Woosha is a manager of people, he knows the importance of respect, giving people autonomy and a fair go. It is how to make people, players and staff, work at their best.
He did not inherit perfection, he was given a shiit sandwich in regards to the circumstances he took on, and ate it with a smile. The respect he showed to the players farked over by the saga has been admirable, and it has strengthened our club, not broken it like it so easily could have.
As an organisation he came into a place that had literally been turned upside down and rebuilt. Again, you can’t expect anything close to perfection in those circumstances.
Blitz loves a good rant and rave, which is our job, but that doesn’t make a good workplace. Knee jerk responses make everyone unsettled and makes it difficult to function well.
Nevertheless Woosha has made the changes when it is clear they are needed, but they can’t happen overnight. Neeld was given the push when the communication and the game plan wasn’t working. Our strength and conditioning manager Paul Turk left early in the year after a questionable pre-season preparation. We have not been happy with our tactical responsiveness, Rob Harding is looking for another job. We know our forward line is not functioning well, Paul Corrigan is looking for another job. Our team defence wasn’t working initially, but we persevered and it is working more coherently across the ground now, calm tweaking and giving it time was required. Each time a change has been made there has been a noticeable improvement in our performance. Good management takes time which Bomber, Clarkson, Hardwick and Buckley have proven.
The truth is our window is only just opening in terms of the playing group. I am very happy that Worsfold is sorting things out, and helping our young players work out how to play the game as a team, believe in each other and know what to do when it needs to be done, that is great coaching.
My recent epiphany that I keep going on about is the fact that our list management has adapted brilliantly to our circumstances post the disaster sparked by the 2012 season. Our recruitment since then is crazy good, with only Hooker, TBC, Hurley, Zaka, and Heppell left in our best 22 from our 2012 list (and we aren’t even relying on them). We have been pretty much averaging bringing in 5 AFL quality players a year since then and most of it has been done since the start of the 2015 season. And it isn’t only the quality of the players, the age profile has been masterfully managed.
Why I mention it here, is that it is really not possible to bear the full fruit of this outstanding recruiting in any less time than the time it has taken. We have a top of the ladder VFL side, which has been our absolute premiership barometer for the past 35 years, and we can see the character development on the field, and it has only really begun to take since our young players have come into the side, mature and ready to go.
My take is that: our time is now, and it is only just beginning. Between Woosha and our list managers, I am very happy indeed.