Thank You EFC Coaches and Committee

Football Discussion Dustin Fletcher Hangar
1

I have been one of the strongest critics of the almost total closed training sessions under the previous coach and many supporters on this website were of the same view and agitated for it to be changed both publicly and behind the scenes.

 

It is appropriate therefore that I congratulate the present coach and committee for re -engaging with the supporters and making a large number of training sessions open for us to watch culminating in actually publishing when these sessions are to be held.

 

Thus I say thank you for this change of attitude and I am confident it will be a win win situation for everyone connected with the club  and will result in a strong growth of support and membership.

2

HFH

3

Well said :slight_smile: Thanks.

4

It's interesting that they have changed their stance. I guess we know one of the main reasons could be that they want to give back to the supporters who have stood by them through a horrible year.

 

But I think there's more to it than that. The general consensus was that the coaching staff (led by Bomber) maintained that privacy at training was the key and the fans might not like it that fans would prefer winning games than being let into training sessions.

 

Now reading into things (as I tend to do), I always suspected that there may have been more issues at play, such as needing people to manage the potential crowds. Fine if only 30 people show up, but if you have a few hundred then there's things like litter, toilets, parking, people wanting autographs, yelling from the sidelines, prying journalists asking fans what they think of the coaches/players etc. Public liability? What if some d-head opposition supporters decide to pop in and start a riot by abusing players?

 

Also, Windy Hill wasnt exactly going to impress people, sorry to say it. It was a hole. It might have been our hole, but it was pretty bad.

 

Well now things have changed. For starters, we need all the support from our fans that we can get. There's also possibly some design factors that make the new training facility a bit more conducive to public access (not that I know what they are).

 

It also seems that it would pe pretty hard to keep out prying eyes since it's so wide open. Plus it's actually showing of to lovers and haters alike that we are a strong, powerful, successful club that's going places. We aren't just history, we are the future.

 

Anyway I'm glad the sessions are open, it's a shame Im working every single one of them on the other side of the city.

 

It will be interesting to see if the open sessions are still held during the season, and if they start actively marketing to those going to training:

"Don't forget to check out the Bomber shop before you leave, you can shop online too".

"Don't forget you can buy Memberships today, Heppel is working the membership counter after the session"

"Like a Punt?".

"Donate to the Flight Plan"

"Raffle tickets, win a True Value Solar Voucher!"

5

bomber gets sh*t done

6

Club official 1: "I think we should have closed training sessions like the past few years"

 

Club official 2: "No, I think we should open the training sessions up so the fans can see training at the new HPC"

 

Club official 1: "Why would we want to let the fans into the new HPC?"

 

Club official 2: "Because they friggen paid for it!"

7

It's interesting that they have changed their stance. I guess we know one of the main reasons could be that they want to give back to the supporters who have stood by them through a horrible year.

 

But I think there's more to it than that. The general consensus was that the coaching staff (led by Bomber) maintained that privacy at training was the key and the fans might not like it that fans would prefer winning games than being let into training sessions.

 

Now reading into things (as I tend to do), I always suspected that there may have been more issues at play, such as needing people to manage the potential crowds. Fine if only 30 people show up, but if you have a few hundred then there's things like litter, toilets, parking, people wanting autographs, yelling from the sidelines, prying journalists asking fans what they think of the coaches/players etc. Public liability? What if some d-head opposition supporters decide to pop in and start a riot by abusing players?

 

Also, Windy Hill wasnt exactly going to impress people, sorry to say it. It was a hole. It might have been our hole, but it was pretty bad.

 

Well now things have changed. For starters, we need all the support from our fans that we can get. There's also possibly some design factors that make the new training facility a bit more conducive to public access (not that I know what they are).

 

It also seems that it would pe pretty hard to keep out prying eyes since it's so wide open. Plus it's actually showing of to lovers and haters alike that we are a strong, powerful, successful club that's going places. We aren't just history, we are the future.

 

Anyway I'm glad the sessions are open, it's a shame Im working every single one of them on the other side of the city.

 

It will be interesting to see if the open sessions are still held during the season, and if they start actively marketing to those going to training:

"Don't forget to check out the Bomber shop before you leave, you can shop online too".

"Don't forget you can buy Memberships today, Heppel is working the membership counter after the session"

"Like a Punt?".

"Donate to the Flight Plan"

"Raffle tickets, win a True Value Solar Voucher!"

That or the simple equation is, that after last year, it's a small price to pay to be perceived as giving something back to the fans.

 

Congratulate them for doing it no doubt, but lets be honest, more than likely if last years shitstorm didn't occur, this probably wouldn't be happening.

 

Will be interesting to see if people rock up again, now that it's not simply a visit to windy hill anymore.

8

I took my 11 yr daughter down today for her first view of the new centre for a brief visit. She was very excited walking up the steps to the HPC and then sitting out on the oval while the boys trained. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay to the end of training to grab a photo with one of the boys, but she loved it all the same.

She’s made a stronger connection with the club that only an open training session can provide.

I’m really pleased too that these opportunities are available again.

9

Let’s face it.

How could they possibly make them closed sessions this year with the grounds being so open?

10

In Matthew Lloyd’s autobiography, there is a part where he tried avoiding a couple of girls who were flirting with him but bomber told him off because they were supporters and you can’t afford to lose them at any cost.

I’d say that bomber had a big part in this new outlook.

11

Nothing to do with Bomber who started the trend of closed training sessions at GFC. It's obviously a public relations exercise, and the new indoor facility allows the club to trial secret plays indoors.

 

there would never be  a justification  for exclusively closed training sessions with the HPC.

12

On an interesting side note I was at the University of Oklahoma for work a couple of months back. Not having been to "college" here I am not into college sports. Saw the hulking big football stadium and asked what the barriers between stands were. Was told that all the training sessions are "closed" and no one is allowed close enough to hear or photograph drills. Thats the way even amateur sports go here!

 

You guys back in Oz are lucky its different. And, good on EFC for keep fans in mind.

13

It’s an excellent change.

I don’t know who introduced closed training and I don’t know who got rid of it or their reasons for doing so.

I HOPE that the main reason why training has become open again is that the top people at the club, specifically Paul Little and Mark Thompson, have decided that we are not going to win a flag by surprising our competitors with unexpected tactics or unknown players, but rather by simply being fitter and tougher and more skilful and more determined. And if we’re fitter and tougher and more skilful and more determined, then we don’t need to train behind closed doors to beat the opposition.

14

It's an excellent change.
I don't know who introduced closed training and I don't know who got rid of it or their reasons for doing so.
I HOPE that the main reason why training has become open again is that the top people at the club, specifically Paul Little and Mark Thompson, have decided that we are not going to win a flag by surprising our competitors with unexpected tactics or unknown players, but rather by simply being fitter and tougher and more skilful and more determined. And if we're fitter and tougher and more skilful and more determined, then we don't need to train behind closed doors to beat the opposition.

Agree with your last two lines wholeheartedly. End of the day that is what will make you a truly competitive team.
I suspect the "secret" stuff can be done using the indoor stadium to learn and practice set plays.
15

On an interesting side note I was at the University of Oklahoma for work a couple of months back. Not having been to "college" here I am not into college sports. Saw the hulking big football stadium and asked what the barriers between stands were. Was told that all the training sessions are "closed" and no one is allowed close enough to hear or photograph drills. Thats the way even amateur sports go here!
You guys back in Oz are lucky its different. And, good on EFC for keep fans in mind.


College Football in America is by no means amateur.
A lot of people in the US actually prefer it because it isn't a 'bunch of big headed brutes with huge egos' type of thing.
At college games they will get anywhere between 20,000-50,000 depending on the team and stadium.
I take your point my friend but anything in America to do with College sport is nothing short of amazing.
College Basketball, College Football etc are extremely professional and are huge machines. They even have post match interviews with the players after each game which are just as big as the real thing.
College in America is a big business.
16

Jang Song-thaek ran a similar closed session program on behalf of Kim Jong-un in N Korea and look what happened to him.