One of our most popular articles on Kick2Kick was us “Exposing the worst culture AFL Football clubs“. In that list we highlighted Fremantle, St Kilda & Richmond. Richmond & Fremantle again have the same problems this year and only finals will tell if St Kilda have turned a corner or not.
However during the past week with another post “A Call To Arms – Tigers need to get Lethal“, we started to talk about how to change a clubs culture. Lets now go into more detail, use other clubs as examples and see if we can help not only the AFL clubs but also maybe some local clubs.
1) No in-fighting
This may be an easy one to notice but if you look at all clubs that have had board/ coaches/ past players fighting they have not had a successful year. Hear are just a few examples:
- Carlton had it in the early 2000′s after their salary cap issues,
- St Kilda had it between coach Thomas & President Butters,
- Melbourne had it in 2008 in their 150th year with Stynes & the previous President(s),
- Essendon had it in 2007 with the board not renewing Sheedy’s coaching job,
- West Coast had it in 2007-2008 with sacking Cousins and other off field troubles &
- Richmond has had it in the past 25 years.
Clarkson was a hard nosed player & is now a hard nosed coach by getting rid of the dead wood in the playing list
2) Hard Nosed Coach
In “A Call To Arms – Tigers need to get Lethal” Geoff the Wounded Tiger wrote about who Richmond needs a coach who can make the hard decisions (read Who Should Replace Wallace for more).
Alistair Clarkson was a surprise pick by many to coach Hawthorn but what makes it now a genius move was his hard nosed decisions by getting rid of the dead wood in the playing list.
3) Develop a Winning Culture
Easier said than done I know but there are several ways of developing a Winning Culture.
- Do not accept losses or near wins,
- Bring in past players off former glory days,
- Bring in Premiership players &
- Have a coach who knows what its like to win.
4) Player Behaviour
The best thing that Geelong did to bring them where they are now is when the players put their foot down and suspended Steve Johnson. It brought a new direction where clubs had their own players bringing down the decisions on their own team mates.
While West Coast is one of the only clubs that where successful with a bad behaviour record (read the clubs rap sheets). Most clubs who have player behaviour problems are not successful.
Sydney where successful with their “Blood Culture” which basically made the players bleed for each other.
5) Financially Secure
Using Geelong as an example again, they where a basket case in early 2000. Bad form, old players and in big financial trouble. They got a young coach and a successful Brian Cook who turned the club around with a huge 5 odd million debt into a club who now have a healthy bank account.
If you look at Melbourne & Western Bulldogs they both have been struggling financially for the last 10-20 years and they have only had two Grand Final appearances between them in that period of time.
Kangaroos is one club that was successful while struggling financial but once Carey was moved on, they have struggled financially.
Your Steps/ Comments to get a Club Culture Turned Around
So what do you think? Do you think these can help turn your club around?
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April 29th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
To me it all comes down to the strength of your leadership group. As you pointed out the Cats and Swans broke Premiership droughts on the back of the players taking ownership of the club, setting standards and enforcing punishments on players that crossed the line regardless of talent levels. When you look back through Premiership outfits it seems to be the same pattern. The Eagles of the 90′s had Worsfold, McKenna, Jakovich, Kemp. North had Carey, Archer, Stevens, Martyn. Brisbane had Voss, Brown, Scott. Essendon had Thompson, O’Donnell, Watson. The Hawks Matthews, Tuck, Brereton etc, etc…
Teams that are around the top 4 now are the same. It seems that when champion players like Harvey and West leave the onus falls on the younger guys to pick up the slack and most times they respond. Guys like Boyd, Cross and Higgins have taken control of the Dogs since West left and Dal Santo, Montagna and Ball are all better players in the absence of Harvey.
It is no surprise to me that teams that lack quality leaders; Freo, Melbourne and Richmond are all down the bottom end of the ladder.
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April 30th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Also you look at the clubs you mentioned (Melbourne, Freo & Richmond) and you ask who are the natural leaders and you will be hard asked.
- Pavlich is selfish and only plays for his wage.
- Melbourne were seriously thinking about Green who did not even want to play for their club this year.
- Richmond, while I like Newman, he would be a better solid Vice Captain.
I would also have said the same about Glass last year at the West Coast.
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April 30th, 2009 at 9:28 am
@Deano: With the benfit of hindsight, you’d think the one name that doesn’t belong in your post is Carey. Magnificent footballer and arguably a good leader, but hardly setting a good example.
@Jermayn: I think captaincy is a cermonial leadership position today. It’s leadership groups, as Deano has identified, that drive standards and expectations.
In the general sense, the best leaders in the world will not succeed if the troops aren’t along for the ride. I maintain that it’s the bottom 20% of the list, and the coach’s ability to extract above-par performances from them on a regular basis, that creates successful (on-field) teams. An emerging winning habit often prompts the development of a winning culture!
aussierulesblogs last blog post..How many angels can dance on the head of a pin, Jeff?
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April 30th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
@AussieRulesBlog – While captains are not as important as before, they are imo still very very important to a club, especially a club that is needing to make a statement or on the rise. While Geelong could probably get away with a half baked captain, a club like Melbourne, Carlton (last year) etc need a strong captain to introduce steel-ness, strength and an example. Judd provided this last year for Carlton.
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April 30th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
from what i hear Carey was the glue in that team, he was just as passionate about having the boys together off the field as he was on it. Sometimes that sort of harmony transfers on to the field as well.
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April 30th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
forget what happened later on, in the mid to late 90′s he was as good a leader as there was.
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April 30th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Yes true but gone are the days when a captain only captains on the field. One of the main problems/ issues with Glassy last year for the Eagles was that he did not appear in the media, it was left for Cox/ Selwood etc.
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May 1st, 2009 at 11:40 am
Interesting your comments on Newman at Richmond, I actually think the captaincy has been the one key area that Mark Coughlan’s injury problems have actually hurt Richmond more than any other. If he’d been playing the last three years he’d be in a prime position to be a really solid leader at the club, and developing leadership in Deledio, Cotchin, Moore, Morton, Riewoldt, etc.
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