Nothing will change at the club we love without a full external review of the club from top to bottom. Players, coaches, staff, members and supporters all talking openly… anonymously if needed. Geelong 2005- Richmond 2016 style.
I have been part of a number of club review boards… admittedly at a lower level. This is what my framework for a review would look like.
Management:
- do people have clearly defined roles and stay within those roles (organisational chart)
-what is the consultancy process for key decision making at board/ management level? Are decisions made by select individuals? - how is dialogue handled when there is opposing views at board/ management level?
- what is the process for hiring new staff at management level?
- Is there an adequate connection between all facts of club life?if so how?
- what are the priorities of the club? How much time & resource goes into each facet.
- budget- where is money going and why?
Football department:
- where are we at? Are we rebuilding or rejuvenating?
- recruiting. Who is part of the decision making process and how are final decisions decided?
- leadership group. How is this decided? Why has it changed so much?
- is there external pressure on football department decision? (Recruiting, contracts, team selection)
- development. How do we develop players? Is there a specific program players are inducted through? Are players improving? Why has there been such a change in development coaching staff?
- strength and conditioning/ medical. Organisational chart. Who does what? Have we handled injuries effectively? If not how can we improve? (Staff/ facilities)
- player support. Is player welfare up to scratch compared with other clubs?
- coaching. What are the main philosophies of our coaching team? Football and culture. Are players buying into this philosophy? (As Rutten and Cara still fresh to club this would be more about moving forward)
Relationships/ culture
- review how different departments interact. Is there a 1 club philosophy?
- review relationships between coaches and players.
- layout of the club. Does the physical layout of the club have any impact on club communication, interaction and working environment? (This includes members and supporters)
- do players, coaches, staff enjoy coming to the club? If yes why? If not why not?
- are members and supporters felt appreciated and valued by the club? How can this improve?
- media. How does the club interact with the media? Is it a positive or negative relationship?
- other clubs/ AFL. What relationships do we have with the AFL industry? Is it a positive 1 whilst at the same time always having the interest of the club at heart.
This isn’t an exhaustive list but gives you an idea on what questions need to be asked.
