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Managing expectation at the start of an AFL season can be a delicate process.
Whilst a club may inwardly be extremely confident, it also knows that everything needs to go right in order to be there at the MCG on the last Saturday in September – or in 2015, the first Saturday in October.
The problem is that the fans are abuzz as well. They demand success. They live for their team and their players. They dream of a premiership.
So what happens if a club comes out at the start of a season saying it believes it can win the flag.
Well we are about to find out because on Wednesday night in Melbourne Collingwood President Eddie Mcguire suggested the club could snatch an unlikely premiership during the season launch.
Eddie stated: “The fabled 1990 premiership team had an average age of 23 when we won that flag and in 2015 our average age of players is 23. So it’s never too early and it’s never too late.
“Don’t think about tomorrow. Season 2015 is fair and square on the agenda for us to do the best we possibly can.”
You have to admire Eddie’s confidence, and the ability to say things without worrying what others think. Many of us could take a leaf out of his book.
I’m not saying that coaches should take this course of action. With all due respect to Melbourne, but the chances of them winning the flag this season is remote at best, so Paul Roos would only look foolish if he did the same as Eddie.
But why not be more open about your club’s chances and aspirations. Coaches and players are far too safe and defensive when it comes to the media.
As a media trainer for a number of years I have helped coaches and athletes prepare for a media interview. And it’s often a case of crafting grabs and sound bites that do not cause controversy.
But the more I think about it, the more I believe that big statements like Eddies, can work in your favour.
Sure, if the club fails to live up to their expectations then some may revisit Eddie’s remarks. But he wouldn’t care about that.
Today we are all talking about Collingwood. The club, the players, the fans and the sponsors would be loving it.
Boring bland statements are repeated constantly by sportspeople. But I’m coming around to the idea of being more bold, brave and even unpredictable.
The WWE does it brilliantly. One wrestler boasting he’s going to throw his opponent from one end of the ring to another.
I am not suggesting we go that far in the AFL but it has to be better than saying nothing.
“We are taking it one match at a time.”
“It was a great team effort.”
“We do not want to get too far ahead of ourselves.”
Please.
We can do better than that and if the players and coaches offer more, then the fans will be more engaged as well. That has to be a good thing.
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