Opinion The Way Forward

[Forever2012]

I’ve attended 2005, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2022 and 2024.

Had tickets for 2016 but knew the umpiring fix would be in so refused to go. Unfortunately I was right. 2006 we didn’t deserve to win, 1-1 v wce felt fair. 2014 was a shocker as was 2022. 2024 takes the cake as the worst ever performance v expectation. The King!, be happy to miss us winning one, only after that will I return. Lots of my mates feel the same way, not going until trust is restored esp if Longmire remains at the helm. New coach may probably go.

Totally agree I will always keep my membership but after attending the last 5 GFS I just can't do another one at this stage. I will continue to follow next year but not in the same way I have done until I see genuine change and determination from the whole club. I have already booked a holiday away for next September, this gf has really done my head in

 

[Kiama Chris]

I think our game plan and style is suited for home & away games but will never win a grand final. I think this is why we struggled early in games when the heat was really on between two fresh sides, and why we look lost and hopeless once we get to grand finals which are more about defence and the contest than ball movement or outside run.

Of all the massive pre-seasons needed at our club, no one needs a bigger one than the coaches.

I think this (about the coaches) is a big insight. Not so much that they necessarily need to turn the boat upside down but that they need to make a large number of adjustments, experiments, trying players in new groupings and positions and really think about what they are doing.
RBBS comment about switching between control and chaos also rings a few bells.
All on the back of a much better pressure game.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

On balancing corporate interests (eg. Memberships, sponsorships, etc) and premierships - I would look at 3 basic questions to evaluate the club each season:

1. Did we win the premiership this year? (3 points for yes, 1 point if made finals)
2. Are we better placed to win a premiership next year than this year (if premiership was won this year, then it becomes ‘at least as likely)? (1 point, but subtract 1 point if the answer last year was yes but the team fell backwards)
3. Have we improved our position to contend for premierships across the next ten years? (1 point)

This means if you win the premiership you get an automatic pass mark (minimum 60%) with a good chance of scoring 80% or 100%.

It also means that if you do not win the premiership, your maximum mark is 60%, and to achieve this you need to each of:

• make finals
• do better this year than last, if that was your expectation last year
• build foundations to compete even better next year for premiership
• materially grow at least one of memberships, sponsorships, financial base, facilities, etc to better across next ten years.

It makes everything a means to winning premierships, with that be the one driving force behind everything the club does.

 

[Kiama Chris]

On balancing corporate interests (eg. Memberships, sponsorships, etc) and premierships - I would look at 3 basic questions to evaluate the club each season:

1. Did we win the premiership this year? (3 points for yes, 1 point if made finals)
2. Are we better placed to win a premiership next year than this year (if premiership was won this year, then it becomes ‘at least as likely)? (1 point, but subtract 1 point if the answer last year was yes but the team fell backwards)
3. Have we improved our position to contend for premierships across the next ten years? (1 point)

This means if you win the premiership you get an automatic pass mark (minimum 60%) with a good chance of scoring 80% or 100%.

It also means that if you do not win the premiership, your maximum mark is 60%, and to achieve this you need to each of:

• make finals
• do better this year than last, if that was your expectation last year
• build foundations to compete even better next year for premiership
• materially grow at least one of memberships, sponsorships, financial base, facilities, etc to better across next ten years.

It makes everything a means to winning premierships, with that be the one driving force behind everything the club does.

It's a pyramid, all of it is necessary, underpinned by TV money, so that drives a lot.
In truth, the majority of clubs fail every year at the competitive side, that's the nature of the beast. 44.4% can make finals, 22.2% can make top 4 and prelims, 2 make the GF, one wins and the rest can please themselves. On the balance of probabilities 6 will improve, 6 will stay the same and 6 will go backwards (or thereabouts).
The club is not designed to make a profit so memberships and bums on seats are the main commercial KPIs.
Having said that, your series of objectives are absolutely spot on. I really like "build the foundation" - covers an awful lot such as improving coaching performance.
I would just evaluate a bit differently is all.
Pretty sure every club sees it that way.
Doing it is the hard part but I guess that's what they get paid for.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Btw I'm finally over the anger stage, it takes time but you'll get there eventually lol.

I wish I was
I feel like a cat with a fur ball in my throat that I just can't get rid of.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

It's a pyramid, all of it is necessary, underpinned by TV money, so that drives a lot.
In truth, the majority of clubs fail every year at the competitive side, that's the nature of the beast. 44.4% can make finals, 22.2% can make top 4 and prelims, 2 make the GF, one wins and the rest can please themselves. On the balance of probabilities 6 will improve, 6 will stay the same and 6 will go backwards (or thereabouts).
The club is not designed to make a profit so memberships and bums on seats are the main commercial KPIs.
Having said that, your series of objectives are absolutely spot on. I really like "build the foundation" - covers an awful lot such as improving coaching performance.
I would just evaluate a bit differently is all.
Pretty sure every club sees it that way.
Doing it is the hard part but I guess that's what they get paid for.

My sense, and I could well be completely wrong, is that the club may have been using more of a “balanced scorecard” approach than the pyramid approach.

I would prefer to hear, “we didn’t win the premiership this year, but we think we are well placed to contend again next year if learn the lessons, and that process is already underway” than “we didn’t win the premiership this year, but we did win 19 games and we grew our membership to 75k”.

One has a winning mentality. The other has a consolation mentality.

 

[Kiama Chris]

My sense, and I could well be completely wrong, is that the club may have been using more of a “balanced scorecard” approach than the pyramid approach.

I would prefer to hear, “we didn’t win the premiership this year, but we think we are well placed to contend again next year if learn the lessons, and that process is already underway” than “we didn’t win the premiership this year, but we did win 19 games and we grew our membership to 75k”.

One has a winning mentality. The other has a consolation mentality.

Spot on.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Second place is first loser.
That has to be the mentality.

 

[Daniel B]

Can anyone tell me where to find the Swans' press release about their successive unacceptable grand final performances and what the club intends to do about them? I can't seem to locate it.

 

[kickthething]

I wish I was
I feel like a cat with a fur ball in my throat that I just can't get rid of.

I got you....

 

[KingV23]

Can anyone tell me where to find the Swans' press release about their successive unacceptable grand final performances and what the club intends to do about them? I can't seem to locate it.

Yeah, mate. Just follow Willy Wonka and you will find it

 

[GoTheSwannies]

A bit of hardness wouldn't go astray

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Listening briefly to the paps interview, the ‘this game won’t define us’ doctrine runs deep.

This is pretty scary to hear from Paps as he epitomises competitive spirit at the Swans.

Our squad has been officially brainwashed. Time for an intervention or even an exorcism.

So far, can’t see much changing next year.

So Kiama Chris, imo zero evidence thus far we have a way forward.

Hope we start the new year with fresh ideas.

Looking forward to enjoying 2025 for what it is with zero expectations.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Listening briefly to the paps interview, the ‘this game won’t define us’ doctrine runs deep.

This is pretty scary to hear from Paps as he epitomises competitive spirit at the Swans.

Our squad has been officially brainwashed. Time for an intervention or even an exorcism.

So far, can’t see much changing next year.

So Kiama Chris, imo zero evidence thus far we have a way forward.

Hope we start the new year with fresh ideas.

Looking forward to enjoying 2025 for what it is with zero expectations.

I toyed with the idea of summarising the many really thoughtful posts on here about actions that the club, coaches and players could take to bury the disaster of the GF and improve our prospects for the future.
I have decided not to do that.
Those posts stand on their own and are the reason I started the thread. To get something positive. Many thanks to those posters
But of course any of those things will happen inside the four walls of the club and we supporters will NEVER see incontrovertible evidence of certain actions, only the outcomes of whatever is done. We will hear platitudes. The only thing that counts in the end is results.
If the team comes out next year playing harder, longer, more determined will we believe? Or will we just be waiting for it to collapse?
I for one choose to believe until proven wrong. I'll remember that this year we started 13-1 so a lot is possible if we get it right and keep it going.