Opinion What would it be like working for Collingwood?

We're all passionate about Collingwood, and often claim we'd give various gender specific bits of our anatomies to have the opportunities that folks at our club have. We are the biggest club in the land. Our players have the privilege of playing in front of 150,000 adoring fans every week of the year ...

... but would it really be like that? If you were the gun senior coach of the league and had your choice of:

(A) Working in wintry Melbourne, having Robbo and Caro shadowing your every move, and after every loss you being told on the back page of the Herald Sun that you're about to get fired.

... or ...

(B) Working on the sunny Gold Coast, and maybe having some work experience kid from the local rag call you up for an interview over a hot chocolate and Tim tam biscuit every six months? Owing to the totalitarian socialist regime that is the AFL, the money being offered is much the same. The trophy being played for is much the same. Which gig would you choose?

As an organisation do you think we'd be able to attract the best talent?

Anybody know about glassdoor? It's a website where employees rate their employer.

Curiously, Collingwood has a review (the only club I could find with one, but I didn't systematically go through all 18)

https://www.glassdoor.com.au/Overview/Working-at-Collingwood-Football-Club-EI_IE658520.11,36.htm

"Great Club and Company"

Pros

Great club and company to work for- many perks with job and a great 'team' environment.

Cons

Little room to go up or sideways.
Management seem to breed and embrace egos.

Advice to Management

Improvement in management ways and people skills.

https://www.glassdoor.com.au/Overview/Working-at-Collingwood-Football-Club-EI_IE658520.11,36.htm
 
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ant22

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Ive know a few people over the years who have worked for footy clubs and their advice has always been "Don't work for footy clubs" Unless you are in senior management the pay is not great. There is not a lot of career options either. There is also as you would expect a lot of very big egos in clubs so the environment is not always great.
 
Jul 25, 2008
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I recently got onto Glassdoor and found the lack of info on Collingwood and the AFL surprising.

In terms of the A and B questions I think enough information was provided in the questions to make the answer obvious. The gun senior coach would always be after the challenge so would never choose B!

In terms of working for the club. The 21yo me couldn't think of anything better. Whereas the older wiser me would only be interested in a management position which is unlikely without serious internal connections. As ant pointed out club environments are very different to what they appear externally!
 

Saintly Viewed

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Aug 10, 2015
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No thanks.
Oh and good morning Mr Pert.
 

General Soreness

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I'll take A: more scared of the weather there than the journalists here.

If, somehow, any club required my skill set I think I'd rather work at a club other than Collingwood, if only because of a history of discovering that while I can enjoy someone's product it doesn't mean that I enjoy them. Perhaps I'd be better off at the AFL itself than a club in particular.
 
Mar 17, 2014
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I imagine it to be like this
Walk in the door, high five Moana Hope, trade good natured barbs with Georgie Parker about her name and A Country Practice
Go down the hall, see Caitlyn Thwaites, commiserate about the final and bag the umpires with her
Walk past Sando's office and tease him that he only has a job cos of being mates with Bucks. Sando fires back with a zinger.
Go over to the water cooler, discuss Australian Ninja Warrior with Brodie Grundy who calls all the competitors pussies and would win that thing no worries.
Go back to my office, get a visit from Bucks as he goes out to take training, I joke about unemployment, he tells me i will be unemployed if i keep making those jokes, we laugh and go back to work.
Spend a few hours in my office while getting visits from the players who are running around the offices throwing things at each other in between training.
Turn on Eddies computer and put pictures of Caroline Wilson as a screen saver while he is away (oh the hilarity)
at the end of the day i skip on my way out having had another great day at work!
 

Ketchup

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I'm usually one of the boys. I'd take the job security Collingwood gives to these type of guys every day of the week.
 
One of my daughter's friends worked in media for a big Melbourne club (not us), and one she had supported all her life.

It had its pros and cons. Everyone was up and cheerful after a win, but gloomy and with morale way down after a loss. During the week she worked what would be considered normal working hours, but a lot of extra hours on weekends and Friday nights when games were on. It was not 9-5 (but what jobs are?).

On the plus side, she knew all the players and many were good guys to work with. Others not so much. She got to attend functions, and had access to club greats and prominent members, for media purposes.

But even with all that, she gave it away. Too stressful in the end, and not what (as a supporter) she thought/hoped it would be.
 
One of my daughter's friends worked in media for a big Melbourne club (not us), and one she had supported all her life.

It had its pros and cons. Everyone was up and cheerful after a win, but gloomy and with morale way down after a loss. During the week she worked what would be considered normal working hours, but a lot of extra hours on weekends and Friday nights when games were on. It was not 9-5 (but what jobs are?).

On the plus side, she knew all the players and many were good guys to work with. Others not so much. She got to attend functions, and had access to club greats and prominent members, for media purposes.

But even with all that, she gave it away. Too stressful in the end, and not what (as a supporter) she thought/hoped it would be.
I know of 3 people who worked in marketing/membership at 3 different clubs and none of them supported the team they worked at.
They said it helped them remain detached and non-emotional about it, perhaps for the very reasons you outlined VP.
 

wicksy

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Feb 23, 2007
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Ive know a few people over the years who have worked for footy clubs and their advice has always been "Don't work for footy clubs" Unless you are in senior management the pay is not great. There is not a lot of career options either. There is also as you would expect a lot of very big egos in clubs so the environment is not always great.

Working in an AFL club and working at a country league club would be completely different.
 

DWil6

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 13, 2007
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Pay wouldn’t be great. You’d want enormous job satisfaction.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

jscan

Club Legend
Jun 27, 2015
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I think it would be like working on a rudderless ship that's captained by dumb and dumber with no hope or direction of making it back to land.
 

Chameleon75

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 13, 2013
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Melbourne
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One of my daughter's friends worked in media for a big Melbourne club (not us), and one she had supported all her life.

It had its pros and cons. Everyone was up and cheerful after a win, but gloomy and with morale way down after a loss. During the week she worked what would be considered normal working hours, but a lot of extra hours on weekends and Friday nights when games were on. It was not 9-5 (but what jobs are?).

On the plus side, she knew all the players and many were good guys to work with. Others not so much. She got to attend functions, and had access to club greats and prominent members, for media purposes.

But even with all that, she gave it away. Too stressful in the end, and not what (as a supporter) she thought/hoped it would be.

The old adage, be careful what you wish for.
 

Robroy22

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Oct 24, 2012
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Not as much fun as working for the A.F.L by the sound of it.




Hmmm....both those blokes were pretty "schmarmy" when you met them....never had a great deal of confidence in either of em. Funny how you can pick up those vibes about people when you first meet them eh?
 

ant22

Premiership Player
Oct 14, 2005
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Working in an AFL club and working at a country league club would be completely different.


I'm talking AFL Clubs wicksey. Don't know of too many paid positions at local football clubs. Most are run by Volunteers. All the cash goes to coaches and players
 

wicksy

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I'm talking AFL Clubs wicksey. Don't know of too many paid positions at local football clubs. Most are run by Volunteers. All the cash goes to coaches and players

Thought the pay would have been pretty good hence why I thought you were talking local footy. There you go!
 

doodles98

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Is there morning tea and how longs the lunch break? and is there a BBQ Wednesday? What are the internet restrictions?
 
Sep 19, 2011
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My contact from the Pies said that they enjoyed the footy less every time, working week was generally Mon-Sun ( on call or functions) on Weekends, getting close to the team and how they performed played a big part, the other part was Eddie who would just make it a toxic environment
I've always been a big fan of Ed, but listening to what my mate experienced has made me think twice.


Sent from my warped mind
 
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