Culture

[StNoodles]

Looking at the most successful teams of the past couple of decades, it’s clear culture is more critical to success than playing list.

Sydney
Geelong
Hawthorn
Etc.

I know our club has been doing work with Melbourne Storm in this regard. It’s something we have neglected to really establish in the past; if we want to turn around the fortunes of this club which has 1 premiership in 150 years, we have to get this piece right.

[cwrcyn]

The most over-used and nauseating word in AFL football.

[StNoodles]

The most over-used and nauseating word in AFL football.

Overused? Probably. Nauseating? Possibly, particularly if it’s something your club has always struggled with.

Melbourne Storm players/staff/supporters would probably offer a different opinion

[SAINT-LEE]

Culture IS king.
I had a lengthy rant years ago on here.

HEALTHY Culture has been proven to be the number 1 factor of success in any organisation.

Apple, Google, Virgin, Ford, IBM, Coca Cola and on and on ALL have endlessly harped about how culture is the absolute key ingredient to their foundation & ongoing success...

Culture is values, relationships, systems, and sustainability.

Its pretty simple to define yet complex to deploy & maintain.

Culture doesnt mean you dont need great people. Culture is the core that enables anything great to be built.

Watching Sam Mitchell we absolutely see a perfect example of a man bringing healthy culture into an environment. It builds slowly and its effectiveness depends on the organisations willingness to embrace change.

That amount of professional coaches and sporting clubs who espouse culture as the key aspect of their success is mind blowing.

[B.M]

Explain ‘culture’

Is it living behaviours that are paramount to success

I don’t think that’s our issue

Talent and injury are though

[Sainter_Dad]

A winning culture is why the last win against Carlton was more important than the Draft Order

[StNoodles]

Explain ‘culture’

Is it living behaviours that are paramount to success

I don’t think that’s our issue

Talent and injury are though

Part of it.

Imo a successful culture at AFL level involves but is not limited to:

- 100% buy-in from 100% of the organisation
- A willingness from all to sacrifice for the good of the club
- An ever-present support network that is seen, heard and felt
- An unwavering desire for team success
- Living the values of the club
- Belief that you can and will succeed no matter the circumstances

[Sanctorum]

This topic should have been called "Culture of Success" which is fundamental to every organisation, including first grade professional sporting teams, seeking to be the best in their fields of endeavour. It has to permeate through every level, from the MD, CEO, down to the lowest individuals.

It appears to me that under the leadership of Andrew Bassat, an extremely successful corporate leader, the club has been set on this course which should please all erstwhile Saints supporters.

Of course only time will tell if St Kilda will reach the highest echelons of the competition because there are many other factors, besides culture, that come into play to win a premiership.

[whiskers3614]

I saw culture and leadership in I think the Swans game.
Membrey missed a sitter of a mark about 25 metres out and crouched down to punch the turf.
Mattaes gave him a pat on the back and helped pull him up to his full height.
I believe this sort of leadership if copied by all the younger crew will create a strong culture.

King's sulking and pouting on the other hand.....

[Yorkeys]

Chicken or egg?
Good players result in winning culture?
Can you put lipstick on a pig and make it beautiful?
I am not convinced Mitchell is a great coach and or great culture creator.
Since July Hawks played 3 sides in the 8 in the minor round. Flogged by the Cats, just beaten by GWS, caught a hopelessly compromised Carlton and won as any side should have. Something went terribly wrong with Doggies on Thursday, maybe the conditions.
Hawks should beat a demoralised and playing poorly Power, all it has to do is curb Horne Francis.
Hawks have simply recruited well by being bottom for a long time.
No evidence Mitchell had a big impact on the Eagles. Will be interested when he comes up against coaches like Scott, Longmire, Kingsley.
The juvenile carry on by his younger players hardly screams hard nose professionalism does it. I am biased because I find the man an arrogant sob but his team has ridden an excellent and fortuitously timed draw.
I stand ready to wipe the egg off if he can win a prelim.

[whiskers3614]

If Lyon or any of his predecessors had improved us (playing an attractive style) as much as Mitchell has Hawks we would be over the moon.
Closest I can remember is early 2004!

[cwrcyn]

Hawthorn are riding a wave at the moment on the back of an easy draw and a stable line up. It will come to an end at some point.

[Yorkeys]

If Lyon or any of his predecessors had improved us (playing an attractive style) as much as Mitchell has Hawks we would be over the moon.
Closest I can remember is early 2004!

Where were you for the last couple of months if not over the moon?
Not too late to watch a couple of replays, say Swans, Essendon, Geelong, Carlton....

[samuraisaint]

A winning culture is why the last win against Carlton was more important than the Draft Order

That and the fact that St Kilda supporters over 35 rarely saw wins against Carlton and at one stage we hadn't won against them in an away fixture for a generation.

Beating Carlton means a lot to me and my mates. Before 1995 we had only won 4 out of the previous 30 matches against the Blues, and before 1993 hadn't won at Carlton's home ground as their opponent for nearly 30 years.

[Rubyjo]

Imagine winning 13 premierships as a club.
Can you imagine the ex players young and old that come together to celebrate premierships at the club. Its huge for the culture , something we don't have. Battle probably left due to the Hawthorn culture.

[Mr Magic]

If Lyon or any of his predecessors had improved us (playing an attractive style) as much as Mitchell has Hawks we would be over the moon.
Closest I can remember is early 2004!

Funny,
I recall 2009 and 2010

[Beno88]

In sport, culture is a result of success, success isn’t a result of culture.

[Scollop]

Looking at the most successful teams of the past couple of decades, it’s clear culture is more critical to success than playing list.

Sydney
Geelong
Hawthorn
Etc.

Is it really that 'clear'?

You could argue that recruiting the right 'type' and providing the right environment and coaching is key.

Perhaps Sydney, Geelong, and Hawthorn have worked out that your football development staff and your ability to develop and grow from within is the most important element of success.

I agree that we can learn from clubs like Sydney and Geelong who have consistently made finals for the last two decades. We need to emulate what they do off field and copy as closely as possible what they do with their football departments

[StNoodles]

Looking at the most successful teams of the past couple of decades, it’s clear culture is more critical to success than playing list.

Sydney
Geelong
Hawthorn
Etc.

Is it really that 'clear'?

You could argue that recruiting the right 'type' and providing the right environment and coaching to develop and improve young talent is the key.

Perhaps Sydney, Geelong, and Hawthorn have worked out that your football development staff and your ability to develop and grow from within is the most important element of success

I think an exceptional list with an average/poor club culture can win a premiership. Not saying it’s impossible.

What I’m talking about is sustained periods of success.

Where even without an exceptional list, you’re a premiership threat.

[Yorkeys]

Let's not over think it.
It's the biggest, fastest, most skilful, savvy teams/players that win games by playing wellas a team.
Coaches can stuff up good players but they can't change players physical characteristics. If that were possible Hinkley would have Dickson running faster than me, but he can't.
Ross is a great coach because a) he knows that ; b) he can get the best from what he has; c) is a master tactician and d) he can recognise talent and build a great side.
The size and complexity of AFL means there are a lot of support roles and these need to be in sync. Bassett and Ross are arranging that. However only management consultants ie talkers not doers spruik culture as the magic ingredient. It is a result of professionalism, a proxy measure for a successful set up.

[Sainternist]

We always seem to fail when trying to be like other clubs. FFS, just let St.Kilda be St.Kilda. The club has already developed a professional culture. We just need a good midfield and then on-field success will follow.

[whiskers3614]

If Lyon or any of his predecessors had improved us (playing an attractive style) as much as Mitchell has Hawks we would be over the moon.
Closest I can remember is early 2004!

Funny,
I recall 2009 and 2010

I think aesthetically 2004 had 2009 covered.
Lyon's fairy dust has some fanboys confused!

[Mr Magic]

If Lyon or any of his predecessors had improved us (playing an attractive style) as much as Mitchell has Hawks we would be over the moon.
Closest I can remember is early 2004!

Funny,
I recall 2009 and 2010

I think aesthetically 2004 had 2009 covered.
Lyon's fairy dust has some fanboys confused!

As distinct from a negative Nelly?
To each his own
Personally I prefer to enjoy the positives rather than concentrating on the negatives, as you seem to continually do.

[skeptic]

There is def something to the culture argument.

Go back to around 2016
A plethora of players that weren’t close to match fit and barely looked like they went to the gym

Rumours abounding that Saints players had terrible attitudes to training and horrible habits

Frequent soft tissue injuries, often within the first few minutes of games

A level of skill suggestive that practice wasn’t a priority or wasn’t being done with an attention to detail.

Rumours abounding of a return to party culture

There’s def a suggestion that attitudes have changed at the club since RTB returned

[SaintPav]

Culture and organisational success is a fuzzy, developing field. Many ideas are guesswork and opinions vary widely. This makes it hard to set clear rules or ways to measure success.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​