Ready to answer your questions

[greenred]

Call me a shit stirrer if you will, but a question for those of you who've chosen to appoint Kate as the board's escaped goat. Are you all going to show inaugural captain and Fremantle legend Ben Allan the door at the end of next season as well since he, as the second member elected board member, supposedly had just as much to do with this as Kate?

Given there are 13 nominees for the position this time around you would imagine that Ben Allan will at least face some opposition next year.

It may seem unfair to some that Kate is appearing to cop the brunt of the anger/disappointment some members are feeling, but if it can't be directed at an elected board member who was involved in the process, who can it be directed at?

 

[dominguez]

Call me a shit stirrer if you will, but a question for those of you who've chosen to appoint Kate as the board's escaped goat. Are you all going to show inaugural captain and Fremantle legend Ben Allan the door at the end of next season as well since he, as the second member elected board member, supposedly had just as much to do with this as Kate?

I doubt that he'll be shown the door, but it's unlikely that he'll be elcted unopposed next year like he was previously.

 

[Geoff]

Call me a shit stirrer if you will, but a question for those of you who've chosen to appoint Kate as the board's escaped goat. Are you all going to show inaugural captain and Fremantle legend Ben Allan the door at the end of next season as well since he, as the second member elected board member, supposedly had just as much to do with this as Kate?

And there lies our quandary. Do we elect a members representative to present the views of the members or do we just elect another board member who toes the party line and just says they are a members elected board member. At this election I wonder if we will get some substance from the prospective candidates or just their names, occupation and how long they have been a member for?

Oh !! I wonder what the outcome would have been if say Collingwood or Carlton decided they needed to re brand, change their jumper and song? I rekon there would be nooses hanging from every tree in Melbourne.

 

[Al Quaeda]

I've got a couple of shares in BHP. Do I get the chance to have imput in ANY decision?

Nup.

I just trust that the big dollars they get paid ensures that the right people are in the right positions and making the best decisions.

Same with the footy club. if the majority of supporters are so incensed with decisions then this weight of public opinion will ensure there eventual demise.

To fling so much hysterical crap at one elected board member is as ridiculous as it is embarrassing.

You are white knighting some sort of history and heritage that embraced mediocrity and second best. Piss it off and forget about it. We have grown up as a club and have stopped wearing short pants. Unlike some of our supporters.

And LOL at getting a yellow for using the term w***er in a general sense. What the f$#@ has this board become?? Sunday School?

You hear worse in a local school yard than what you cop infractions for around here.

So yeah Dom. That was a dead set w***er of an infraction!

 

[prattsta]

See, I loved the old home jumper. Thought there was nothing wrong with it. Even if the red and green went, the basic design was fantastic.

But instead of that, we were presented with some cloying, craven attempt at resembling a 'proper' footy team, without understanding what actually makes a 'proper' footy team.

West Coast were regarded as a joke with their 'wings' jumper in the late 80s. They shut everyone up when they won their first premiership. Now everyone laughs at their successive attempts to remake their identity. Their original guernsey is now regarded as being a 'proper' footy guernsey.

I would rather have shut everyone up while we wore our original jumper by winning premierships.

I have never been a fan of the old jumper. I loved what it represented but IMO it was an ordinary design from day 1. Each to their own I suppose.

Like I said, the redesign was poorly handled by the club, but personally I am happy with where we've ended up in terms of our new jumper.

Don't you agree that a more formal consultation, perhaps by post, would've been a better way to decide such an important change?

Yes, I've already said as much.

Pretty stealth means to determine something like that.

I agree, somewhat.

And for those who didn't? I guess you'd say tough t***ies again.

Nah, I'd probably say-

There is another 18,000 odd members who have every right to be shitty however as they were never consulted AFAIK.

 

[Reginald Perrin]

Kate, here are my questions:

1. If you already have a 24/7 job as a mum and a paid employment position with Westfield, how will you find time to adequately represent the members' interests at board level?
2. Do you consider that the underhanded way the recent brand changes to the club were made is appropriate for a member based organisation?
3. If the jumper has been changed from a quite radical four colour design to the current simpler two coloured chevron based on a version worn in the 1800s, how can members believe that the slogan "A bold new look" is anything other than marketing hyperbole? It is my opinion that the jumper design is neither bold nor new and that by claiming otherwise the club is insulting the intelligence of its members.
4. Do you consider, as the media would have us believe, that the large number of candidates at this election is an endorsement of the changes made, or is it more likely to be an indication of growing dissent with the board's policy direction?
5. How many games do you attend each year?

Thank you for your time.

 

[Stronzo]

I've got a couple of shares in BHP. Do I get the chance to have imput in ANY decision?

Nup.

I just trust that the big dollars they get paid ensures that the right people are in the right positions and making the best decisions.

Poor analogy.

Our club should focus on its members and include them in important decisions.

Same with the footy club. if the majority of supporters are so incensed with decisions then this weight of public opinion will ensure there eventual demise.

Correct.

To fling so much hysterical crap at one elected board member is as ridiculous as it is embarrassing.

Whose being hysterical here bushie?

Kate started the thread and members like myself asked her questions. Kate has not rebutted anything, nor answered a single question.

 

[Al Quaeda]

Poor analogy.

Our club should focus on its members and include them in important decisions.

See, i don't think that is a poor analogy at all. The club, to a certain extent at least, did consult the members.

And this branding change has hardly been a well kept secret. Every man and his dog knew that we were in for some major cosmetic, (and that is all that these are, cosmetic), changes in the near future.

If it was such an issue, why wasn't there marches in the street or floods of emails demanding the status quo??

Football has transended the tribal warfare and parochial times of old. It is big, big business. And the days of going to the prols for their opinion has long since passed.

Correct.

My reading is that these changes are supported by the majority of the supporter base. Happy to stand corrected though.

Whose being hysterical here bushie?

Kate started the thread and members like myself asked her questions. Kate has not rebutted anything, nor answered a single question.

I think that the manner in which SOME of the questions, and certainly a lot of the tone of these questions, reeks of hysteria and down right poor manners.

I repeat, there was plenty of time to voice such strident displeasure well before the announcement of these changes.

I am fairly sure that she will rebutt in time. Pointless exercise if she doesn't. And since this exercise has been noted in the media, she would look foolish to walk away from it.

 

[Stronzo]

See, i don't think that is a poor analogy at all. The club, to a certain extent at least, did consult the members.

I think it was more of a limited market research exercise than a consultation bushie.

And this branding change has hardly been a well kept secret. Every man and his dog knew that we were in for some major cosmetic, (and that is all that these are, cosmetic), changes in the near future.

Most who post online would've had an inkling, but it was news to my old man and his like. He was mighty pissed about it.

If it was such an issue, why wasn't there marches in the street or floods of emails demanding the staus quo??

They were cosmetic changes bushie, like you just said. Why would people march down the street for that? Try organising a political rally sometime, you're scratching the barrel for numbers. Australians are apathetic at the worst of times.

Also, how do you know that there wasn't a load of emails to the club?

Football has transended the tribal warfare and parochial times of old. It is big, big business. And the days of going to the prols for their opinion has long since passed.

Don't get caught up in that "its now a corporate world out there sonny-jim" It's a bollocks argument which plays right into the hands of the 'corporates'.

The players and admin are only there because of the membership. Therefore they should advise and consult us of major changes before they happen.

My reading is that these changes are supported by the majority of the supporter base. happy to stand corrected though

You miss the point entirely.

I think that the manner in which SOME of the question, and certainly a lot of the tone of these questions, reeks of hysteria and down right poor manners.

Boo hoo.. Bad manners on the internet.

I repeat, there was plenty of time to voice such strident displeasure well before the announcement of these changes.

Except that these changes weren't forecasted to members at any stage. Only subtle inferences, nothing official. Nothing at all from our (mis)reps on the board.

 

[Al Quaeda]

It would appear Stronz, that we are diametrically opposed on this issue.

Dinner, wine and then maybe a slow dance??

 

[Stronzo]

It would appear Stronz, that we are diametrically opposed on this issue.

Dinner, wine and then maybe a slow dance??

You pay for dinner, I'll lead the dance.

 

[Al Quaeda]

seriously, I don't see the problem.

We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.

No-one got consulted on HOW the club should go about it.

Some bitched and moaned when Harvey was appointed. A lot bitched when we took Hill over Rich etc, etc.

None of us were involved in REALLY IMPORTANT decisions like those.

So why get our panties in a bunch over a freakin jumper, logo and a stupid bloody song??

Especially when those cosmetic symbols only represent a shameful and pathetic history.

Move on. It's a bit of cloth and a few words sung badly.

 

[Rubber Pants]

As Kate aka pants won't answer questions I feel I'm next best equiped to answer any questions being Rubber Pants.

I only currently have 2 jobs, one as a father (not 24/7) and one as a full time employee.

So I will now be answering questions

 

[Stronzo]

Yeah, I mean who are we to want to know about such things?

Oh shit, that's right we're the paying members who are proud, loyal and passionate... Oh well, lets swallow hard and be subservient.

tra la la la la *skips merrily*

 

[Stronzo]

As Kate aka pants won't answer questions I feel I'm next best equiped to answer any questions being Rubber Pants.

I only currently have 2 jobs, one as a father (not 24/7) and one as a full time employee.

So I will now be answering questions

Will you build a members bar that serves dirt cheap piss and food?

 

[Clay Davis]

We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.

That single finals win could do anything

 

[Al Quaeda]

We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.
We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.

That single finals win could do anything

Are you saying that there hasn't been a significant change for the better in these areas over the past two years??

 

[Stronzo]

We have changed the culture, the mind set and it appears the win/loss ratio of the entire club.

That single finals win could do anything

Bit like that pre-season loss to the saints..

Oh, that was bushie's cousin in law. As you were

 

[Al Quaeda]

Bit like that pre-season loss to the saints..

Oh, that was bushie's cousin in law. As you were

Low, low blow.

I'll just lie down and you can have a free kick at my bollocks

 

[Selggad]

Bit like that pre-season loss to the saints..

Oh, that was bushie's cousin in law. As you were

Low, low blow.

I'll just lie down and you can have a free kick at my bollocks

Are you guys flirting?

 

[Rubber Pants]

Will you build a members bar that serves dirt cheap piss and food?

Yes but I can't do it in Patterson's. And the booze and food might be made of dirt.

 

[Keys]

Low, low blow.

I'll just lie down and you can have a free kick at my bollocks

Change that first k to L and I reckon Stronz will be up for it

 

[Clay Davis]

Are you saying that there hasn't been a significant change for the better in these areas over the past two years??

I reckon there has this year (that one goal game in 2009 was difficult to stomach), but we've been sold turkeys in the past.

We haven't achieved anything more than Brisbane did last year. They did a rebrand (admittedly a far more unpopular one than ours), had a terrible year in 2010, and now their president is out on his arse.

If things go **** up next year, what are the repercussions of this jumper change among the weird and crazy ones?

This club needs stability above all else. Stable playing list, stable coaching group, stable processes and stable culture. It seems Bond and Harves have made good gains for the first three.

We have a poor season next year and don't be surprised if people like the Members Own Board fruit loops start something up. Which will be the last thing we need.

 

[Stronzo]

Change that first k to L and I reckon Stronz will be up for it

Keep your fantasies off this board please KS..

 

[Al Quaeda]

I reckon there has this year (that one goal game in 2009 was difficult to stomach), but we've been sold turkeys in the past.

I disagree.

The signs were clearly there in 2009. They didn't show on the scoreboard, but we were very competitive in most games. And it was no surprise, to me at least, to see us vault up the ladder this year.

We haven't achieved anything more than Brisbane did last year. They did a rebrand (admittedly a far more unpopular one than ours), had a terrible year in 2010, and now their president is out on his arse.

If only this was true.

I would love for us to have had the culture and success that Brisbane base their club culture upon.

Giving Voss free reign is one of their very few mistakes of the past decade or more.

If things go **** up next year, what are the repercussions of this jumper change among the weird and crazy ones?

if we do go **** up next year, it will have SFA to do with what we wear and more to do with player development and coaching strategy.

This club needs stability above all else. Stable playing list, stable coaching group, stable processes and stable culture. It seems Bond and Harves have made good gains for the first three.

We have had the most unstable player lists in the AFL. I don't believe that there has been a bigger player cull in the entire competition.

The coaching group being turned over this year is testament to our success. Having an assistant gig at Freo in the past was as good as a poisoned chalice.

Stable process I agree with.

But from your reading we don't have a stable culture!!

Isn't that a good thing??

Or do you wish for the same culture to infuse the club as before?? The culture that gave us the undeniable tag as the laughing stock of the competition.

I, for one, want to see our culture constantly evolving and striving for perfection. It is not some entity that must remain constant for our ongoing success.

We have a poor season next year and don't be surprised if people like the Members Own Board fruit loops start something up. Which will be the last thing we need.

And?? It's a free country.