Hi Crows Fans
I am planning on sending this to Silvers, Kelly, Reid, Nicksy, Hamish, Roo and Olsen over the next couple of hours. Open to any feedback - thanks guys
Morning Gents
I would appreciate 5 minutes of your time to read after reflecting on some detailed chats with Tim and Adam yesterday. This email is partly based on Tim saying considered and knowledgeable input was welcome into the club or even directed towards AFL House, and had acknowledged an email I had sent to Gillon Mc Lachlan and Andrew Dillon (see below) that was discussed between Tim and Matty Nicks. Unfortunately, no response from AFL House though..
Devastated to lose in another heartbreaking loss based on a combination of goal-kicking (again), luck and some contentious decisions (again..). Will make finals difficult but a very successful step up year for the club. Things aren’t always linear and we had had a blessed run with injuries until a month ago and Tex isn’t likely to get any better from here so cant just assume next year we end up with XX more wins.
Firstly, thanks to Tim and Adam for their generous time yesterday presenting and taking questions from the Brissie based Crows faithful (including myself disproportionately bombarding the guys with pretty direct questions and having some one on one time afterwards also). To their credit, the level of openness and fan engagement was perfect from my perspective. Gave us a feel or ‘colour’ of things without clearly disclosing any confidential non public information. I was also relieved to ask and hear Tim say he is committed to the club with no temptation to be poached back to the Hawks vacant CEO role. As clearly our best CEO since Sanders, the club seems to be in great hands with Tim going forward in a massive few years upcoming from many perspectives.
I feel compelled to make a few key points after canvassing a large range of opinions on related matters, many from truly die hard Crows fans understanding (or at least trying to analyse) many aspects of the club). Normally I send such an email to a few of the Crows Execs at the end of the year but slightly earlier this year with some pressing issues. So here goes:
Thanks for reading Gents. I don’t necessarily expect a reply but again on behalf of a number of die hard Crows fans these are the crucial issues I wanted to respectfully and constructively raise at this point.
Go Crows.
Go Crows.
Yours Sincerely
119others
I am planning on sending this to Silvers, Kelly, Reid, Nicksy, Hamish, Roo and Olsen over the next couple of hours. Open to any feedback - thanks guys
Morning Gents
I would appreciate 5 minutes of your time to read after reflecting on some detailed chats with Tim and Adam yesterday. This email is partly based on Tim saying considered and knowledgeable input was welcome into the club or even directed towards AFL House, and had acknowledged an email I had sent to Gillon Mc Lachlan and Andrew Dillon (see below) that was discussed between Tim and Matty Nicks. Unfortunately, no response from AFL House though..
Devastated to lose in another heartbreaking loss based on a combination of goal-kicking (again), luck and some contentious decisions (again..). Will make finals difficult but a very successful step up year for the club. Things aren’t always linear and we had had a blessed run with injuries until a month ago and Tex isn’t likely to get any better from here so cant just assume next year we end up with XX more wins.
Firstly, thanks to Tim and Adam for their generous time yesterday presenting and taking questions from the Brissie based Crows faithful (including myself disproportionately bombarding the guys with pretty direct questions and having some one on one time afterwards also). To their credit, the level of openness and fan engagement was perfect from my perspective. Gave us a feel or ‘colour’ of things without clearly disclosing any confidential non public information. I was also relieved to ask and hear Tim say he is committed to the club with no temptation to be poached back to the Hawks vacant CEO role. As clearly our best CEO since Sanders, the club seems to be in great hands with Tim going forward in a massive few years upcoming from many perspectives.
I feel compelled to make a few key points after canvassing a large range of opinions on related matters, many from truly die hard Crows fans understanding (or at least trying to analyse) many aspects of the club). Normally I send such an email to a few of the Crows Execs at the end of the year but slightly earlier this year with some pressing issues. So here goes:
- List changes starting with the big one - Sloane. Highly respected for historical career, especially leadership qualities, but perhaps a hard decision needs to be made with Rory. His best games were many years ago and his expiring 5 year contract (my understanding the biggest in club history leveraged by Rory at a time we were bleeding interstate players) has seen him materially over-rewarded for playing form during this contract term and despite some good last quarter cameos this year unfortunately the game has caught up with Rory. In my humble opinion, it would be a strategic blunder to re-sign Rory and let Crouch go. I imagine Rorys 400-450k ish type value should instead be used to ensure Crouch is given another 2 year contract (on similar or slightly higher $) as otherwise he will be snapped up by another club with no compensation forthcoming as he’s an UFA. Crouch named best 3 in the last 3 weeks (and also in the best players first week back vs Dees) and playing at a level Rory hasn’t for many years. And its mids we are crying out for – Crouch is delivering and frees up our talented outside players we have acquired like Dawson, Rachele, Rankine etc
- Further to previous, Tim and Adam indicated that Soligo, Rachele and Pedlar are key features of the midfield going forward but admitted yesterday we still need to bring in a further elite mid. We had a good crack at Day and hopefully are doing the same with Phillipou or similar next year (or indeed this trade period but would be at substantial cost). Being in contention for a flag for the rest of this decade it’s the midfield is the area that sticks out as needing elite players when compared to other rivals including our friends down the road with Rozee, Butters, JHF etc. Sloane doesn’t have the flexibility to play in as many other positions (relative to Pedlar, Rachele etc) meaning re-contracting him inhibits the development of these younger players also moving into the midfield. Move Rory into a coaching or leadership type role outside of being a contracted player (to help support Jordan if needed) but please do think carefully before letting Crouch go here as I feel we will regret it.
- Mc Adam also uncontracted. Logic dictates Freo and West Coast (potentially through the PSD) could pounce. He offers a point of difference with pace, agility and leap and has been our best or second best forward over the last month. To me, we must also re-sign Mc Adam as Gollant is young but perhaps not quite as talented/athletic and TT/Fog are different sorts of forwards and to be honest have underwhelmed a little overall this year (esp Fog despite playing well early and some good games recently).
- Thebarton – as indicated to Tim yesterday with structurally higher Interest Rates and CapEx blow outs for every major project please be careful and conservative with this. It doesn’t feel like the ‘perfect solution’ to me and clearly wasn’t the clubs first or second choice but do understand the need for a home its just we all know the negatives including overall costs and debt burdens (with higher structural interest rates with the 10 year bond yield now indicating 4%+ RBA interest rates for the next decade and borrowing costs at least 2-3% higher than that again), NIMBY’s complaining about second MCG oval and other issues, no licensed facility, not ‘best part of town’ relative to parklands etc. Just my 2 cents worth.
- Membership – is aging and overall crowd numbers are concerning. Older demographics not recycling tickets to ensure full houses. Structurally lower crowds due to reasons I chatted to Tim about and would love to see us back at 42-45k average crowds next year. Yes, record membership is one thing but we all know its the quality of fully paid up 11 game members that is key and also the full house (45k+) crowds we need to aspire to most leverage home ground advantage including the ‘sound of affirmation’!
- Away strip – just briefly fans seem to love the dark blue ‘Gather Round’ guernsey. To pass on feedback respectfully the striped predominantly red away strip is seemingly not very popular. When playing away, can we not either wear our normal home gurney with white shorts and/or the dark blue from yesterday? Not sure what your member feedback/merchandise sales indicate but this lack of love for the red striped one seems quite pronounced.
- AFL fixturing– you wont need me to tell you what team got the statistically hardest draw in 2023. 7 games vs top 4 (double ups with all except Dees) whilst some other finals teams play the top 4 two or three times less (GWS only plays each top 4 team once for example). Anyway, out of our control and already done so lets look forward. No team has ever missed the 8 and had the highest POINTS FOR, or a % of over 120% (which we are quite likely to achieve with West Coast still to come). We have had many of the best games of the year (Pies twice, Dees, Lions, first Showdown). Its crucial for sponsors and supporters to be exposed to more highly rated time slots. I believe we should aspirationally be aiming for (1) a minimum of 5-6 Thursday and Friday night games next year, (2) 3-4 games at The G and many more in MLB (we used to play 6-7 games per year there), (3) Reduced Satellite games. As previously noted in email below to Gillon and Andrew (with Tim, Adam, Nicksy and Reidy cc’d) NO CLUB has EVER gone 15 rounds in a season without a game in Melbourne. Further to that we went 22 rounds in total without a game there (last 7 games 2022 plus 15 games this year). Sick of satellite ‘boutique’ stadiums like Ballarat, Darwin, Tassie etc. We have had our share and we need to ensure as far as possible other less attractive and less successful teams get these slots after doing the hard yards for years. We are a young, highly entertaining, attacking, high scoring and attractive team that has played many of the games of the year. Lets ensure AFL house rewards this and the likely natural progression to follow.
Thanks for reading Gents. I don’t necessarily expect a reply but again on behalf of a number of die hard Crows fans these are the crucial issues I wanted to respectfully and constructively raise at this point.
Go Crows.
Go Crows.
Yours Sincerely
119others
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