MINIMUM 5% Improvement !!

[Eastern]

We hear every year that we need to improve by at least 5% just to stay where we were the previous year. That suggests that, as a club we need to exceed that by a fair margin if we are going to start our climb up the ladder and please our fans. I really liked the various challenges that were thrown out there at the B&F. Michael Nettlefold challenged the ENTIRE CLUB to get better, Scott Watters challenged THE PLAYING GROUP to get better and Jason Blake challenged the ADMINISTRATION to get better. The words of all three are correct, turning those words into actions is going to be a whole lot more difficult. Let's look at the various areas, and where we can improve;

THE BOARD & The CEO. They provide the structures and finances to get things done. What are their KPI's and can they do things better?

THE FOOTBALL DEPARTMENT. From Chris Pelchen to Scott Watters to the Recruiting Staff to the Doctors, Physios and Strength & Conditioning staff. Are they the BEST and do they have the resources to be the best?

THE PLAYING LIST. Our academy suggests that we will achieve a 5% improvement from our 1-3 year players. How far can we exceed that by? Do we have everything we need to get the maximum? We probably won't see improvement from our 200+ gamers (or thereabouts) and we don't have a great deal in between these groups. How hard will it be for Jack Steven to go another 5%? We also need to be mindful of the off-field stuff too, and we're not off to a very good start

THE MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT. We have dropped from 42,000 to 32,000 in 3 years so a massive improvement is required. Does it need to be better resourced? Does it need to be better financed?

THE FAN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. The two areas that spring readily to mind are THE CHEER SQUAD & THE MOORABBIN WING. Is there enough involvement in these areas? Is there enough money to get involved in these area? I like to imagine 4 bays full of Cheer Squad and 4 bays full of Moorabbin Wingers, but it will be a whole lot more difficult if it is left to volunteers

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS & SPONSORSHIPS. It appears that we have some very well connected people on our Board who know the right people to sell our BRAND to, if our Brand is attractive to them. It is not just the responsibility of the Board to prove this, it is the responsibility of EVERY St KILDA PERSON to prove this

Can we get 5% better in 2014? If so, can we stretch it to 10%? !!

[joffaboy]

Well it started well by torching a dwarf.

[saintsRrising]

Not sure if you watched 2013 season or not, but 5% improvement on that is going to leave us well and truly on the bottom.

Dees will be better under Roos.
Dogs in the second half sowed that with their younger players arriving, that they will be a better team in 2014 than 2013.
GWS kids will be one year bigger and older, and probably will have one or two good established players join them in 2014 ( Buddy, Fisher...)

5% improvement will see us having a cringeworthy season.

[PJ]

Could you rephrase that along the lines of Reduced Entertainer Fire Sale - that's got to be at least 5% better.

[Eastern]

Oh, I forgot. Outgoing President Greg Westaway challenged EVERY MEMBER to get a fellow Saints fan to sign up !!

[kp83]

THE FOOTBALL DEPARTMENT. From Chris Pelchen to Scott Watters to the Recruiting Staff to the Doctors, Physios and Strength & Conditioning staff. Are they the BEST and do they have the resources to be the best?

Our head physio is definately one of the best in Melbourne, so we tick that box at least.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

My opinion re the cheersquad is they need to start again ... No offence but the cheersquad are run by old ladies not to knock their contribution to the club over many many years but the time is now while the team are going through a rebuild and the old is being replaced by the new that the same shoud be done to the cheer squad ... Fresh ideas fresh approaches new enthusiasm .. The world USA different place than it was in the80's or even the 90's new blood is needed a more welcoming environment to bring in new members and for the love of god some new chants ... Woooo

[kosifantutti]

Can someone quantify how much we improved or got worse last year? No I didn't think so. These numbers are meaningless.

We need to be better than the other teams, that's all.

[Eastern]

Can someone quantify how much we improved or got worse last year? No I didn't think so. These numbers are meaningless.

We need to be better than the other teams, that's all.

Many of the so called experts say that the competition improves around 5% each year, meaning that if we improve by 5% we will be at the same level as this year. We need to look at improving ourselves BEFORE we measure ourselves against others !!

[bergholt]

Can someone quantify how much we improved or got worse last year? No I didn't think so. These numbers are meaningless.

We need to be better than the other teams, that's all.

Agreed. There's no way to measure it - that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive, but concentrating on a 5% improvement just doesn't really make any sense.

And it's pretty certain at this point that we won't be better on-field next year. Almost certainly we'll be worse, especially if we trade out an experienced player or two. That's not because individual players haven't improved, but because the old players are a year older and the kids aren't yet mature enough to be consistent. Simple reality really.

[saintsRrising]

My opinion re the cheersquad is they need to start again ... No offence but the cheersquad are run by old ladies not to knock their contribution to the club over many many years but the time is now while the team are going through a rebuild and the old is being replaced by the new that the same shoud be done to the cheer squad ... Fresh ideas fresh approaches new enthusiasm .. The world USA different place than it was in the80's or even the 90's new blood is needed a more welcoming environment to bring in new members and for the love of god some new chants ... Woooo

There should be a maximum age...once you reach it time to do something else...join a coterie group....or whatever...

If you look at Scouts for example with Rovers (the eldest group) once you turn 25 that is it.

This way you get constant renewal vs stagnation.

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

I stopped reading when you said our climb up the ladder. We ain't climbing anywhere for a few years...

[saint66au]

My opinion re the cheersquad is they need to start again ... No offence but the cheersquad are run by old ladies not to knock their contribution to the club over many many years but the time is now while the team are going through a rebuild and the old is being replaced by the new that the same shoud be done to the cheer squad ... Fresh ideas fresh approaches new enthusiasm .. The world USA different place than it was in the80's or even the 90's new blood is needed a more welcoming environment to bring in new members and for the love of god some new chants ... Woooo

There should be a maximum age...once you reach it time to do something else...join a coterie group....or whatever...

If you look at Scouts for example with Rovers (the eldest group) once you turn 25 that is it.

This way you get constant renewal vs stagnation.

With that age group whatever they do has to appear "cool". Our cheer squad is so uncool its frightening. Look at Richmond or North...young people brag about being in their CS's...us?? I fear not.

[joffaboy]

Maybe burn an effigy occasionally would make us cool.

The players kicked off that idea, but were roundly critisised.

[karnak]

Okay so can we put a post together that will get sent to the club to propose cheer squad changes?