Prediction Dr Sonja Hood AM

[ferball]

Yes lets keep the one common denominator and guy responsible for so much of this shit.

One of the other Brady apologists. You should be embarrassed to defend the guy who is in a very good way responsible for the current state of this club. Well done.

Our list is pathetic. That’s why we continue to be shit. Nothing to do with coaching changes or instability.

You must be surprised that a list of very shit players continues to be shit. Brady has done absolutely nothing wrong with our list or West Coast’s.

So when you said "changes must be made" what you meant was "get a new list manager"? Why not just say that instead of carrying on like a cry baby about everything?

Honestly don't care if we do or don't sack him but Rawlings isn't responsible for our lack of quality senior players.

 

[apollo_creed]

So when you said "changes must be made" what you meant was "get a new list manager"? Why not just say that instead of carrying on like a cry baby about everything?

Honestly don't care if we do or don't sack him but Rawlings isn't responsible for our lack of quality senior players.

lol. If only he was in a role where he could influence that, hey?

 

[The Warlord]

nah, thats just "luck" lol

Yes, presumed as much.

 

[ferball]

lol. If only he was in a role where he could influence that, hey?

You mean if only he was list manager a decade ago?

Its the three drafts before Jy and Souv were drafted where we have one player to show and there are what ... two in total? ... playing in the comp.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

So if ... when ... the list starts really firing (it is the youngest in the comp) does Brady get the credit for a full burn it down rebuild?

The list won’t do a whole lot without 3-4 QUALITY senior on field leaders who haven’t been part of a sustained losing culture.

Simpkin, Tucker, McDonald, Corr (although better) simply can’t lead effectively.

Because if they could, you wouldn’t have seen five years of bottom two finishes.

Sheezel can only do so much.

 

[The Warlord]

The list won’t do a whole lot without 3-4 QUALITY senior on field leaders who haven’t been part of a sustained losing culture.

Simpkin, Tucker, McDonald, Corr (although better) simply can’t lead effectively.

Because if they could, you wouldn’t have seen five years of bottom two finishes.

Sheezel can only do so much.

Especially given Tucker and Corr haven't been there for all of those five years.

I do find it interesting that everyone agrees on the major problem re quality senior onfield leaders.

Which is because the previous era team of Scott into Shaw wasn't good enough, and we needed to start again.

Which is what Brady has done ... but it is his fault the list he DIDN'T manage was shit lol.

The whole Blame Brady thing is simply the refuge of cowards and sooks.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Especially given Tucker and Corr haven't been there for those five years.

I do find it interesting that everyone agrees on the major problem re quality senior onfield leaders.

Which is because the previous era team of Scott into Shaw wasn't good enough, and we needed to start again.

Which is what Brady has done ... but it is his fault the list he DIDN'T manage was shit lol.

The whole BVlame Brady thing is simply a the refuge of cowards and sooks.

Corr has been here for four of the five.

Rawlings has been here since 2020 and brought in TWO quality senior footballers. And even that’s arguable.

Some of his misses though…

 

[Event Horizon]

I think she would have copped less negative feedback if she was more demanding of results and expectation in 2025. Why not say something like “we must get out of the bottom four in 2025”?

Is it actually that impossible that they can’t be on the record for such a lowly goal?

She can say she thinks Clarkson and Viney are the right guys all she wants, but until you put something tangible on the record it’s just fluff.

She is obviously being careful not to back herself into a corner. If she makes a public statement you're suggesting then should we fail to meet that goal it would be quickly brought up by the media (Kane Cornes and Wilson would be the first to do so) and given it would still be 2 years to go on Clarko's contract she'd rather not back herself into a corner

 

[Psicosis]

She is obviously being careful not to back herself into a corner. If she makes a oublic statement you're suggesting then should we fail to meet that goal it would be quickly brought up by the media (Kane Cornes and Wilson would be the first to do so) and given it would still be 2 years to go on Clarko's contract she'd rather not back herself into a corner

Completely understand that.

My frustration / concern is more around the fact that the club thinks it is "backing themselves into a corner" by publicly committing to such a lowly goal...

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Completely understand that.

My frustration / concern is more around the fact that the club thinks it is "backing themselves into a corner" by publicly committing to such a lowly goal...

You mean that aiming to finish 14th after five consecutive bottom two finishes is lowly?

Actually, nevermind…

 

[ferball]

You mean that aiming to finish 14th after five consecutive bottom two finishes is lowly?

Actually, nevermind…

The team that finished 14th this year had 11 wins.

Guess how many we've had since the bye in 2021.

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

You mean that aiming to finish 14th after five consecutive bottom two finishes is lowly?

Actually, nevermind…

I think the club has been good at keeping expectations low - the problem is we have failed to get even close to those low expectations ....hence now we talk about individuals and their awards as 'demonstrable evidence' of our improvement.

It's the typical approach of an underperforming organisation - keep chopping and changing the kpi's - retrospectively as well in our case - and then hope everyone has forgotten what you are actually trying to achieve.

 

[Event Horizon]

Completely understand that.

My frustration / concern is more around the fact that the club thinks it is "backing themselves into a corner" by publicly committing to such a lowly goal...

I get your point. But given how long it's been since we've won more than 3 games - it feels like we are looking for a monumental jump to even get to where Adelaide is right now.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

I think the club has been good at keeping expectations low - the problem is we have failed to get even close to those low expectations ....hence now we talk about individuals and their awards as 'demonstrable evidence' of our improvement.

It's the typical approach of an underperforming organisation - keep chopping and changing the kpi's - retrospectively as well in our case - and then hope everyone has forgotten what you are actually trying to achieve.

Moving the goalposts.

Easy way to dodge accountability.

 

[Jasemon]

Genuine question, what were you hoping to read? Or would you prefer she didn't send an end-of-season letter to members?

If I can chime in my only criticism of the letter was, which I thought was overall a good one, was that I don’t believe she even remotely, adequately, honestly and respectfully captured or addressed the true depths of the pain, humiliation and risk to the average North supporters’ mental health that each consecutive year of this worsening debacle causes us. This paragraph was the only reference to our anger really:

“First, the men’s season. One word – disappointing. The disappointment doesn’t nullify the moments of light – and I’ll get to those in a minute – but let’s not pretend it was a good 24 weeks overall. For many of us, it’s 24 disappointing weeks on top of a succession of disappointing seasons. And that takes its toll – inside and outside the club.”

Not remotely sufficient in capturing the suffering our supporters have been through. Over the last 5 completed H/A seasons we’ve had 107 games for only 12 wins (only three in Melbourne in front of a crowd I believe and I missed one of those), 1 draw and wait for it…. 91 losses (been to almost all of them).

91 losses!!!! With the 124 point loss against the smug Hawks an exclamation mark/dagger to the heart just to emphasise how mentally shot our club is currently at. In round 6 this year neither team had a win and our game was billed as the battle for the wooden spoon. Reality is that the two clubs are light years apart. Ground zero continues to reach new depths. So yeah, though I try to remain on the ‘bright side’ it’s hard and I would have liked Sonya (a woman I greatly respect and admire) to have addressed the suffering fans with a little more empathy and understanding of what we’ve been through and continue to go through.

 

[The Warlord]

Corr has been here for four of the five.

He was injured for all but two games in his first year.

Rawlings has been here since 2020 and brought in TWO quality senior footballers. And even that’s arguable.

Some of his misses though…

Yeah man, him bringing in Aaron Hall and Jared Polec and Jasper Pittard can never be forgiven.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

If I can chime in my only criticism of the letter was, which I thought was overall a good one, was that I don’t believe she even remotely, adequately, honestly and respectfully captured or addressed the true depths of the pain, humiliation and risk to the average North supporters’ mental health that each consecutive year of this worsening debacle causes us. This paragraph was the only reference to our anger really:

“First, the men’s season. One word – disappointing. The disappointment doesn’t nullify the moments of light – and I’ll get to those in a minute – but let’s not pretend it was a good 24 weeks overall. For many of us, it’s 24 disappointing weeks on top of a succession of disappointing seasons. And that takes its toll – inside and outside the club.”

Not remotely sufficient in capturing the suffering our supporters have been through. Over the last 5 completed H/A seasons we’ve had 107 games for only 12 wins (only three in Melbourne in front of a crowd I believe and I missed one of those), 1 draw and wait for it…. 91 losses (been to almost all of them).

91 losses!!!! With the 124 point loss against the smug Hawks an exclamation mark/dagger to the heart just to emphasise how mentally shot our club is currently at. In round 6 this year neither team had a win and our game was billed as the battle for the wooden spoon. Reality is that the two clubs are light years apart. Ground zero continues to reach new depths. So yeah, though I try to remain on the ‘bright side’ it’s hard and I would have liked Sonya (a woman I greatly respect and admire) to have addressed the suffering fans with a little more empathy and understanding of what we’ve been through and continue to go through.

I understand what you are saying but also appreciate the fact that Sonja is not your grief counsellor or therapist or analyst or shrink. If anyone out there needs these mental health services for the trauma they are going through, then they should seek help personally rather than expect an unpaid representative of the club to talk them down off the ledge. I am not being intentionally glib in saying that because it's a fact that supporters and members do contact club officials through email and social media and dump upon them the tragic circumstances of their lives, on top of which, the poor performance of their football club is considered the final straw. It's too much.

 

[King Corey]

I understand what you are saying but also appreciate the fact that Sonja is not your grief counsellor or therapist or analyst or shrink. If anyone out there needs these mental health services for the trauma they are going through, then they should seek help personally rather than expect an unpaid representative of the club to talk them down off the ledge. I am not being intentionally glib in saying that because it's a fact that supporters and members do contact club officials through email and social media and dump upon them the tragic circumstances of their lives, on top of which, the poor performance of their football club is considered the final straw. It's too much.

Everyone at the club is either paid employee or volunteer.

Venting to 99% of them beyond a water cooler level of comms is akin to shouting at a cloud.

Ditto the membership threat. I get it, but you're not punishing anyone in particular by following through with that. The players will move on with their lives and the only thing you'll have done is kick a financial own goal when you do decide to jump back on.

I truly wish there was an escape (sic) goat we could all beat up and ride around the club that would banish the feelings of following a cringeful pile of on-field refuse for the last 7 years. But there simply isn't.

 

[Sillygit]

If I can chime in my only criticism of the letter was, which I thought was overall a good one, was that I don’t believe she even remotely, adequately, honestly and respectfully captured or addressed the true depths of the pain, humiliation and risk to the average North supporters’ mental health that each consecutive year of this worsening debacle causes us. This paragraph was the only reference to our anger really:

“First, the men’s season. One word – disappointing. The disappointment doesn’t nullify the moments of light – and I’ll get to those in a minute – but let’s not pretend it was a good 24 weeks overall. For many of us, it’s 24 disappointing weeks on top of a succession of disappointing seasons. And that takes its toll – inside and outside the club.”

Not remotely sufficient in capturing the suffering our supporters have been through. Over the last 5 completed H/A seasons we’ve had 107 games for only 12 wins (only three in Melbourne in front of a crowd I believe and I missed one of those), 1 draw and wait for it…. 91 losses (been to almost all of them).

91 losses!!!! With the 124 point loss against the smug Hawks an exclamation mark/dagger to the heart just to emphasise how mentally shot our club is currently at. In round 6 this year neither team had a win and our game was billed as the battle for the wooden spoon. Reality is that the two clubs are light years apart. Ground zero continues to reach new depths. So yeah, though I try to remain on the ‘bright side’ it’s hard and I would have liked Sonya (a woman I greatly respect and admire) to have addressed the suffering fans with a little more empathy and understanding of what we’ve been through and continue to go through.

1. You spelt her name wrong. Amazing respect and admiration there.

2. You are responsible for your mental health.

 

[Ball Dont Lie]

I fell like there a few posters here that will defend the club no matter what. It’s almost as if they are not prepared to level any criticism to the people in charge who run the club. We are one worst performing sports organisations in the country year after year. That’s just the facts. Some criticism is warranted.

 

[GoRoos2023]

I like Sonja I really do.

I ask myself if I was her right now with the onfield stuff and the communications what would do differently?
Answer is probably not much, really what can she do.

Offield I am quite concerned though. I am seeing no plan aside from selling more games to replace the Tassie rev.

That’s a real concern as we won’t get that Tassie money again even if we sell 4 which is what they are trying to do.

 

[Sillygit]

I fell like there a few posters here that will defend the club no matter what. It’s almost as if they are not prepared to level any criticism to the people in charge who run the club. We are one worst performing sports organisations in the country year after year. That’s just the facts. Some criticism is warranted.

Some are, some aren't.

If i feel as though some aren't, that doesn't mean i think all aren't.

But as you can see in the last few pages, and your post, if you don't feel like ALL criticisms are warranted or push back in any way, it's suddenly decided that "they are not prepared to level any criticism to the people in charge who run the club".

 

[Jasemon]

I understand what you are saying but also appreciate the fact that Sonja is not your grief counsellor or therapist or analyst or shrink. If anyone out there needs these mental health services for the trauma they are going through, then they should seek help personally rather than expect an unpaid representative of the club to talk them down off the ledge. I am not being intentionally glib in saying that because it's a fact that supporters and members do contact club officials through email and social media and dump upon them the tragic circumstances of their lives, on top of which, the poor performance of their football club is considered the final straw. It's too much.

And I’m not saying I need mental health services due to how my footy team is performing but c’mon mate wake up and stop smelling the roses. It’s hard to keep on going back each week for more of what this club puts out. They aren’t roses, they’re a pile of shite and our club has been historically shite now for 5 years. Do you attend week in, week out? I’d dare say absolutely not. Of those 91 losses I reckon I’ve sat through about 95% of those that I was physically able to get to (i.e. not interstate or family commitment).
Stop being an apologist. The club isn’t going to respond to every email or comms that supporters send in so the Prez needs to address these issues in a letter like the one put out last week. IMO she clearly did not. Glib is EXACTLY what you’re being.

 

[Sillygit]

Did everyone get apologist on the same word-a-day calendar or something?

 

[shimaburnsgrieg]

I fell like there a few posters here that will defend the club no matter what. It’s almost as if they are not prepared to level any criticism to the people in charge who run the club. We are one worst performing sports organisations in the country year after year. That’s just the facts. Some criticism is warranted.

It's because they work for the club and/or are related to the senior people involved at the club.

There is only a few of them left now - no actual football insight between them and not one original thought in their 1000's of posts - they just continually criticise those who put money into the club.

Put them on ignore as they pop up - whack-a-mole style - it will raise the intelligence of who you engage with on this Board quite sharply.