SAAFL division 6 2014

[human_torpedo]

You seem to be going to an awful lot of effort to explain why you're struggling Morell.. Hopefully the club is putting this much effort into the rebuild, if thats the case, im sure you lads will be fine

[Phantom Gossiper]

Football is a game played by the dextrous, but only understood by the pointdexterous.

Guess you could say coached by the poindextrous

[morell]

It was more B4Es comment (and many others) whereby they mention a club and then rattle off neighbouring clubs as a indication of a lack of playing stock.

I like to prove such notions rather than just assume as quite often, such football myths and common knowledge are actually false. This is also the basis of the troublesome morells football myths.

Also going a bit deeper into the notion that at all times good management = on field success and bad management = doldrums.

[Phantom Gossiper]

It's Friday afternoon.. all this sh*t is giving me a headache!

[carey]

It's Friday afternoon.. all this sh*t is giving me a headache!

Come see me no head aches here

I just heard it's ladies day at Mawsons tomorrow. Sweet

[Yank Man]

You seem to be going to an awful lot of effort to explain why you're struggling Morell.. Hopefully the club is putting this much effort into the rebuild, if thats the case, im sure you lads will be fine

morell is our social distraction and media CEO whilst the rest of us work tirelessly behind the scenes on the rebuild. His mathematical diversions are genius.

[Bombers4EVA]

That's right blame it all on me. How rude.

[morell]

Pending when I get my knee done, I suspect I will be putting my hand up for one of Yank Mans off field portfolios next year.

[human_torpedo]

All your points have been valid (ish), but they are based around the fact of growth development areas etc. Facts are, last year you had 3 sides, 1 of which played finals, the other missed out by %, both now dont exist. You dont see a mass exodus like that at a club with a vibrant and positive club environment. Im not having a crack at ya, but gee whiz Morell, surely the club has to shoulder some burden of blame here..

Using Rosewater as an example, in 2012 we finished with 1 win as a club, which was the last game played for the year.. Now, they have a C grade for the first time in 10 years, and more junior sides than they've had in years as well. All this in an area that has Portland less than a KM up the road, Port District a further 2km down said road, North Haven another km down the road, and SMOSH West Lakes only a 5 minute drive away..

I know you'll say that Rosewater pay players rar rar rar, but the fact is the B and C grade have majority of new players who dont get paid but have come to the club in the last season or 2, and they stay because of the environment..

[Yank Man]

Pending when I get my knee done, I suspect I will be putting my hand up for one of Yank Mans off field portfolios next year.

Yes one away from coaching, we've tried that.

[carey]

My cats breath smells like cat food

[Phantom Gossiper]

My cats breath smells like cat food

pussy on the brain? Bet I can guess where you are - Starts with "Land" ends with "of Promise"?

[Yank Man]

My cats breath smells like cat food

pussy on the brain? Bet I can guess where you are - Starts with "Land" ends with "of Promise"?

Doubt it, he's got a big challenge tomorrow, and that's just getting in to his jumper.

[Phantom Gossiper]

Doubt it

snapchat says different

[carey]

I'm getting ready for ladies day.

[zedman]

I'm getting ready for ladies day.

carey checking out the talent..

[morell]

All your points have been valid (ish), but they are based around the fact of growth development areas etc.

I don't actually understand what this means?

Facts are, last year you had 3 sides, 1 of which played finals, the other missed out by %, both now dont exist. You dont see a mass exodus like that at a club with a vibrant and positive club environment.

Sort of agree, but, the club does have a positive and vibrant environment, it honestly does, we just suck, or are old, or like me - both!

Is it a mass exodus if there were a myriad of reasons for each person leaving? There simply isn't one big main reason.

PNU Boys - Solely related to their employer and one or two personal reasons.. Many still pop around the club
The "Rat Pack" - Most just don't want to play. The others that did go to another club did so either to play higher or did so just to play with their mates who wanted to play higher.
Retirements - 99% still love the club and in and around the place all the time.

Of the 50 odd players from last year that aren't around, I would say maybe 3 would have any grudge, issue or negative thing to say about the MPFC. The rest is really just circumstance. It snowballed, one after the other and before we knew it, we had one side full of the really loyal people and thats it.

Im not having a crack at ya, but gee whiz Morell, surely the club has to shoulder some burden of blame here..

There really wasn't that much the club could have done about this year. My main criticism is perhaps some more decisiveness late last year but there were things out of our control in that respect as well.

More broadly, yes, there are management and structural issues which I have already mentioned which the powers that be are working on diligently.

Using Rosewater as an example, in 2012 we finished with 1 win as a club, which was the last game played for the year.. Now, they have a C grade for the first time in 10 years, and more junior sides than they've had in years as well. All this in an area that has Portland less than a KM up the road, Port District a further 2km down said road, North Haven another km down the road, and SMOSH West Lakes only a 5 minute drive away..

I know you'll say that Rosewater pay players rar rar rar, but the fact is the B and C grade have majority of new players who dont get paid but have come to the club in the last season or 2, and they stay because of the environment..

My main rebuttal to this, and many others, is we keep focussing on our own clubs, or one or two other clubs. We need to begin looking at the SAAFL in general, looking across divisions and analysing what's going on holistically.

Because one or two clubs can pay players and be sustainable, doesnt mean its sustainable for the competition.

Because one or two cubs don't have a huge local player stock but still climb divisions doesn't mean location and club cannibalism isn't a factor.

I know its tough but we have to begin looking over our backyard fences otherwise the sport and league will continue to diminish. To everyone's detriment.

So when I analyse the entirety that is the SAAFL and look at patterns in the demographics, results and location. Its a little bit more robust than anecdotal individual club evidence.

[Phantom Gossiper]

morell, do you think perhaps Mitchell Park expanded too quickly before it was really ready? You fielded a 3rd side last year off the back of a successful year previous and going up a grade. In hindsight, looking over the playing list from last season do you feel you would've been better sticking with two sides and increasing pressure on spots?

[morell]

Maybe. I dont think it had any impact on this year though.

If anything not having a C Grade would have meant blokes wouldn't have got a kick and might have looked elsewhere, only exacerbating the "exodus".

[morell]

Interestingly, Rosewater are the one true outlier for local players vs ladder position. Only ahead of Angle Vale and Central United.

6 Fitzroy
3 Blackfriars Old Scholars
1 Ingle Farm
5 Lockleys
4 West Croyden
8 Mawson Lakes
10 Mitchell Park
2 Rosewater
7 Central United
9 Angle Vale

Must be some other recipe for success for the boys out there...