I agree that the Board did not act quickly enough.....and we need change for new momentum at Board level..Shaggy wrote:By my count only Stokes, Ottens, Nathan Ablett and Selwood played today who came from drafts/trades 2003 onwards.
Recruitment from 2003 onwards is not the reason why Geelong won the premiership and it is not the reason why we don’t have one (but that is still no excuse for only spending $214,000 on recruitment to save a $1 million profit because it will obviously hurt us over time).
Both the Saints and Cats Boards wanted change after disappointing 2006 seasons. So after detailed football department reviews the Cats added substantial resources and personnel to their football department. We on the other hand add Kenny (lol) and swapped the rest.
And now it is time for members to swap the Board and appoint those who are interested to implement real improvements even if it costs.
As Kaos say the buck stops at the top and the Board has not implemented best practices for the football department despite all the BS about it. The Cats did (and full credit to their Board for not just talking about change but actually delivering) and they are raving about it tonight.
However Geelong did not just gain all their momentum post 2006 review..
* Player Conditioning. May 2006 Geelong's new Head Doctor started fresh from 2 years as Head Coach of a Premier League soccer Club in the UK.....and lots of other experience gain post his original stint as the Richmond Club Doc. The new Doc rebuilds their player conditioning and fitness department by end of 2006 = a lot less injuries
* Geelong run their own VFL team = a big advantage in developing players and in havinga preferred game experience for existing players being refreshed/ brough back (ie King playing 80% game time in the ruck asa lead up to the GF today)
*Recruiting....while we put total faith in Bevos oudated talent spotting techniques Geelong as per every other AFL team had swapped over to a more rigourous approach. Yes raw football talent spotting such as Bevo did was part of it....buta much more rigourous approach was being used.
The saints have only this year entered the modern age of recruiting with our new full time recruiting manager....with Bevo consulting (he can spot footy talent, but does not know how to vet players properly)
* head space. It is no coincidence in some ways that the cats in 2007 and the saints in 1997 both had their players mature mentally and deliver more...FOR BOTH teams engaged the same motivator. The same guy that advised Alves.....had helped the swans in now in the cats camp.....and joined prior to the start of this year. He is a consultant.
He was the main guy being the process of ablett, Mooney etc taking the next step in their careers (yes yes Bomber of course deserves credit to....but it was this guy that made the breakthroughs)
Geelong have been developing there players for many years... and they have sought to address known weaknesses.
The forward line was their major concern in terms of TALLS
*Mooney obtained from the Kangas... a wild boy and required to be settled down. Settle down this year he did.
*Through in Ottens after several years of patience..and building his self-confidence ( alesson thee for the saints in Fiora)
*Nathan Ablett was known to have talent, but did not want to play. Frank Costa led the charge and convinced him to try AF.. according to Costa key componenent of this was agreeing that they would faciltate Naten buying his mum a house.
All 3 are now solid contributors.
In addition in some ways the Cats 2006 was appeared worse than it was. When they realised their season was over they started early for 2007....got players fit....etc....and gaineda lower draft pick in the superdraft to boot.
So yes they have restructured their football Deaprtment...we have too....but slightly after theirs, buta whole new team put us backa bit.
Importantly our player conditioning management side was only addressed properly late in the season ( and I have heard, in addition to what was in the press, Ross was dismayed out the low standards of the Saints in this regard) with Misson only just appointed improve things further.
Football department and Player Conditioning...as well as recuiting are now vastly superior. westaway will wrongly be given credit fora much improved 2008 that these changes will deliver.
Though lets hope that Westaway will add value so that our 2009 and beyond years are much improved.
Our recruiting and player development have had several years of mismangement that Roos and co need to overcome.
Players like Mini joined us and were not developed properly...this has to change.
2008 will be better.....but we do have some major lacks that the GT era induced.
Make now mistake....the list that GT and RB were gifted was our best since the 60's....gifted by BlightLotto, Draft Looto...and the Blues cheating.
They failed to IMPROVE and devlop it....and to keep it fit. we failied to keep improving .....ina field where other teams were improving.
Yes Geelong stumbled fora year......but only fora year...and even in that year they were still doing many things right (ie see above).
