Analysis So what did Brisbane change to turn around their player retention issues?

[Cleric]

Not so long ago, Brisbane was seen as a basket case, where no one wanted to play their football at.
It all climaxed with the walk away 5, but since then they have kept their draftees and have attracted top line players from interstate. Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

31

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

, Danaher, Charlie Cameron

23

Charlie Cameron

Age

30

Ht

180cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

2star

K

7.9

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.2

4star

, Dane Beams to name a few.

What did the club do to turn it around? It's been a masterpiece of off field changes, which has now led to on field success.

Whatever they did, other clubs should be taking note.

 

[kane249]

Rumours at the time were they weren't happy with the Lions senior leadership (Rockliff's name in particular was doing the rounds).

Not helped when Pearce Hanley

1

Pearce Hanley

Age

36

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.5

5star

K

13.1

5star

HB

7.4

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.8

4star

MG

288.1

4star

D

11.7

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

3.1

2star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

MG

288.1

4star

D

12.8

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

4star

tweeted this after they left



So maybe cultural? It did seem more than coincidental that the likes of Rockliff, Hanley and others were move on over the next few years.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

One thing I recall was I think they were finally able to convince the AFL to help out with getting their training facilities up to standard when those players left.
Couple that with having a nurturing father figure type coach and also some canny recruiting (eg. Trading in McCarthy as he was a good mate of Neale's, picking Berry and McCluggage in the same draft as they played for same junior team, etc).

 

[MisterMarcus]

I remember stories about Tom Rockliff

11

Tom Rockliff

Age

34

Ht

185cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.9

5star

K

13.2

5star

HB

10.7

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

4.7

5star

CL

4.7

5star

D

20.5

5star

K

10.7

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

5.3

5star

CL

3.0

4star

D

15.8

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

2.8

5star

doing all kinds of bullying abusive shit to new recruits and young players as some sort of misguided 'hazing' exercise.

Getting rid of him and a couple of other nuffnuffs seems to have improved their culture out of sight.

 

[RUNVS]

I remember stories about Tom Rockliff doing all kinds of bullying abusive shit to new recruits and young players as some sort of misguided 'hazing' exercise.

Getting rid of him and a couple of other nuffnuffs seems to have improved their culture out of sight.

Hazing is such a stupid thing to do in a football club. You want these players to stay, to make your team better and if all you are doing is convincing them to leave as soon as they can you are only hurting yourself by making the team you are in worse.

 

[KissKiss]

One thing I recall was I think they were finally able to convince the AFL to help out with getting their training facilities up to standard when those players left.
Couple that with having a nurturing father figure type coach and also some canny recruiting (eg. Trading McCarthy was as he was a good mate of Neales, picking Berry and McCluggage in the same draft as they played for same junior team, etc).

There was a fair bit around picking mates as well as focussing on country kids who were more accepting of moving away to play.

Also focused on some other strengths:

• large focus on the academies so that there was a larger proportion of local kids - having local kids that have local friends including local girls to introduce to those new kids to the area
• a highly successful medical group that have rehabbed guys that were chronically injured (McCarthy, Daniher, Adams)
• guys who want to get out of the football bubble (Daniher)

 

[Toffee Lion]

Changed the coach/captain, new board and hired the right people to replace them all. Slowly but surely through drafting, free agency & trading we got more good eggs in and it snowballs from there.

That's the TLDR version at least.

 

[adammania9]

Improved as soon as "leaders" like Rockliff and Beams left the club. Brisbane never had retention issues, they were purely cultural.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

There was a fair bit around picking mates as well as focussing on country kids who were more accepting of moving away to play.

Also focused on some other strengths:

• large focus on the academies so that there was a larger proportion of local kids - having local kids that have local friends including local girls to introduce to those new kids to the area
• a highly successful medical group that have rehabbed guys that were chronically injured (McCarthy, Daniher, Adams)
• guys who want to get out of the football bubble (Daniher)

Small point and I don’t want to pick on your overall post, which is good.

But it shits me when Brisbane are credited with rehabbing Daniher.

He was totally rehabbed at Essendon at enormous cost and effort which included multiple surgeries, treatments and periods of rest.

He spent over a year out of the game after surgery before returning to play limited footy in late 2020 as per his recovery plan.

He then moved to Brisbane, did a full preseason, played 24 games the next year and has hardly missed a beat since.

 

[KissKiss]

Small point and I don’t want to pick on your overall post, which is good.

But it shits me when Brisbane are credited with rehabbing Daniher.

He was totally rehabbed at Essendon at enormous cost and effort which included multiple surgeries, treatments and periods of rest.

He spent over a year out of the game after surgery before returning to play limited footy in late 2020 as per his recovery plan.

He then moved to Brisbane, did a full preseason, played 24 games the next year and has hardly missed a beat since.

Totally fair and I wasnt 100% sure if he was fully fit or not before he came north. But its definitely part of the pitch we have been selling the last several years to players who long injury histories whether its to currently rehab them or the management of them over the rest of their career.

 

[Gordon Farkas]

I remember stories about Tom Rockliff doing all kinds of bullying abusive shit to new recruits and young players as some sort of misguided 'hazing' exercise.

Getting rid of him and a couple of other nuffnuffs seems to have improved their culture out of sight.

In other words, the No Dickheads Policy 2.0.

Always a good move.

 

[Dazb86]

They stopped crying about Vic Bias and made their club a good place to go to work. Suddenly no one was homesick anymore.

 

[CuttlefishMcfly]

I remember the go home 5 which was lowest point the club has ever been in. No one wanted to play for us or be drafted by us.

Culture is the most impactful thing a club can have. We stopped drafting sooky mummies boys and started drafting hard nut country boys.

 

[Saintsone]

I remember the go home 5 which was lowest point the club has ever been in. No one wanted to play for us or be drafted by us.

Culture is the most impactful thing a club can have. We stopped drafting sooky mummies boys and started drafting hard nut country boys.

Drafted berry and McCluggage that were best mates from country vic. They resigned that changed the momentum after the go home five

 

[StonesThrow]

I remember stories about Tom Rockliff doing all kinds of bullying abusive shit to new recruits and young players as some sort of misguided 'hazing' exercise.

Getting rid of him and a couple of other nuffnuffs seems to have improved their culture out of sight.

Now we're blessed in Adelaide with hearing this idiot on our radio.

 

[WillHayward]

Cameron
Dunkley
Daniher
Neale

These four can't be understated. All have been incredible.

 

[windyhill]

Winning helped.

 

[T2B_]

Now we're blessed in Adelaide with hearing this idiot on our radio.

Condolences. Absolute spanner.

 

[Morbidly_Obese]

Winning helped.

We recruited everyone except joe and dunks before we were winning. We started winning because we recruited, mccarthy, neale, cameron and jarryd lyons.

 

[KissKiss]

Probably should throw Hodge in as well for coming in and helping the culture shift before we really became good

 

[WillHayward]

Basically did a lot right and got the right people .

 

[KissKiss]

Once we had most of the kids their Fagan basically backed them all in long term. Guys like Rayner, Berry, Bailey, Hipwood, etc were backed in no matter how their form went. There were a lot of people over the years (myself included) who thought some of those players should have been dropped at times. The club stuck faith that they would develop and become what they are now. Seems to have paid off

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Not so long ago, Brisbane was seen as a basket case, where no one wanted to play their football at.
It all climaxed with the walk away 5, but since then they have kept their draftees and have attracted top line players from interstate. Lachie Neale, Danaher, Charlie Cameron, Dane Beams to name a few.

What did the club do to turn it around? It's been a masterpiece of off field changes, which has now led to on field success.

Whatever they did, other clubs should be taking note.

It wasnt a hidden secret. Rockliff/Hanley were absolute pieces of shit.

We know Rockliff went to Port and continued to be a piece of shit

Luke Hodge then came in and put everyone in their place and became the true leader

The end. This is what North is trying to achieve with Luke Parker its fair to say

 

[North park]

There was a fair bit around picking mates as well as focussing on country kids who were more accepting of moving away to play.

Also focused on some other strengths:

• large focus on the academies so that there was a larger proportion of local kids - having local kids that have local friends including local girls to introduce to those new kids to the area
• a highly successful medical group that have rehabbed guys that were chronically injured (McCarthy, Daniher, Adams)
• guys who want to get out of the football bubble (Daniher)

Saw Chris Fagan interviewed before the Grand Final and he spoke about the strategy to target country kids who were also mates. Berry and McCluggage were examples given, and Kai Lohmann also hails from Ballarat.

It seems some of these players had boarded at country colleges, so they were already used to living away from home. It means the 'go home' factor is reduced, as they have no strong ties to Melbourne.

Also read elsewhere that the WA and SA clubs have adopted the same strategy. It is one reason why West Coast were confident in attracting (and hopefully retaining) Harley Reid - he is from country Victoria so had to relocate anyway.

 

[james haish]

Cameron
Dunkley
Daniher
Neale

These four can't be understated. All have been incredible.

I think this is key. Convincing mature talent to come to your club to buttress younger talent. Brisbane were mired in the situation a lot of smaller clubs find themselves in where they pick quality from the draft but can’t improve up the ladder fast enough to keep them. Getting those four essential to playing finals and keeping younger guys around