How good are Geelong and how far away are we .

[CURLY]

Can’t compare with Geelong.

Cameron Dangerfield went there purely on location. That’s two of the top few players in the AFL.

Also seem to very inventive with 3rd party arrangements that mean players like Smith Rohan Higgins somehow fit under.

[Teflon]

How far?

Recruiting
Coaching
Player development
Stable Admin
Superb winner culture
How long you got..

[shanegrambeau]

Those who prosecute going to the Draft to “rebuild” St Kilda received a brutal lesson today

....

Geelong go out and recruit the likes of Smith, at 33 years of age from Hawthorn

Yup

That is all she sung...tonight, anyway.

Dunno how many over 30s they have, or about to be 30, but it is a lot...

But mostly, they are not jaded..they are singing in the choir as loudly as they can.

Ya wonder, if Paddy Ryder had been at Geelong...they would win the bloody Super Bowl.

[CURLY]

How far?

Recruiting
Coaching
Player development
Stable Admin
Superb winner culture
How long you got..

Distinct home ground advantage

Pulling power due to location

They have a huge advantage

[desertsaint]

amazing so many players choose geelong. yes great club and culture but one of the last places i'd want to live. just goes to show it aint about location so much..

[B.M]

How did their ‘no d**khead policy’ go with Stengle?

Sacked from 2 clubs, on the nose beers… All Australian and 4 goals in a premiership!

[skeptic]

amazing so many players choose geelong. yes great club and culture but one of the last places i'd want to live. just goes to show it aint about location so much..

Geelong itself isn’t crash hot but is not a slum either. Surrounding areas around are very nice though. Torquay only 10min away, Ocean Grove 15 etc. it’s a good selling point

Geelong famously stated years ago (when the SC was smaller) that there too stars had agreed to stay for $500k and that they were spreading the cap evenly to keep their group together.
I’m sure that’s increased a bit as the money in the comp has grown… but if they kept some principle like this in place, then that’s the smoking gun IMO

[B.M]

10 minutes to Torquay?

Really?

[shanegrambeau]

Nup

Geelong IS a destination club.

Moorabbin is not.

Never mind we grew up thinking Geelong was a hole and Moorabbin was South Miami.

There is so much about both Sydney and Geelong that attract.. both different selling points...

It is like choosing a Datsun or Toyata in 1966, instead of an Xp Falcon or an HR Holden

Carpets, Radio, three speed wipers, glove box light, mirrors on both sides and reverse light included - standard.

[skeptic]

10 minutes to Torquay?

Really?

15 tops. I do the trip pretty regularly

That’s if you do the trip directly from Geelong as opposed living outside the city in the suburban area like Mt Dunned, Leopold etc. A lot of nice places to live

[Scollop]

Well. Dangerfield and Cameron didn't come to us.

How true. They obviously use better lures than we do

[Scollop]

A big pile of talent, oddly enough, seems to be the common thread in winning one.

The list of talent they brought in from other clubs is enormous. They’ve topped up nearly every year since Danger and Henderson came in 2016. Then it was Zac Tuohy, then Gary Rowan, then Jack Steven and Josh Jenkins, then Sean Higgins, Isaac Smith and Jeremy Cameron.

I think the lure of the Surf Coast and the lifestyle angle where you are not living in the hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan city is so appealing to free agents. I think the massive amount of media around Danger in the last 5 years and basically the free marketing for the Geelong FC should not be underestimated.

You also mentioned the talent of Steven Wells plus the momentum their club gained by winning premierships which attracted so many free agents and turned them into a destination club after 2011. Also…not forgetting the other thing you mentioned with the lottery and luck with AFL rules on father sons that initially helped them win those flags.

The foundations of a strong administration with competent people is essential, but the other sliding doors factors and the luck with Danger having his birthplace down the road at Moggs Creek plus their geographical location being a huge magnet for quality free agents has got them this success. It’s like a bloody snowball effect….but first you have to set up the foundations and get the basics right

[Sainter_Dad]

There are countless threads in the last 15 years on this forum that talk about the pillars of a footy club and how you build sustained success.

It starts from the top. It starts with an administration that is competent, and has consultation and is ambitious and is harmonious in it’s pursuit of excellence.

Until they get caught, when someone looks under the carpet.

What are you suggesting CQ?

I'm not really sure. I'm very interested in what's currently going on over atJim Crowthorn at the moment though.

Really !! obviously something underhanded

Not currently as I understand it - but look to the future - lol - Hawkins is reputably playing for $300K to keep a team together - He would be on $800K minimum somewhere else - so unless he will be offered shares in a Pub at a later stage - or he truly has lower standards than other AFL players - i cannot see this as sustainable.

[Sainter_Dad]

A club that has established a culture of demanding success and doesn’t look for excuses as to why it can’t achieve it.

Complete opposite to St Kilda.

It is well known that at Geelong - players drive the expectation of performance - at St Kilda we award top 10 in the TBA to players who 'perform their role' 75% of the time

[Sainter_Dad]

A million freaking miles . Culture the DNA of a club that is instilled on the journey over a decade or two . It's been said alot Selwood has played more finals than the St kilda football club has . That can't be right . We are so lost as a club .

In the majority of players, I fear we are currently missing:
- Finger Pointing
- Rants
- Love of the Crest
- Pain at a Loss
- Accountability

This has been replaced by Cuddles

[Killa]

It is just over 20 years ago that a major bank wrote off half of the Geelong Football Club debt to survive the Club

And their Stadium is now what it is today, with further works in progress

Courtesy of a former Geelong footballer the community fell into economic decay - and since then has been the focus of governments spending on recovery

The Club has a history - including father/son and Free Agency rule changes which arrived at precisely the right time for Geelong

They have some powerful backers led by Costa and Austin

And they offer post football incentives - the post football business of one prominent player located on the foreshore failing - but that is the exception

The Regional City status gives opportunity - and advantage

In that Regional City the players are feted

And they are offered what they are offered by the City leaders - including post football

These arrangements are outside the Salary Cap

They are an ageing side, feted today because they have won a premiership

Until this season they were lambasted because of failures in September over the past 10 plus years

[The_Dud]

There’s a big difference when 28+ year olds come to your club for success and when they come to pad out their bank balance for retirement.

[Killa]

One factor omnipresent at Geelong is the (Geelong) private school coterie

It is the driver of the Club

Including the past and present player group - and the next generation

They invest in it

Geelong is totally different to any other Club in the competition - representing a Regional City

[SaintPav]

The bulk of free agents now want to go to the same three clubs.

The competition is becoming very predictable and boring!

[B.M]

There I was thinking South Road Moorabbin was a desired destination

Transformers nightclub
Sportsmart is close by
Plenty of factories
Not far from Dingley, Moorabbin airport or DFO

[B.M]

BTW

Geelong is 22 mins from Torquay

Moorabbin is less than that to Brighton and StK and the City

[suss]

A big pile of talent, oddly enough, seems to be the common thread in winning one.

The list of talent they brought in from other clubs is enormous. They’ve topped up nearly every year since Danger and Henderson came in 2016. Then it was Zac Tuohy, then Gary Rowan, then Jack Steven and Josh Jenkins, then Sean Higgins, Isaac Smith and Jeremy Cameron.

I think the lure of the Surf Coast and the lifestyle angle where you are not living in the hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan city is so appealing to free agents. I think the massive amount of media around Danger in the last 5 years and basically the free marketing for the Geelong FC should not be underestimated.

You also mentioned the talent of Steven Wells plus the momentum their club gained by winning premierships which attracted so many free agents and turned them into a destination club after 2011. Also…not forgetting the other thing you mentioned with the lottery and luck with AFL rules on father sons that initially helped them win those flags.

The foundations of a strong administration with competent people is essential, but the other sliding doors factors and the luck with Danger having his birthplace down the road at Moggs Creek plus their geographical location being a huge magnet for quality free agents has got them this success. It’s like a bloody snowball effect….but first you have to set up the foundations and get the basics right

Agree with all of this. We need competent recruitment, drafting, list management and coaching. Only then will we have any chance of winning a premiership and being a continual chance of winning premiership. We’re doomed to failure until we get those things right, consistency. A bit of luck wouldn’t hurt either.

[Yorkeys]

It seemed from here that Mr Finess was not particularly exercised by achieving on field success.
New CEO era.
Media has picked up as a theme Saints historical legendary lack of success. (Smother off Nick in GF replay now featured in adverts and as a gif for complacent stuff up).
Individual players from other clubs achievements being used to highlight Saints perennial failure, epitomised by almost breathtakingly poor coaching appointments.
Hope Simon and footy department managers actually get angry. Get serious, get smart, get ruthless. We have a team capable of making the top 4, it's not raw ability holding us back it's complacent unimaginative administration.

[Annoyedsaint]

The bulk of free agents now want to go to the same three clubs.

The competition is becoming very predictable and boring!

It’s become the Premier League in the blink of an eye.
And most are happy and complicit about it all.

But we have the Frawley Centre and a few items swapping hands before games, so all good

[skeptic]

BTW

Geelong is 22 mins from Torquay

Moorabbin is less than that to Brighton and StK and the City

You’re being a bit literal BM.

I doubt that many of the players at Geelong directly live in Geelong. Most are pbly in the surrounding suburbs that are close to all manner of wonderful places.

Point that I’m making is that it’s an attractive lifestyle up there. You’ve got city living (not Melbourne but it has its own thing), shore front, big beaches, lots of nature walks. Great place to raise a family with options to pick a good spot based on the specifics.