There are certain people you respect in AFL footy – no matter whom you support. Lenny Hayes comes to mind as does Jobe Watson, Luke Hodge and even Kevin Sheedy.
Footy is a tough game, played and coached, by tough people and the need to constantly support the culture of your club is relentless.
There simply is no place for individuals. Premierships are why footballers play and why fans go to watch. The de-stabilising effect of an individual putting themselves over the team can be enormous.
I heard a well known commentator state the other night that some clubs in the AFL competition are irrelevant and always will be, so long as they accept mediocrity from all involved with their club.
I can only assume he was talking about the teams who have not enjoyed success in terms of premierships in their history. The fact this commentator came from a club that has enjoyed much success in their history (Carlton), got me thinking further about this notion of club culture and I started to consider the plight of Collingwood and the ongoing Travis Cloke saga.
I wondered where Cloke currently sits on the respect-meter with footy fans, teammates and administrators of the footy world and within his own club. That’s when I realised we have all been looking at this debate about Cloke from the wrong angle.
No-one begrudges a player trying to earn what they think they are worth from their employer. No-one should have a problem with him considering offers from other employers. Forget about his form or the perceived behaviour of the club and his management over the issue. The real issue, it seems, lies in Cloke’s consideration, or perceived lack of it, for his current club. As Nathan Buckley stated last week – both Cloke and Collingwood’s brands have been tarnished somewhat during this.
Collingwood fans know all too well what happens to a club and their performances when an individual won’t make a decision about their future. Look at 2011 and the Pies. Clearly the best side throughout the year, yet they came into the finals in poor form but somehow managed to win two nail-biting games, only to be found wanting for character when it really counted. The core of the problem at the club was never addressed until the Sunday night after the grand final loss when the de-stabilising individual cleaned out their desk and left.
Now it seems it is happening again. Definition of insanity, anyone? So where to from here? If we are to believe the rumours, then the deal has already been done and his re-signing will be announced shortly. The concern is to the terms and residual fall out for others. That’s the culture hit.
Geelong learnt their lesson with the Gary Ablett affair and won’t make the same mistake again. A club must stand for something or it means nothing. Collingwood and Cloke must get it done quickly – one way or the other so everybody, including the fans, knows where they stand. Unfortunately the damage may have already been done.
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