasn't cultural and environmental problems going on at the club and that influenced Griffen's decision

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...ldog-discussion.644157/page-155#post-35242531

Part 1 of that post

https://bigfooty.com/forum/threads/jon-ralph-on-why-macca-was-sacked.1080094/#post-35738464

etc. etc. I could go on for days.

Pretty funny how "tell it like it is" people thought was a good management style and getting the players to "toughen up" was the way that people thought an AFL club should be coached.

That was the style that had a club captain walking out and 20 wins from 66 games.

Bevo however was emotional, understood Gen X and Gen Y, and didn't tell the players to toughen up basically the opposite of McCartney and the opposite of the people defending McCartney's coaching style - and you have a premiership and not a single player walking out of the club in 2 years and players like Cloke taking pay cuts to come here.

My dear friend. I don't deny that there was a toxic culture and that Brendan Mc Cartney was out of his depth. Macca did, however, leave a legacy, was an honest man and worked tirelessly for our club, whatever his obvious shortcoming and whatever your interesting and original Gen culture theories may contraindicate.

I am simply saying that Griffen sneakily, dishonestly and selfishly left our club in the lurch.

This is not about Bevo or Liam Jones or amateur anthropological conjecture.

Griffen lied. Griffen betrayed his club, his team mates and took the weak way out. Of course, this is my opinion, and you are entitled to yours -- however convoluted and ambiguous they may be.

Head in the sand? Good on you mate.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

My dear friend. I don't deny that there was a toxic culture and that Brendan Mc Cartney was out of his depth. Macca did, however, leave a legacy, was an honest man and worked tirelessly for our club, whatever his obvious shortcoming and whatever your interesting and original Gen culture theories may contraindicate.

I am simply saying that Griffen sneakily, dishonestly and selfishly left our club in the lurch.

This is not about Bevo or Liam Jones or amateur anthropological conjecture.

Griffen lied. Griffen betrayed his club, his team mates and took the weak way out. Of course, this is my opinion, and you are entitled to yours -- however convoluted and ambiguous they may be.

Head in the sand? Good on you mate.

I'm not saying Griffen didn't act sneakily, dishonestly and selfishly, and I'm not saying he didn't leave our club in the lurch.

But there's elements of mitigation in how terribly he acted, which gets ignored by a lot of people on this board which is why I'm getting at.

Club captain walks out on club with a year to go on his contract.

Is a lot different to:

Club captain walks out on club with a year to go on his contract, given a toxic club environment which also saw other players leave and the coach sacked/resigned despite two years to go with his contract.

I agree with everybody in the methodology in which he left was abhorrent was quite terrible.

But many have posted over the last two and a half years, that leaving full stop was terrible and by extension there wasn't a single way he could have requested a trade that would have made the situation any better. Basically I'm saying there's more nuance, whilst it's never great that a in-contract captain walks out on the club, it's slightly more palatable that he does so given the toxic club environment than it would be without that environment.

 

[dogwatch]

Well if you didn't selectively quote halfway through a sentence you'd see I was saying, that up until the 2014 season I don't think he had any intention of leaving.

Not defending his actions in a difficult situation as club captain for a second - I've made that clear in every post since, but the fact of the matter is that it was a difficult situation and a difficult club environment created largely because of McCartney's management skills.

I mean, other players left the club as well, which proves that it wasn't just Griffen being a s**t bloke alone. Do you really think that Griffen was in cahoots with GWS for the entire season, but Carlton was not in contact with Jones and he decided to sign with Carlton until only after the season ended?

Go through the posts on this board during September of 2014. Even before Griffen got up and left, there were mass discussion points and speculation about the culture that McCartney had fostered at the club. You have to really have your head in the sand to think that there wasn't cultural and environmental problems going on at the club and that influenced Griffen's decision

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...ldog-discussion.644157/page-155#post-35242531

Part 1 of that post

https://bigfooty.com/forum/threads/jon-ralph-on-why-macca-was-sacked.1080094/#post-35738464

etc. etc. I could go on for days.

Pretty funny how "tell it like it is" people thought was a good management style and getting the players to "toughen up" was the way that people thought an AFL club should be coached.

That was the style that had a club captain walking out and 20 wins from 66 games.

Bevo however was emotional, understood Gen X and Gen Y, and didn't tell the players to toughen up basically the opposite of McCartney and the opposite of the people defending McCartney's coaching style - and you have a premiership and not a single player walking out of the club in 2 years and players like Cloke taking pay cuts to come here.

There was a story going around about the same time this all happened that Mitch Wallis was another who said he would leave if Macca stayed. I can't confirm it's true, just what I heard. There were also reports of discussions between some concerned senior players and PG et al. Again, only anecdotal, but a bit more circumstantial evidence of the toxic environment you talk about.

An interesting aside is that both Macca and Bev came to the club with a great record of multiple consecutive flags in minor leagues. Both believed they had a special formula/approach that would bring them and the club success and both stuck steadfastly to that self-belief.

One was a path to ruin and the other brought a premiership within two years.

Moral: There are lots of people out there spruiking they know "the Right Way" but few of them really do. You've just got to pick the right Messiah.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

There was a story going around about the same time this all happened that Mitch Wallis was another who said he would leave if Macca stayed. I can't confirm it's true, just what I heard. There were also reports of discussions between some concerned senior players and PG et al. Again, only anecdotal, but a bit more circumstantial evidence of the toxic environment you talk about.

An interesting aside is that both Macca and Bev came to the club with a great record of multiple consecutive flags in minor leagues. Both believed they had a special formula/approach that would bring them and the club success and both stuck steadfastly to that self-belief.

One was a path to ruin and the other brought a premiership within two years.

Moral: There are lots of people out there spruiking they know "the Right Way" but few of them really do. You've just got to pick the right Messiah.

I find it interesting that the panel that picked McCartney had not a single person on it who had coached even 1 AFL game. And it had Tom Harley, who was his biggest cheerleader.

The panel that picked Beveridge had John Worsfold on it, albeit it was Luke Darcy who was the biggest Bevo fan on that panel.

 

[The Buck]

I'm not saying Griffen didn't act sneakily, dishonestly and selfishly, and I'm not saying he didn't leave our club in the lurch.

But there's elements of mitigation in how terribly he acted, which gets ignored by a lot of people on this board which is why I'm getting at.

Club captain walks out on club with a year to go on his contract.

Is a lot different to:

Club captain walks out on club with a year to go on his contract, given a toxic club environment which also saw other players leave and the coach sacked/resigned despite two years to go with his contract.

I agree with everybody in the methodology in which he left was abhorrent was quite terrible.

But many have posted over the last two and a half years, that leaving full stop was terrible and by extension there wasn't a single way he could have requested a trade that would have made the situation any better. Basically I'm saying there's more nuance, whilst it's never great that a in-contract captain walks out on the club, it's slightly more palatable that he does so given the toxic club environment than it would be without that environment.

Yes.

 

[DogsAreBarking]

There was a story going around about the same time this all happened that Mitch Wallis was another who said he would leave if Macca stayed. I can't confirm it's true, just what I heard.

My Dad tells me that he has a mate with a business connection to Stephen Wallis, and that mate told him over and over again that Stephen had nothing good to say about Macca and that Mitch wanted out.

 

[Ozil]

There was a story going around about the same time this all happened that Mitch Wallis was another who said he would leave if Macca stayed. I can't confirm it's true, just what I heard. There were also reports of discussions between some concerned senior players and PG et al. Again, only anecdotal, but a bit more circumstantial evidence of the toxic environment you talk about.

An interesting aside is that both Macca and Bev came to the club with a great record of multiple consecutive flags in minor leagues. Both believed they had a special formula/approach that would bring them and the club success and both stuck steadfastly to that self-belief.

One was a path to ruin and the other brought a premiership within two years.

Moral: There are lots of people out there spruiking they know "the Right Way" but few of them really do. You've just got to pick the right Messiah.

I'm not sure I agree with the bolded.

Not a McCartney basher, and for all his tactical shortcomings and buy-in issues I know he played a considerable part in building the platform for the premiership, but he arrived with a "this is my/our way, this is how it worked at Geelong and it'll work for you" attitude, as did the cohort of Scarlett, Mooney etc.

It may have been rigid self-belief and it's hard to argue with results, but it was a step short of the condescension we all experienced in 2012-14 every time we ran into a Cats fan.

My understanding is Beveridge was less oriented towards a "process" if you can forgive the NBA analogy, and more towards adjusting and building upon what he perceived; of course, he didn't necessarily have the option of bringing over a posse of sorts from Hawthorn or Collingwood, but the approach was never as insular and self-reverential as the Geelong formula.

Ultimately I agree with your moral, there is no "right way", but I think Beveridge's recognition of that is one of the reasons we're the reigning premiers.

 

[The Buck]

I'm not sure I agree with the bolded.

Not a McCartney basher, and for all his tactical shortcomings and buy-in issues I know he played a considerable part in building the platform for the premiership, but he arrived with a "this is my/our way, this is how it worked at Geelong and it'll work for you" attitude, as did the cohort of Scarlett, Mooney etc.

It may have been rigid self-belief and it's hard to argue with results, but it was a step short of the condescension we all experienced in 2012-14 every time we ran into a Cats fan.

My understanding is Beveridge was less oriented towards a "process" if you can forgive the NBA analogy, and more towards adjusting and building upon what he perceived; of course, he didn't necessarily have the option of bringing over a posse of sorts from Hawthorn or Collingwood, but the approach was never as insular and self-reverential as the Geelong formula.

Ultimately I agree with your moral, there is no "right way", but I think Beveridge's recognition of that is one of the reasons we're the reigning premiers.

Indeed. It seems that Macca tried to impose a game plan whereas Bevo built a game plan based on the strengths he gleaned from our list.

Macca was no Peter Rhode. He may have imposed a ruthless code of contested ball but he certainly left a legacy from which our club still profits.

It's a pity it went a bit haywire in the end. Nevertheless, I think he was a man of principle in theory and practice.