Rumour Future of the club (Bevo, board, assistant coaches, football department)

[Werewolf]

At this point, I expect our assistant coaches will be chosen from our BigFooty Bay 13 contingent

 

[dergert]

Employees of the club do read social media comments and fan forums to get a gauge of the member's thoughts.

 

[Dogs Rule]

I'm not sure that opportunity is available to members. As I understand it no questions come from the floor, you must send any questions to the Board and they vet the ones to be discussed. It's a closed shop for the boys and girls club.

Just checking something, without us members the club ceases to exist, right? I mean why should the club be accountable to us, we're only the ones paying their wages...

Out. Of. Touch.

 

[lachy]

Just checking something, without us members the club ceases to exist, right? I mean why should the club be accountable to us, we're only the ones paying their wages...

Out. Of. Touch.

Whilst membership is important it is not as important as it once was accounting for around 20% of income.

If 5,000 $200 members pulled their memberships it would equate to a .2of 1% drop in revenue

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[Dogs54]

Just checking something, without us members the club ceases to exist, right? I mean why should the club be accountable to us, we're only the ones paying their wages...

Out. Of. Touch.

I agree, you would think the Board would be accountable to the members but I don't think that is a view held by the Directors and the members are virtually powerless to enact change at a Board level.

 

[dogwatch]

Definitely the wrong forum to express our disgust.

There is no real avenue to express one’s thoughts other than pen a letter or email and hope for a response

OR send a tipper truck full of manure

Employees of the club do read social media comments and fan forums to get a gauge of the member's thoughts.

It's the way of most groups clinging to power that they choose to discourage dissent, criticism, new ideas, whistleblowing and candid discussion. Governments do it (both in democracies and autocracies), banks do it, businesses do it ... and so it seems do footy clubs.

It's not all of them mind you. Confident, successful businesses actually encourage divergent opinion and hard questions. Same with highly effective governments. They have nothing to hide and they realise that they can get even better if they open themselves to scrutiny and new ideas, and force themselves to answer any awkward questions that come their way.

It's the ones who are underperforming and under the pump who don't like to be reminded (or have the public reminded) that they aren't up to it. Because they don't have any good answers when they do get challenged. And they aren't willing or able to change things for the better.

We have to ask ourselves if our club is now in that category, if they are shutting down the avenues to publicly challenge, criticise or ask questions. Financially we have been sound for the last decade or so. However as a club playing footy (which is our reason for existing) we have not met the expectations of ourselves or the footy world since 2016 despite a few fringe appearances in the finals and one great run to the GF in 2021.

So Dog36's wry suggestion of a tip truck full of manure is revealing. If criticism and questioning is shut down our only way to express disapproval is to withdraw our support. Not renew membership, downgrade membership, not attend games, not buy raffle tickets. And so on. To me this seems a counterproductive approach from both the club and its members.

To put it the other way around, if we knew we could vent ... and have a free-for-all discussion with the club's senior officers (Ameet, Grant, Bevo, KWW) would so many people be threatening to withdraw or downgrade their support?

 

[dogwatch]

Whilst membership is important it is not as important as it once was accounting for around 20% of income.

If 5,000 $200 members pulled their memberships it would equate to a .2of 1% drop in revenue

On SM-G996B using BigFooty.com mobile app

But the size of the membership is used by sponsors to determine whether to sign up, and how much to sign up for. Also lower membership almost certainly translates to lower attendances which affects the decisions made by sponsors and broadcast networks.

So there is a compounding effect.

 

[Freshwater]

It's the way of most groups clinging to power that they choose to discourage dissent, criticism, new ideas, whistleblowing and candid discussion. Governments do it (both in democracies and autocracies), banks do it, businesses do it ... and so it seems do footy clubs.

It's not all of them mind you. Confident, successful businesses actually encourage divergent opinion and hard questions. Same with highly effective governments. They have nothing to hide and they realise that they can get even better if they open themselves to scrutiny and new ideas, and force themselves to answer any awkward questions that come their way.

It's the ones who are underperforming and under the pump who don't like to be reminded (or have the public reminded) that they aren't up to it. Because they don't have any good answers when they do get challenged. And they aren't willing or able to change things for the better.

We have to ask ourselves if our club is now in that category, if they are shutting down the avenues to publicly challenge, criticise or ask questions. Financially we have been sound for the last decade or so. However as a club playing footy (which is our reason for existing) we have not met the expectations of ourselves or the footy world since 2016 despite a few fringe appearances in the finals and one great run to the GF in 2021.

So Dog36's wry suggestion of a tip truck full of manure is revealing. If criticism and questioning is shut down our only way to express disapproval is to withdraw our support. Not renew membership, downgrade membership, not attend games, not buy raffle tickets. And so on. To me this seems a counterproductive approach from both the club and its members.

To put it the other way around, if we knew we could vent ... and have a free-for-all discussion with the club's senior officers (Ameet, Grant, Bevo, KWW) would so many people be threatening to withdraw or downgrade their support?

Great post.

 

[Mr. Walker]

To be fair to the Board “listening to the views of the members “ is almost impossible to implement. Do we mean they should listen to the views of the members who want Naughton played back or the ones who say never. Listen to those who say Khamis should be tried as a third defensive tall or those who say he has had enough chances. Those who say West should be given more mid time or those who say he is not up to it. About the only thing we all agree on is that the Board is not doing a good job. The specifics of the fix are the problem

 

[Dog 36]

To be fair to the Board “listening to the views of the members “ is almost impossible to implement. Do we mean they should listen to the views of the members who want Naughton played back or the ones who say never. Listen to those who say Khamis should be tried as a third defensive tall or those who say he has had enough chances. Those who say West should be given more mid time or those who say he is not up to it. About the only thing we all agree on is that the Board is not doing a good job. The specifics of the fix are the problem

I don't think and I do not expect the board to listen to members specific views as you note as I agree it is almost impossible to implement.

There are some items that just stand out such as the situation of assistant coaches, why was a review not done with an external party, where is our soft cap been spent, how they don't communicate well to the members, etc etc.

 

[bresker]

To be fair to the Board “listening to the views of the members “ is almost impossible to implement. Do we mean they should listen to the views of the members who want Naughton played back or the ones who say never. Listen to those who say Khamis should be tried as a third defensive tall or those who say he has had enough chances. Those who say West should be given more mid time or those who say he is not up to it. About the only thing we all agree on is that the Board is not doing a good job. The specifics of the fix are the problem

At the AGM I attended Peter Gordon passed the microphone around and everyone got a say. One bloke was very passionate about getting an electronic scoreboard at WO and I’m guessing he just turned up to make that argument. In a small AGM everyone can get a say . If it’s allowed. Even if it’s not allowed just yell from the floor like Abe Simpson .

 

[BrunswickDog]

Email just went out from the Club re auto renewing memberships for the upcoming season.

For the first time in 25 years I may not renew.

 

[lachy]

Reality of the situation is more to do with member engagement from all facets of the club being very poor. This comes from the CEO, Coach and Players. It's not about members having a say, reading this board alone would cause us to fully implode, It's about bringing your members on the journey

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[Anja_Nees]

Serious point I’ve made about Dew on other boards here.

He’s still young and needs to get his waistline in order. Seriously, how can you berate a player about their skin folds after off-season or diet at all if you look like that.

 

[Dale4captain]

Serious point I’ve made about Dew on other boards here.

He’s still young and needs to get his waistline in order. Seriously, how can you berate a player about their skin folds after off-season or diet at all if you look like that.

Dews job is to coach and develop. Not to have a size 33 wasteline. What a weird argument.

 

[Doggiesfan14]

Joel Selwood has left Melbourne Storm.. could be a good get!

 

[Anja_Nees]

Dews job is to coach and develop. Not to have a size 33 wasteline. What a weird argument.

I never said size 33. He is in terrible condition and leading young men who have to be in absolutely prime condition.

I also would expect a coach to go easy on booze and drugs.

 

[Dale4captain]

I never said size 33. He is in terrible condition and leading young men who have to be in absolutely prime condition.

I also would expect a coach to go easy on booze and drugs.

Your point still makes no sense. His job is not to be in any sort of good physical fitness. It’s to coach and develop athletes.

Bill Belichick is a short chunky man, no issues with his fitness as long as his ability to lead and coach young men is there.

I just don’t see any parallels in role that require him to be in any sort of decent physical shape.

 

[cherrypie]

Serious point I’ve made about Dew on other boards here.

He’s still young and needs to get his waistline in order. Seriously, how can you berate a player about their skin folds after off-season or diet at all if you look like that.

Why does the coach need to be fit? It has nothing to do with their role, unlike the players

 

[adogsfan5]

Give Dewy all you can eat at the bnf tonight and then sign him. Sit him next to Marcus as well.

 

[Mojorisin]

I also would expect a coach to go easy on booze and drugs.

There has been a few premiership coaches in the last 20 years who you'd cross off the board because of this.

 

[Beasley]

I hope all you pissed off, paid up members will be attending the AGM this year to voice your disgust with how we are being run.

Not a bad suggestion ....... however I doubt the vast majority of the people you suggest will attend as it is too easy to sit and make cheap shots about our club and its people from behind the keyboard.

 

[Bald]

Serious point I’ve made about Dew on other boards here.

He’s still young and needs to get his waistline in order. Seriously, how can you berate a player about their skin folds after off-season or diet at all if you look like that.

He’s six years younger than Leigh Matthews was when he was a triple premiership coach.

 

[Freshwater]

Joel Selwood has left Melbourne Storm.. could be a good get!

Move fast. I reckon Brian Cook at Carlton would have the inside running here. But for Joel’s own development and definitely for ours too, Footscray/Western would be a perfect fit.

 

[Freshwater]

Not a bad suggestion ....... however I doubt the vast majority of the people you suggest will attend as it is too easy to sit and make cheap shots about our club and its people from behind the keyboard.

I actually haven’t read anyone making ‘cheap shots’ from behind their keyboards. There has been some humour and some serious criticisms of where the board, management and coaches have been deficient and lots of health suggestions on how to rectify. All in good spirit with a club first attitude. Our main worry seems a coverup of mistakes, or an unwillingness to own mistakes which always compounds any deficiencies.