What Can We Do?

[David-Lee]

I've been your basic wank, maybe part wank part arse...or even a tad bit of a twat.

I love the Saints. I don't know how it happened. I moved here decades ago. I was down...low. Homeless and in a 21 year drug addiction. But I met an Aussie travelling abroad and couldn't get her out of my mind. I married and settled.

I saw the Saints on a friends TV. They sucked but yet they were awesome. I felt connected to these grubs who strove to be champions yet fail.

A few years passed and I lost everything...again. I changed. I wanted a new life...to succeed. So I changed everything. It took a few years. I went to TAFE and then to University and then Medical. Now with a wife of many years,children and a very successful practice I dont line my pockets with gold but give my services to our poor, the downcast, the forgotten ones in our society.

That's my story. I was lost. I was a "loser" in life.

The Saints. We are losers. No matter how we try we fail.
We need to change. We need to change everything to be a different team a different club. We need new coaches, new staff, a new board...and the fans, the supporters...we need new ones or transformed ones. Fighters, tenacious and resilient warriors who will be willing to strip the club bare and start again.


I know what I did.

What can I do, what can you do to help the club change?

I certainly can get on here and bitch. I'm ok at it...some of you are world class c•nts at bitching and take it personally and have pillow fights with words.

But nothing said on here matters. Nothing has ever changed at the club because we chat about it.

I know the 3 streams...we are fine just wait and see...we are ruined...I dont know where we are.


Does anyone on here actually have any idea what I can do, what we can do to change the club's future?
I've already bought membership and donate etc.

Anyone?

[saintspremiers]

Well I’ve donated a lot of money to the rebuilding of Moorabbin. But that’s just a number. Doesn’t motivate the players.

I love your life story. And I reckon the players need to hear it. Please have do a talk to them about reality - from someone who has experienced it.

I can’t relate to a story like yours, and neither can the majority on here. You’re a fighter and achiever, a failure and a success story. You’ve got the bases all clovered - now you can tell our young players and give them something to ponder....

[St. Paul]

As supporters, about all we can do is pay our membership fees and keep turning up. I'm making the trip down from Bairnsdale just in case we pull off a miracle. I suspect we'll get a good old fashioned fist beatin', frontier style. I don't have a simple answer, unless one of you is financial wizard, who can work out how our finances ended up as they are. Better still if you have an answer. Even Gillon long shanks has read the riot act now.

As for the recruiting/development dilemma, there is no simple answer. Do we sweep away the whole lot and start from scratch? That's unrealistic, especially in view of the aforementioned state of the finances. I'm pretty sure they won't sack Richo either. Too costly and would be a very bad look with our lords and masters at HQ. So I suppose it's time to hunker down, nose to the grindstone and do what little each of us can do. Who can forget 1997 ? 1-4 and facing Melbourne to determine the worst team in the comp. We turned it around very quickly and unexpectedly.

[The Recruit]

Play Billing’s at full forward

[Jacks Back]

Play 8cres in the centre

[saynta]

Well I’ve donated a lot of money to the rebuilding of Moorabbin. But that’s just a number. Doesn’t motivate the players.

I love your life story. And I reckon the players need to hear it. Please have do a talk to them about reality - from someone who has experienced it.

I can’t relate to a story like yours, and neither can the majority on here. You’re a fighter and achiever, a failure and a success story. You’ve got the bases all clovered - now you can tell our young players and give them something to ponder....

Actually, I think he is full of it. Anyone can be anything they want to be on here. A fireman, a banking exec, a promoter, an ex player, a doctor even.

Don't be so easily sucked in mate.

[Teflon]

I was a woman on here once.... on second thoughts...

The club : what can we do?

Pray

[stonecold]

As supporters, there's a few on here that could harden up a bit!!!!!

Stick fat or leave, but stop sooking about it!!!!!

[To the top]

It is not what happens it is how you respond

In business those who succeed are those who are engaged

They know their business not only the Balance Sheet and the protection of the integrity of the Balance Sheet but also the Profit and Loss which, significantly, includes the core of the business being Wages and Salaries because this is the expense that drives the business

Engagement with those in the employ of the Company is vital - including by seeking opinion and rewarding engagement

You are only as strong as the weakest link so you educate for improvement

Footy these days is a business

There are 18 Clubs all seeking the same title - and only 1 will succeed each year

Those Clubs will constantly review to best practice - then to the next level because to stay still is to regress

That is the competition - and it is absolutely ruthless because every year (if not more often) performance review sees retrenchments on the basis that embracing education is not achievable as a solution for the improvement required

No other business is as ruthless

There is no career short of being a high achiever and then improving again

This is what the Board manage, this is their responsibility from the prudent and sustainable management of the Balance Sheet to the appointment of the Executive and the appointment of the structure support to the appointment of the playing group - because they are appointed to produce a result

Where is this going?

It starts from the Board table

And it starts with the Board not only engaging with the business model but also setting the expectation then constantly reviewing achievement to that expectation - so asking questions and receiving feed back from all levels

So the Board are all over every detail

And they call to account

You can not have many voices - there is a clear and consistent message given by those designated to convey that message by the Board

Your knowledge and focus mean you are not responding to others - you are giving a clear and consistent message

You lead because you know your business better than anyone else and you have the reputation accordingly - that reputation is earned and hard earned

And talk to the facts not the rhetoric or the platitudes

Be brutally honest

In the brutal industry which is AFL football success is not easily won - and all you can control is the model and your reputation as honest , committed and capable

Successful businesses have successful models driven by successful people

And they are successful for a reason

What we see on the field each week is the product of the business model and the expertise of those driving that business model including by taking everyone in the organisation with them

In footy that includes the supporters - supporters who have confidence in the Club and those charged with the operation of the Club from the property steward to the Chairman

It starts from the top

I have never seen a business which has failed because of those on the factory floor - business fails because of decisions made at the Board table, exclusively

We can debate the pros and cons of players on the List but they are there because the Board has appointed them in the belief that they can deliver the success sought and required

[bigcarl]

Play 8cres in the centre

This would be a start, but don’t hold your breath. It doesn’t seem to have occurred to Richo that this might be a winning move. He wants only stodgy, reliable inside players in there.

We need to fix the structure, particularly the forward structure.

The obvious move is Carlisle to CHF, but that may not be possible since I suspect one of the reasons he agreed to play for us was that we promised him he would be playing backline. It would be worth asking him, though, as he may think differently now.

Of course, that would leave a significant hole at CHB, so not sure who would play there. Battle? Gilbert? Goddard? Marshall?

I think Battle must come in regardless in the absence of Membrey and Bruce.

I’d stick with Hickey as first ruck. We know he can play. It would be good to find a spot for Marshall, too. He seems fairly mobile for a big bloke, maybe mobile enough to pinchhit in a key position.

[asiu]

the smart guy wrote

"And talk to the facts not the rhetoric or the platitudes

Be brutally honest "

and

"I have never seen a business which has failed because of those on the factory floor - business fails because of decisions made at the Board table, exclusively "



the tried n tested method
.... is seek the answers at the coalface

the boys on the factory floor , are the ones who know whats 'really' going on

blame n shame (if u must ) the pencil pushers and the cucumber sambo set
not the frontline troops

[barneyboyz]

What's Peggy O'Neil doin these days? worked for the tiges...playing Full Forward I mean

Seriously though, we been close, real close. How long did it take Geelong? just as many looks at it as us, and they weren't failing due to luck like us (think about it).

Stick phat like usual. If it happens, then bewdy, but there's not much else to do other than change clubs

All in all, if you been here long enough then the last twenty years have been pretty good. Ok not perfect, but we keep giving it a shake