How to win an AFL Premiership
Roar Rookie By Sh00ter, 14 Jun 2012 Sh00ter is a Roar Rookie
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- AFL, Gary Ablett Jr, Gold Coast Suns, Hawthorn Hawks, Kevin Sheedy, Mark Thompson, North Melbourne Kangaroos
Cameron Ling of the Cats leads the team from the fiels after a win in the AFL 2011 Toyota Grand Final match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Geelong Cats at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images
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AFL premierships are hard to win. Just ask Ross Lyon and Nathan Buckley. But there are three critical steps football clubs must take in order to maximise their chances of achieving the ultimate glory.
1. Build culture. 2. Draft and develop talent. 3. Provide leadership.
Some football clubs do this better than others. A prime example is Geelong with Frank Costa and Mark “Bomber” Thompson.
Thompson joined Geelong in 2000 as senior coach after 18 years and four premierships (one as assistant coach) at Essendon. During 1999-2002 Geelong drafted Corey, Chapman, Ling, Enright, Bartel, Kelly, Steve Johnson, Ablett Jnr., Mackie and Lonergan.
Interviewed about the Gold Coast Suns progress this week, Ablett said “we (Geelong) had 22 leaders run out each week”.
Thompson’s coaching panel included both club greats and brilliant leaders in Brenton Sanderson, Ken Hinkley and Garry Hocking. Another of Thompson’s protégés Brendan McCartney is now considered to be the one of the best teachers in the game.
Business tycoon Costa and Thompson created a rock solid culture, developed their young talent and provided them with outstanding leadership.
Another good example is Hawthorn, Jeff Kennett and Alistair Clarkson. Clarkson joined the Hawks with a less glittered playing career than Thompson (134 games with North Melbourne and Melbourne), however he had senior coaching experience with stints in the VFL and SANFL, while also completing a Masters of Business Administration.
During 2004-06 Hawthorn drafted Roughead, Franklin, Lewis, Ellis, Birchall, Guerra, Gilham and Renouf (after acquiring Croad back from Fremantle, Hodge, Ladson, Mitchell and Williams during 2001-02). That’s 13 members of the 2008 premiership side, of which most have gone on to be outstanding leaders at the club.
While not big Hawthorn names, Clarko surrounded himself with some well credentialed lieutenants in Essendon premiership player Damien Hardwick, former Melbourne champion and fitness guru Todd Viney and John Barker. AFL legend David Parkin had a front office role and the extroverted Kennett masterminded the club’s resurgence as an on/off field powerhouse.
Unfortunately there are other clubs which are failing to implement these steps with the same degree of success.
North Melbourne signed former premiership player Brad Scott as coach and he has two club premiership players in Allison and Crocker as his lieutenants.
However the Kangaroos have been widely criticised for lacking strong leadership on and off the field, their draftees are struggling to live up to their hype and the club is heavily dependent on AFL handouts to survive financially.
Signs of fragility started appearing a couple of years ago when former captain Brent Harvey criticised two young players in a radio interview after a loss. This year, after a spate of minor off field incidents, rookie Majak Daw was unceremoniously hung out to dry in the media by Scott and the football department. Under Malthouse, Sheedy, Thompson or Pagan, it’s unlikely the club would have so publicly bungled these incidents.
The Melbourne Football Club recently signed Mark Neeld as coach (74 games for Geelong and Richmond) after a colourful coaching career with stints in the Bellarine Football League, TAC cup and a brief time at Collingwood under Malthouse.
His assistants while well credentialed are somewhat of a bunch of misfits in former Adelaide coach Neil Craig, Bulldogs player Brian Royal, Collingwood premiership player Leigh Brown and journey man Jade Rawlings.
Viney is the only “Melbourne person” on the panel and like North, their playing list with a number of high draft picks is failing to live up to expectation. On-field leadership is a significant weakness for the club. Sadly after helping save the Demons from financial ruin, Stynes is gone and Gary Lyon is contempt with his media commitments, so there are no genuinely revered figures inside the club.
Two emerging clubs to be admired are Richmond and Essendon.
The Tigers under astute businessman and current President Gary March, new CEO Brendan Gale and coach Hardwick are taking giant strides on and off the field. Five years ago the club was cash strapped and often criticised for its lack of professionalism in areas such as debt management and recruiting.
Hardwick’s coaching panel includes club champion Wayne Campbell and premiership players Justin Leppitsch and Brendan Gale. All four of these men are wonderful leaders and this is translating into on field success and the emergence of young leaders in Cotchin, Deledio and Riewoldt.
Without meaning to be disrespectful to Matthew Knights, Scott Camporeale, Ashley Prescott and Adrian Hickmott, they do not pull rank at Essendon like Thompson, Hird and Wellman do. Joined by Adelaide champion Simon Goodwin, Hawthorn premiership player Rick Ladson and former Geelong All-Australian Matthew Egan, they comprise one of the most respected coaching panels in the AFL.
Perhaps there could be leniency shown to teams in their infancy such as Gold Coast and GWS, but the likes of Graeme Allan, Kevin Sheedy, Mark Williams, Stephen Silvagni and Luke Power have all the credentials to develop GWS into a premiership club before you know it.
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June 14th 2012 @ 8:37am
Redb said | June 14th 2012 @ 8:37am | Report comment
GWS have a strong coaching panel at the helm I think this is showing through when compared to the inexperienced senior and asst coaches at the Suns.
June 14th 2012 @ 11:01am
Australian Rules said | June 14th 2012 @ 11:01am | Report comment
It’s telling that Bluey was a favourite son at WCE but they didn’t want him on the coaching panel. And the Pies didn’t seem devastated to lose him either. They’ve got plenty of work to do.
June 14th 2012 @ 9:56am
Winston said | June 14th 2012 @ 9:56am | Report comment
I suggest an alternative: MONEY. Money buys you good coahces, good facilities, vibrancy. It also means you don’t have to worry too much about member numbers. Without those pressures it means the club can concentrate on doing the one thing which is to win a premiership at some stage. Poor teams in the comp can’t bottom out because that would mean they lose membership numbers and lose revenue and the whole thing just snowballs from there. With money, that’s not a worry. Of course the salary cap means you can’t go buy all the best players, but it means you can focus all your energies on the right things and not have to worry about the peripheral stuff.
June 14th 2012 @ 10:05am
The Cattery said | June 14th 2012 @ 10:05am | Report comment
The teams with the most money are the teams with the highest membership base.
Geelong has had a pretty good run for 25 seasons now, and it has been a middle sized club the whole way through.
June 14th 2012 @ 10:19pm
amazonfan said | June 14th 2012 @ 10:19pm | Report comment
I wonder if you know how Geelong’s football department spending compares to other clubs? And Hawthorn’s as well?
The reason I ask is that I’m not as much of a believer as other people in the theory that money buys flags. Since 2000, while Collingwood, WCE & Essendon all won flags, none won multiple flags. On the other hand, Port won a flag, Sydney won a flag and came close to winning a second, Brisbane won three flags, and St Kilda was unlucky not to have a flag, and possibly two.
Where does Geelong and Hawthorn fit in? My assumption is that both are ‘upper-middle class’, but neither are powerhouses, or at least Hawthorn wasn’t when it claimed its flag. Which is interesting, for if Hawthorn only became a powerhouse after 2008, then they have certainly shown that money is just one part of the puzzle.
June 14th 2012 @ 10:04am
Pickles said | June 14th 2012 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Garry Hocking was never an assistant at Geelong. Steve Hocking is there, but I’m not sure it’s in a coaching capacity.
June 14th 2012 @ 2:05pm
Sh00ter said | June 14th 2012 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
You’re right Pickles, it was Steven (Hocking) on the Cats coaching panel. Garry was part time at Essedon briefly with Barnsey.
June 14th 2012 @ 10:40am
The Doss said | June 14th 2012 @ 10:40am | Report comment
All very valid reasons that would strengthen a tilt at a premiership. Money doesn’t hurt but I don’t think aids in a premiership stoush. North were examples of that in the 90′s. No money but built a culture and had talent on the field to win. I think Carlton is an interesting one to throw in the mix. Ratten has been coaching since 07. In this time they have built a strong culture and powerful leadership base, with Kernahan and Ratten as Carlton greats. The likes of Alan Richardson, Gavin Brown and Paul Williams all arch rival collingwood folk but with terrific knowledge of our great game and culture. Since 07 Carlton have drafted names like Kreuzer, Armfield, Ellard, Yarren, Garlett, Robinson, Tuohy, Lucas, Duigan and Curnow. All players consistently in their 22. Judd as an onfiled leader and face of the club is a clear strength but at this point show no sign of a premiership flag playing poor football. Yes injuries have hurt but it all comes back to no structure. The pies are decimated with injury but their structure allows for people to step in and fill a roll and execute a plan. Carlton rely on talent to get them over the line. For me, coaches and their structure to get their team to play 23 rounds of good football and back up for finals is what wins you premierships. No structure = no premiership.
June 14th 2012 @ 10:46am
Seano said | June 14th 2012 @ 10:46am | Report comment
Winston money comes from crowds and members, perhaps if poor clubs too risks to get bums on seats they could get better coaches? Ie north needs goals an money, who better to deliver both than Fevola? Did they take a risk? NO how about play majak daw for the punters? NO if you take no risks you get no reward I’m sick of winging crap clubs!!!!!!!!!!
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June 14th 2012 @ 9:55pm
amazonfan said | June 14th 2012 @ 9:55pm | Report comment
I’m sick of people bashing clubs and calling them ‘crap’ for no good reason.
The last thing North should have done was hire Fevola. I love Fev. I think he was a fantastic player, and I will forever stand by my view that he, along with Ben Cousins, was one of the two most unfairly demonized Australian sportsmen of the past decade. I will forever defend him against those who attack him, just as I will forever regard the AFL’s decision to deregister Cousins to be deplorable. However, the last thing a club should do is make a footballing decision for financial reasons. It never works. Sydney made one when they brought back Lockett in 2002. He went on to kick 3 goals in 3 games, and harmed a forward line that had Barry Hall at Full Forward.
Fev might have kicked a lot of goals, but he was admittedly one-dimensional, and so he might not have fit into North’s game plan. Their decision not to recruit him, from a purely footballing perspective, may very have been the right one. As much as I hate to admit it, it may be argued that Carlton are better off without him, as they aren’t as dependent on a single goal-kicker. Still, he was great.
If he was the right fit, football-wise, then I would agree that they absolutely should have recruited him. They could have hired him for minimum money on a one-year deal, and if issues arose that they weren’t comfortable with (although IMO his issues were highly overstated), then they simply could have chosen not to renew his contract. However, seeing as he was probably not the right fit, to suggest that they should have hired him to ‘get bums on seats’ is absurd. It’s almost as absurd as calling them ‘crap’, which is also just plain offensive.
June 14th 2012 @ 11:02am
Lroy said | June 14th 2012 @ 11:02am | Report comment
“Wayne Campbell and premiership players Justin Leppitsch and Brendan Gale”
Dude, when did Brendan Gale play in a premiership side?? I thought he played all his games at Richmond??
June 14th 2012 @ 11:52am
Sh00ter said | June 14th 2012 @ 11:52am | Report comment
Hi Lroy, I meant Brendon “Lade”
June 15th 2012 @ 5:37pm
Lroy said | June 15th 2012 @ 5:37pm | Report comment
Ha ha, no probs, was just curious.. didnt recall the Tigers wining a flag anytime since 1980
June 14th 2012 @ 11:31am
Strummer Jones said | June 14th 2012 @ 11:31am | Report comment
So, basically ‘Shooter’ (can we please use real names) you are saying that if the Western Bulldogs had drafted Franklin, Swan, Goodes, Ablett, Judd, Mumford, Scarlett et al there is NO WAY they would have won a premiership without culture and leadership? I am “guessing” that your answer will be “but those players are good examples of leadership etc” which is a bit of a cop out. Do you really believe Richard Tambling would have been a star player had he been drafted to Geelong? I agree that all your key factors are important, maybe, but how about Luck? Luck is a subject few discuss in Aussie Rules. It exists, and luck can build momentum or destroy teams. I would suggest it is a key factor in any algorithm to determine what makes a good side. Personally, I would prefer an article examining Brownian Motion (or Brownlownian Motion) and the innumerous variables of outcomes between a centre bounce and the final siren of a grand final.
June 14th 2012 @ 12:03pm
Sh00ter said | June 14th 2012 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
Hi Strummer,
Tambling at Geelong in the mid 2000s would have been in a better environment (i.e. professionalism, culture, sports science) for him to produce his best as a player. Those names you mention are all premiership players who have also developed their leadership skills in condusive environments. Who knows what would have happened if they played at the Bulldogs but the likes of Smorgan, Eade, West, Grant, Cameron and Johnson have also generated a great club culture.
June 14th 2012 @ 12:04pm
Me too said | June 14th 2012 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Luck, karma, fate, a curse?
Who knows what separated the saints from one or two flags.
Was it the Geelong fan who found himself umpiring the 2009 flag and not actually blowing the blatant free kick to Schneider at the death, despite putting the whistle to his lips. Subconsciously couldn’t bring himself to seal the cats second loss in as many years!
Was it fate that gave him the opportunity? Or was fate when schneider earlier that year hand clapped an ump sarcastically and put himself offside with officials forever after?
Was it the fluky toe poke from Scarlett to ablett after Dawson did so well to leave his man and thump the ball downfield? Was it the goal ump awarding a goal to the clear poster from Hawkins intercept of Dawson’s kick out?
Or was it karma for Ross Lyon ignoring the saints motto of fidelity and leaving a champion loyal player (hudghton) out for his last game and possible flag medallion, and replacing him with a sick Dawson.
Or karma for the coach’s personal spat with Luke Ball responsible for leaving a damaging midfielder sitting on the pine for the last hard fought quarter? Or was it fate that the weather gods determined they would favor Geelong and force the saints to play in the rain – something all too common down in Geelong, and never seen at a closed etihad.
And again in 2010. The blatant throw from Dawes to Cloke to give the pies that one point lead after the saints had fought back so well to take the lead? Again with the ump in plain sight. And of course the famous bounce from Lenny’s kick, just not sitting for Milne to take it on the run and kick the winner?
Fate, karma, luck, coincidence, poor umpiring, biased umpiring, or a curse?
June 14th 2012 @ 2:05pm
brendan said | June 14th 2012 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
Saints are cursed mate too many good sides and players for one flag.
June 14th 2012 @ 7:44pm
Knoxy said | June 14th 2012 @ 7:44pm | Report comment
Blatant throw from Dawes? I just watched the last few minutes of the drawn grand final and it looked like a handball to me.
June 14th 2012 @ 12:44pm
Pope Paul VII said | June 14th 2012 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
St Kilda lucked out for sure and may well be cursed. However Lyons made them trust in the defensive game plan, when they needed to take risks. Another thing with Lyons is he concentrated on a small number of goalkickers so his less practiced secondary players such as Dempster dished off, looked for Schnieder, Neek and Milne or missed gettable goals. 22 leaders is essential and a truckload of talent as well.
June 14th 2012 @ 4:49pm
Rodney Penny said | June 14th 2012 @ 4:49pm | Report comment
Yeah, I agree with you in some ways.
I believe the key to winning the premiership is contingent on a number of factors: Culture, coaching, performance, ability, financial situation and in some cases even luck.
There are many variables that can determine what happens in an AFL season. Hawthorn would almostly certainly beat GWS this season however things could change that notion such as injuries, differing game plans, etc. In a game involving say, Collingwood and Geelong, any result is possible.
There is luck in the draft. Poor old Richard Tambling gets a bit of a hard time for being taken before Buddy Franklin, but sometimes those things work for one team and not so for another.
Nothing is set in stone, but overall a combination of a winning culture, talent, good coaching staff, enough cash to throw around and good teamwork should ensure a club success.