It would take just about all of this column to do justice to AFL great Paul Roos’ CV.
Hall of Fame 2005, Fitzroy team of the century, twice All Australian captain, holds the VFL-AFL record for the most games wearing the No. 1 jersey for Fitzroy and the Swans at 355, Premiership-winning coach with the Swans ending a 72-year drought.
Quality media man, damn good bloke and great family man – Australian Father of the Year in 2008.
Roos covers all bases.
But what could well be his greatest claim to fame is instituting a ‘no dickheads’ policy into the Swans in 2003.
The move proved he had vision, he became a pioneer.
The ‘no dickheads’ policy is very simple. The Swans gave all their players the behaviour boundaries, step over them just once and there’s only one possible result – the exit door.
And it has worked a treat. The Swans – thanks to Roos’ vision, the best president in the AFL Richard Colless, and a roster that embraces the ‘no dickheads’ policy – are rightfully ranked as one of the best-run clubs of all time.
And it shows on the field.
What’s even more amazing is no other club or team has followed the proven example.
What if the Wallabies had a ‘no dickhead’ policy?
The three amigos – James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper – would been punted very early in the piece.
Let’s stop there and ask the question, would the amigos have transgressed in the first place, knowing what the automatic repercussions would be if they bucked the policy?
Repeat, automatic repercussions.
The answer would have to be a no, leaving O’Connor, Beale, and Cooper far better off across the board, with no baggage.
That’s why the policy is so brilliant, it serves as a circuit-breaker, it makes a sportsman think twice before doing anything stupid.
If he decides to still go ahead and be a dickhead, he knows the result immediately.
Had there been a ‘no dickhead’ policy in the Australian cricket team, would David Warner have given two cricket writers that massive spray that cost him a $5750 fine from Cricket Australia, and would he have punched England’s opening batsman Joe Root on the chin in a Birmingham bar during a late night drinking session?
The answer to that would have to be a no as well, and the same applies to champion swimmer James Magnussen before his sub-standard 100m freestyle performance at the London Olympics.
But he decided to be a dickhead and it cost him gold.
His three teammates in the relay – Eamon Sullivan, Matt Targett, and James Roberts – wanted to be dickheads and that cost them gold as well.
Big mistakes incur big penalties, but the argument still stands.
A ‘no dickhead’ policy is a brake before the real damage is done.
The Raiders may have retained Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson with a ‘no dickheads’ policy, instead of having to sack both this season for their on-going indiscretions.
Even tennis would have benefited had the policy covered coaches as well as players.
John Tomic, the volatile coach and father of Bernard, would never been able to create as much mayhem as he’s done over the years. He would have been gone first up, and that would have given Bernard a chance to conform.
But that didn’t happen and as a result both father and son have been a positive pain in the butt for nearly a decade.
Maybe Bernard is turning the corner on his own, according to his Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter. And the same applies to Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper.
But that doesn’t take anything away from the huge advantages of a ‘no dickheads’ policy right from the start.
And being ever grateful to Paul Roos.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Paul Roos is a Whitefriars Donvale old boy. Their motto is Belong, Believe, Become. I'm not a big fan of catchphrases myself, but maybe that's where his low tolerance of dickheads came from. Or, perhaps, he was simply brought up well by his parents. Either way, or both, I've never heard a bad word against him,on or off the field. Richard Colless doesn't count.
Mike
Guest
No he wasn't. Cricket Australia could have dumped him. There are 11 players on a team and four or five bowlers, and plenty lining up to take his spot. They would have been insane to do so, and deservedly pilloried. But that is a different matter. And the principle is the same.
Mike
Guest
You need a consultant to help you answer those questions. I suggest Craig Gower.
CHT
Guest
+1 ZG
dsat24
Guest
An issue with this is what is a dickhead and who polices the policy. Hold on that's two issues. Will there be an official policy and as such will it have terms of reference. Or will be on the fly and open to interpretation and heaven forbid at risk of prejudice, bias, agendas etc. Is being late to training as serious as overdoing a sponsors product at a function and instantaneously becoming a 'crowd favourite'? Sure we all have a sense of what's appropriate but at the same we do get surprises. And on the policing of this, in the Aussie context there is nothing worse than a dibber dobber so should there be minders as a coach is not always around? It would be interesting to learn of the mechanics of the Swans policy.
Paddo
Roar Rookie
Don't think Swans President Richard Colless, is actually much in love with Roos ATM, FWIU Roos is trying to entice Swans Acadamy players - born and bred NSW kids to Melbourne, the scene of his new coaching gig. If true, seems like a bit of a d1ckhead act by Roos, who has been head of the academy, which has around 500 boys in it. Perhaps he is just not going to take any d1ckheads with him !.
Charging Rhino
Roar Guru
+1
GotHim Yeah
Guest
I am not sure everyone on this thread understands exactly what Roos achieved and implemented in his time at the Swans. He won a Premiership with a list of Players that were not Superstars. He had one - Barry Hall. It was the old adage - he created a Superstar Team - not a Team of Superstars. The Teams he played and beat - had far superior player lists - West Coast (2 Grand Finals). David Lord is right - Roos is one of the best behavioral and culture exponents in Australian sporting history. He is up there with Sir Alex Furguson of Manchester United. Sir Alex got rid of Beckham, Cantona etc as soon as they thought they were bigger than the Team ! However Roos DID NOT dole out the punishment for bad behavior. He empowered the playing group to do so. And this was after he created a Team bonding so strong - they were famously known as "The Bloods". They played like blood brothers and gave blood for each other on the field. Are these qualities missing from the Wallabies ?? My word they are ! When the Swan Players broke Team rules - they had to sit in front of their 22 Team mates and plead their case - and the 22 Team mates decided their fete - Roos was arbitrator. In Team Sport - There is nothing worst than your Blood Bother deciding that your behavior is not good enough to warrant a spot on the Team ! The playing group deems that you have let the Team down so badly - you have lost their trust - and they dont want to play with you anymore ! I hope Link is studying Paul Roos...
Justin3
Guest
Only difference mike is Warne was truly irreplaceable...
Zero Gain
Guest
The biggest dickhead is the guy that wants to exaggerate somone else's faults and shortcomings and turn them into a reason to destroy their career.
CHT
Guest
David Lord, I love the fact you have "expert" next to your name, because you are the perfect example of "the expert problem" as espoused by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
Mike
Guest
Hi sponge, I'd like a team full of dickheads if they played well, certainly. Some good players are, some aren't. It is the same with operators in unconventional military units - you can't pigeon hole them. One chap will be out whoring and drinking every night, while another will drink tea and go to church on Sundays. Yet they both cut throats with aplomb, and I want them in my unit. If they seriously stuff up, then sure, they may be out. But this latest shenanigan by O'Connor isn't even on the radar for a rugby player. I agree very much with your point about softness and lack of aggression. It is a far bigger issue for the Wallabies at present than any disciplinary issue. Just give us Bakkies or Thornie or Vicks to provide some stiffening, please!
CHT
Guest
Magic Sponge - I never knew a rugby team was a personality vote. Further, mentioning "holidays" is specious and off-topic.
Mike
Guest
"nobody should have to tolerate another teammate breaking team rules." What team rule has he broken on this occasion Kuruki? This is where you let your fingers run away on the keyboard, along with accuracy? "JOC has a record of being a twit." Even if that were true (and you can hardly point the finger) so what? He isn't hired to be a deportment instructor or to drink tea with his little finger higher than his ring finger. He is hired to play rugby at a very high level. Emphasis on 'play', not talk about "I have heard three of his most senior teammates of recent time show there displeasure at JOC." Which is hardly much at all, and the circumstances of each of those do not support your argument as soon as the details are examined. "He was not re signed by the Rebels because of his behaviour." Wrong again. You do make a habit of not checking your facts. O'Connor was not re-hired by the Rebels because they did not have the money. Hence why the shareholders walked away from their investment and handed the keys to the VRU. "He is a boy who needs to grow up." He's not the only one. The difference being, that boy will be on a rugby field actually playing, and playing pretty well too.
Justin3
Guest
Pity it's 2013 not 1973 for Joc I guess...
Mike
Guest
Ha ha, exactly Hamish. Rod Macqueen, Australia's supercoach, telling the world in 2010 that he was going to apply a two-fold policy at the Rebels" "Attacking, running rugby and a No Dickheads recruiting policy will be two key features of Australia's newest Super 15 club, the Melbourne Rebels" And he crashed and burned. Exactly what will happen to the Wallabies if they try to follow the proposals of David Lord, Sheek, Mick etc.
Mike
Guest
Indeed - their common quality was that they did NOT follow your ideas. If you think that Ian Chappell would have taken any action whatsoever against O'Connor for getting moved from one flight to another, you are off the planet. Once again Mick, it is as soon as you try to marshall facts that you get yourself in a bind.
Tane Mahuta
Guest
Give it a rest Sheek. I dont give a flying f#%k what David did in the 70s. That doesnt make him beyond reproach especially when his articles are just a wordy witch hunt driven by a personal agenda. His articles take a black and white view of issues and tend to have extreme opinions. He uses "must" in his titles as if there is no other way instead of reasonably covering the topic with an open mind and acknowledging that there are grey areas. His latest buzz is to destroy JOC. But since he played cricket for Mosman I take it all back, yeah like hell. In his articles he said that the ARU has no option but to turn JOCs contract into "confetti". Paaalease Sheek, a guy who says such things and then laments when his contract isnt torn up, deserves to be taken down a peg or 2.
Mike
Guest
"Shane Warne might be an oddball, but he understood the importance of team values from his Aussie rules days." As does O'Connor, that's the point. You've shot your own argument down, because Justin is right - Warne was far more a dh than O'Connor has ever managed - but Cricket Australia was never whacko enough to apply your or David Lord's "solution" of ripping up his contract. Notice how by failing to rip up Warnie's contract, Cricket Australia condemned the green caps to be second best? (not)
Mike
Guest
Is that supposed to be an argument Sheek? Simply picking out whichever of the hundreds of All Blacks you think supports your point? You have forgotten about some of the personnel issues that the ABs have had to cope with in recent years - its not just Zac Guildford or Jerry Collins. But the All Blacks aren't so witless as to apply Lord's or your idea of ripping up contracts. That is why they are number 1.