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Interesting how the apologists have been silent since page 10...
See, it's really very simple. As long as we keep apologising for footballers because they are not intelligent or not role models or because they need to let there hair down, we will continue to have 15 - 50 page threads on whether or not that latest indescretion is a serious cultural issue or just another media beat up / boys being boys.
FFS people, how many threads have we now had on this? How many debates have we had on whether this latest incident is serious or not? Why are we YET AGAIN spending our days debating another f*ck up? And how long will it be before we have the next thread debating the next incident, instead of being excited at how Yarran's tearing it up or 206 has become the dominant tap ruckman in the competition?
The fact that we are having this discussion YET AGAIN is all the proof we need that there is something seriously wrong, and that continually forgiving these players' behaviours isn't the answer. The Club and everyone around it (including David Parkin, for whom most of us have nothing but respect) have admitted that they weren't hard enough on Fevola right from his first indescretion, that they excused his behaviour too often. And look how that ended, for player, Club and allegedly journalist.
Geelong had cultural issues. They had a potential superstar not putting in the work required, and in retrospect, probably a fistful of other players who were in the same boat (given the improvement they showed from 06 to 07). They also had at least one player who was getting into trouble off-field. But they got tough. Really tough. To the extent that no bullsh!t was accepted. None. And they won 2 flags in 3 years.
We may have copped more media flack than Essendon* and Collingwood and St Kilda, yet that is not the issue. THe issue is that none of those clubs have won Premierships. One of them seems finally to be getting it's culture and leadership right, impressively so, and the result is that it is now perliously close to ultimate success.
It's 2010 (close enough), not the 1970s. Football is more professional than it has ever been. It's a competition where the victor wins because it does things 1%, 0.5% better than its opponent. This is in preparation and attitude, not just on the field. It is about the desire for success, and what you are prepared to do, and sacrifice, to achieve it. It is about the bond you form with your teammates, and the respect you have for them. What are you prepared to do, to sacrifice, to reach the summit? Do you have the ultimate, unconditional respect for your teammate that will enable you, without thinking, to put your body at risk to help him out? Because anything less than that means failure.
All this stems from culture, and from leadership. The Club's leadership must demonstrate in no uncertain terms that each individual at the Club, whether they be player or off-field personell, is responsible for his or her behaviour. End of story. Sure, give them support, and education, as much as possible. But at the end of the day, it is up to the individual to make the right choices. And if they cannot make the right choiced, if they cannot stay in line, then they will pay the price. A significant price. So that it hurts them, and it hurts the Club. For that is how it must be. Geelong suspending Johnson for 6 weeks hurt player and Club. A pain which lead to 2 Flags and a Norm Smith Medal.
Appointing Leading Teams was a great move, I just hope that they can turn things around quickly, as they did with Geelong.
But ultimately, the fish rots at the head. IMHO, right now, the head is a whole lot more smelly than I would like it to be.
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Mens sana in corpore sano.
Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!
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Go to training and give these four guys a bit of stick from the bleachers. Let them know how we supporters feel.
