- Jul 20, 2019
- 1,355
- 2,394
- AFL Club
- Essendon
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AFLW 2024 - Round 6 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Those players will naturally lead anyway so it's irrelevant whether or not they're in a group.Modern footy teams are divided into lines, each of which has their own coach and who do most of their training etc together. It makes sense to have leaders in each so a leadership group makes sense too.
Those players will naturally lead anyway so it's irrelevant whether or not they're in a group.
Are we seriously questioning leadership and organisational theory that is used in pretty much every organisation in the world?
But in my amateur cricket team they didn't need a leadership group, so yes, apparently.
It's also a recognition of appropriate standards - training, in-game, on-field, off-field - as much as you are building out the chain of communication.
Head Coach > Line Coaches > Leadership Group > Players et al.
With a number of different people involved through the chain, with limited runners in-game, with large periods of time not spent at the club also being very important, I don't see how people assume leaders aren't important.
Are Selwood and Hodge not a key component of their teams success over time? Is formal recognition of the way they go about it not important?
If we had Hodge or Selwood in the side, but appointed party boy Sydney Stack as the Captain, do people think that wouldn't change how the players go about things, or the expectations and standards they believe are appropriate?
I get the frustration from people because as a club I think we’ve made some pretty stupid leadership appointments and as everybody has noted, it’s been a revolving door.
But the answer isn’t to have no formal leaders. 1-2 players per line is fine for a group of 10-15 players imo.
If I'm a young bloke entering a club as a midfielder, what do I care whether or not Shiel or Heppell are appointed to some abritrary leadership group? They're the guys I go to to ask advice and look for leadership from anyway.Well yes they will, but it’s hardly irrelevant. You appoint people who you trust to lead and deliver the message you need. Formalised leadership structures are pretty critical, you want people to know their place and know exactly who they should be listening to.
Are we seriously questioning leadership and organisational theory that is used in pretty much every organisation in the world?
Is there suddenly no such thing as chain of command?
The forwards, mids and backs are each groups of 10-15 players. Of course you have leaders in each.
LOLI'm on the record already about leadership groups being a waste of time.
In terms of the current Captaincy i think the main concern here is Heppell being best 22. Personally i think he will be but they don't set up for a plodding ball winner and we don't need a Captain in reserves misread in 2021.
Assuming he's best 22 then it might be worth Rutten telling Heppell how he wants it done and if there's agreement then give him another year. He definitely plays like a leader even if the optics are sometimes dubious.
McGrath is already taking a leadership role by following instructions and playing how we want. No point loading him up with other rubbish now when he still has a lot of work to do on his own game. If they really want a fresh start from Heppell then maybe go to Shiel for a year or two or Saad assuming he stays.
If McGrath is the man moving forward then perhaps make him Vice Captain. If that's not decided yet then do something different and don't have a VC (agreeing with Eth here).
If I'm a young bloke entering a club as a midfielder, what do I care whether or not Shiel or Heppell are appointed to some abritrary leadership group? They're the guys I go to to ask advice and look for leadership from anyway.
At AFL level everyone knows who you are anyway. Do you honestly think that players won't lead the team just because they're not part of the "leadership group"? Look at Merrett this year, he was booted from the LG and has been one of our best leaders. McGrath wasn't part of it this year and he lead by example, same with Adam Saad. Cale Hooker has been one of our best leaders for the past half a dozen years and even though he's been left out the last couple has that stopped him from being a leader?
There are four examples of leaders who haven't let their lack of position in some arbritrary group define the fact that they're amongst the clubs best leaders.
As much as I don't like him, who among our players has the capacity to completely change the way they play and lead ala Trent Cotchin? He went from being as vanilla chip scab merchant as the most Essington of players to developing a kamikaze, brutal attack on the footy and the man as Dylan Shiel could attest. I don't see McGrath as having the physicality to be able to do that. Nor Dylan Shiel. Heppell never shirks the issue but I have continuous flashbacks to the day Hodge made absolute mincemeat of him, and he's got the aggression of a neutered bulldog.
Shiel's about as tough as wet cardboard so rule him out. Paddy Ambrose for a season or two? Probably too quiet.
There is honestly no-one on our entire list I'd be happy with as captain other than maybe Hooker. It's so bereft of obvious leaders that it's not funny.
*Stringer as a VC if we can find another captain? Might take his game to the next level.
What exactly are assistant coaches for? Do you honestly think that Saad and Hurley wouldn't be on the same page 99% of the time when it comes to defensive structures and who goes where?There’s leadership and there’s leadership. Football these days is extremely structural and out on the field, there’s a hell of a lot more to do than cracking in hard, playing well and giving advice to young players.
Different blokes shouting instructions is a recipe for disaster.
I don’t know what you do for a job, but if it’s at a biggish organisation, go find somebody who’s responsible for 40+ people and ask him/her what it’d be like to have no direct reports or chain of command. Just everybody doing their thing and those who want to lead can lead. No thanks.
who to follow
**** me, Hurls must've been stuck in a torture chamber all night with Woosha blaring at him non-stop "To the left back flank! To the left back flank! To the left back flank!"What exactly are assistant coaches for? Do you honestly think that Saad and Hurley wouldn't be on the same page 99% of the time when it comes to defensive structures and who goes where?
I mean come on. Defensive structures and where to go, who to follow have been drilled into them from day 1 of pre-season of their time at the club.
Yep, coudn't have said it better myself.Exactly; the leaders.
What exactly are assistant coaches for? Do you honestly think that Saad and Hurley wouldn't be on the same page 99% of the time when it comes to defensive structures and who goes where?
I mean come on. Defensive structures and where to go, who to follow have been drilled into them from day 1 of pre-season of their time at the club.
We have some?Ok forget it, let’s have no leaders.
Yes, because having a lack of a formalised "group" means that Mason Redman won't listen to Michael Hurley when he tells him to hep cover Tom Papley on a flank.Ok forget it, let’s have no leaders.
Yes, because having a lack of a formalised "group" means that Mason Redman won't listen to Michael Hurley when he tells him to hep cover Tom Papley on a flank.
Yep, coudn't have said it better myself.