Geoff Walsh - new St Kilda Football boss - rumour

[Gershwin]

St Kilda will announce experienced administrator Geoff Walsh as their new football boss in the coming days, according to SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sam Edmund.

Walsh was football boss and then CEO at North Melbourne for over a decade, before moving to Collingwood and taking up a similar football boss role.


Edmund says that Walsh has ultimately decided to return to football in a full time basis, with his appointment at St Kilda to be announced ahead of the trade period beginning.

“My understanding is Geoff Walsh will be appointed as St Kilda head of football tomorrow,” he said on AFL Trade Radio's Trade Afternoons.

“I spoke to Geoff a few days ago and he confirmed that St Kilda had approached, but at that time he was unsure he wanted to get back into football full time. “My understanding is they’ve reached an agreement, he’s accepted and that will be announced in the coming days, if not (on Saturday).”

Walsh was appointed to a short-term advisory role at North Melbourne, largely tasked with conduction a full-scale review of the club’s football operations.

[skeptic]

This has been front of mind for a while…

Do ppl rate this guy and what will his role be exactly.

[saintsRrising]

Well at least he knows about the football side of football.


Unlike Lethlean and Bains who were football wannabees playing at the role at our expense before both returning to the non-football side of club management.

[Sainter_Dad]

Well at least he knows about the football side of football.


Unlike Lethlean and Bains who were football wannabees playing at the role at our expense before both returning to the non-football side of club management.

Hey sRr - Will GW bring a Mantra of "Feared and Revered"?

[WellardSaint]

Walsh might join the club.
Was this recommendation from the review?
Has the review been completed already?
Or did they identify we needed to snag GW asap before someone else did, so he could hit the ground running?

What else will the review come up with?

Walsh and Noble were both at Norf.
Noble said 'guys, offer GW a job quick smart"?
Then the review continues on until completion?

[Yorkeys]

Good

[WellardSaint]

Will he need to run things past the board first?
Will he be micromanaged?
The board members are Jason Bĺake, Jack Rush KC (King's Counsel) and i forget the others, but I recall reading their bios and seeing 'devoted/passionate Saints fan'
Will he run the show independently, deferring to the board on legal/financial things as necessary...

Of course there'll be the voices of dissent saying 'oh, but he's not one of us' and 'not a true Sainter at heart'
But the board is replete with self-confessed tragics to whom he has to answer...

[saintsRrising]

Walsh might join the club.
Was this recommendation from the review?
Has the review been completed already?
Or did they identify we needed to snag GW asap before someone else did, so he could hit the ground running?

What else will the review come up with?

Walsh and Noble were both at Norf.
Noble said 'guys, offer GW a job quick smart"?
Then the review continues on until completion?

They were chasing Walsh before the review started.

[WellardSaint]

Walsh might join the club.
Was this recommendation from the review?
Has the review been completed already?
Or did they identify we needed to snag GW asap before someone else did, so he could hit the ground running?

What else will the review come up with?

Walsh and Noble were both at Norf.
Noble said 'guys, offer GW a job quick smart"?
Then the review continues on until completion?

They were chasing Walsh before the review started.

I find it a little puzzling that a review can occur after:
The coach gets extended
2 assistant coaches leave
A new footy boss is chased

A review might find those things could've been done differently?
Or...those things are outside the terms of reference.
If the latter, then how effective is the review?

It's like the federal gov cancelling a sub contract with France, promising the Yanks we'll buy their nuclear ones...
Then afterwards, (hypothetically) starting a review of defence planning and threat assessments...
A bit arse-about?

[Scollop]

Walsh has over 30 years of industry experience. Walsh has overseen four premierships in his time in the VFL/AFL. He was awarded AFL life membership in 2016.

Walsh’s career began in 1985 with Fitzroy. The next year he joined Carlton as recruiting manager. In 1994 he joined North Melbourne as GM of Football during the successful Pagan years and took up the position of chief executive of North in 2002.

Walsh also twice headed the Collingwood football department. His first stint at Collingwood was between 2006-2013 culminated in the 2010 premiership and his second, between 2017-2020, saw the them return to finals in his last three seasons in charge and miss a second premiership by a kick.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Does he act on logic and reason or does he love the high-stakes gamble like most in footy operations for the past twelve years?

[Yorkeys]

Walsh might join the club.
Was this recommendation from the review?
Has the review been completed already?
Or did they identify we needed to snag GW asap before someone else did, so he could hit the ground running?

What else will the review come up with?

Walsh and Noble were both at Norf.
Noble said 'guys, offer GW a job quick smart"?
Then the review continues on until completion?

They were chasing Walsh before the review started.

I find it a little puzzling that a review can occur after:
The coach gets extended
2 assistant coaches leave
A new footy boss is chased

A review might find those things could've been done differently?
Or...those things are outside the terms of reference.
If the latter, then how effective is the review?

It's like the federal gov cancelling a sub contract with France, promising the Yanks we'll buy their nuclear ones...
Then afterwards, (hypothetically) starting a review of defence planning and threat assessments...
A bit arse-about?

There may be a senior position in NSW disaster response policy development just waiting for you Wellard.

Meanwhile on the roof...

[SydneySainter]

Certainly would be hard to do worse than the football department of the previous decade. I just hope he hasn’t been chased because he’s a “nice man.”

[bobmurray]

is the Walsh appointment now fact or still media bullshite ?