To the Top

[Killa]

As someone whose history is not with St Kilda, Walsh has said what he has in regards the opinion of St Kilda across the competition.

Goddard, as a former St Kilda player, has said that he and his class left a culture at the Club - Goddard now a follower of Essendon because of the lack of culture at St Kilda.

So have your shots at me.

My background is one of success.

Goddard's comments I dismiss, because his period of time at St Kilda was also a period of failure.

Walsh's comments I agree, noting the reason he gives for now joining St Kilda.

And they are along the same lines as the reason I introduced this subject to this Forum (prior to the appointment of Walsh and him passing his comment as reported).

From MY history, i can compare the St Kilda FC to the Norwood FC, noting the comments of the NFC Coach leading into the SANFL 2022 Grand Final.

Those comments of the NFC Coach are telling (and they could just as easily have been made by any Coach of any other successful sporting Club or organization)

In regards certain of the responses on here, the reason the history of St Kilda FC reeks of never ending failure, its only premiership being in 1966, is that it is reflects its "supporter" base - or certain of them.

[bangaulegend]

As someone whose history is not with St Kilda, Walsh has said what he has in regards the opinion of St Kilda across the competition.

Goddard, as a former St Kilda player, has said that he and his class left a culture at the Club - Goddard now a follower of Essendon because of the lack of culture at St Kilda.

So have your shots at me.

My background is one of success.

Goddard's comments I dismiss, because his period of time at St Kilda was also a period of failure.

Walsh's comments I agree, noting the reason he gives for now joining St Kilda.

And they are along the same lines as the reason I introduced this subject to this Forum (prior to the appointment of Walsh and him passing his comment as reported).

From MY history, i can compare the St Kilda FC to the Norwood FC, noting the comments of the NFC Coach leading into the SANFL 2022 Grand Final.

Those comments of the NFC Coach are telling (and they could just as easily have been made by any Coach of any other successful sporting Club or organization)

In regards certain of the responses on here, the reason the history of St Kilda FC reeks of never ending failure, its only premiership being in 1966, is that it is reflects its "supporter" base - or certain of them.

Yawn

[SaintPav]

Rieow baby

Rieow!!!

[SydneySainter]

Given all the negativity on this site by "supporters" of St Kilda, can I refer you to the Norwood (SANFL) Website and the pre Grand Final interview with the Coach and the Captain of the Norwood Football Club.

Particularly the comments of the Coach referring to not only the NFC, their history and culture, but to the integrity of the SANFL competition.

Because this is the template for success.

At St Kilda, under the administration and the Football Department, the same values are the drivers toward success.

You review and bench mark this template - continually.

Success is born from stability, that stability embracing culture and culture embracing performance.

It starts from the top (as it does in all aspects of life being personal performance and being workplace performance).

You respect, you embrace and you challenge.

There are 18 Clubs in the competition, and only one Premier Club each year.

So you need not only to embrace but to be consistent in that embrace.

As the Norwood Coach said, it is what you sign on for.

It is what Rattan has signed on for, with the support of the Board and with the resource of the Administration.

For good reason.

Backing the wrong horses for sake of stability is not the answer - it’s the path of least resistance.

We’ve had a decade of this so called stability.

[SaintPav]

Stability leads to instability.

[shanegrambeau]

It has been stable, stable decline. And it think it has to be a steady as she goes approach.

Compared to 1979 to 1989, we are flying like Dreamliner.

St Kilda haven’t fired a coach mid-season since 2001.

Notwithstanding the Seaford move, I think St Kilda has been a predictable trajectory since then.

A Boy Scout Troop leader rogue coach who turned talented cubs into eager scouts before getting fired for singing too many kumbahyas.

A ruthless pragmatist who stopped the team losing so effectively we almost got a flag, before he moved on to greener pastures.

Then the inevitable decline that happens when an established minor club decides to ‘rebuild’ in an era of AFL “expansion” (draining talent an sending it to Siberia)

ST Kilda’s admin efforts to get us to the junction oval, and at least out of Seaford shows that there is/was serious passion in the ranks.

But the footy staff, and the players just are really a patch quilt and have been for the last decade. It’s journeyman nowadays. And there is no organic growth like what happened twenty years ago.

[Banger9798]

It has been stable, stable decline. And it think it has to be a steady as she goes approach.

Compared to 1979 to 1989, we are flying like Dreamliner.

St Kilda haven’t fired a coach mid-season since 2001.

Notwithstanding the Seaford move, I think St Kilda has been a predictable trajectory since then.

A Boy Scout Troop leader rogue coach who turned talented cubs into eager scouts before getting fired for singing too many kumbahyas.

A ruthless pragmatist who stopped the team losing so effectively we almost got a flag, before he moved on to greener pastures.

Then the inevitable decline that happens when an established minor club decides to ‘rebuild’ in an era of AFL “expansion” (draining talent an sending it to Siberia)

ST Kilda’s admin efforts to get us to the junction oval, and at least out of Seaford shows that there is/was serious passion in the ranks.

But the footy staff, and the players just are really a patch quilt and have been for the last decade. It’s journeyman nowadays. And there is no organic growth like what happened twenty years ago.

Good post.
Why did they get rid of the reserves?
Never fully understood that.
Was it just funding?
The step down in standard just seems huge now

[bangaulegend]

As someone whose history is not with St Kilda, Walsh has said what he has in regards the opinion of St Kilda across the competition.

Goddard, as a former St Kilda player, has said that he and his class left a culture at the Club - Goddard now a follower of Essendon because of the lack of culture at St Kilda.

So have your shots at me.

My background is one of success.

Goddard's comments I dismiss, because his period of time at St Kilda was also a period of failure.

Walsh's comments I agree, noting the reason he gives for now joining St Kilda.

And they are along the same lines as the reason I introduced this subject to this Forum (prior to the appointment of Walsh and him passing his comment as reported).

From MY history, i can compare the St Kilda FC to the Norwood FC, noting the comments of the NFC Coach leading into the SANFL 2022 Grand Final.

Those comments of the NFC Coach are telling (and they could just as easily have been made by any Coach of any other successful sporting Club or organization)

In regards certain of the responses on here, the reason the history of St Kilda FC reeks of never ending failure, its only premiership being in 1966, is that it is reflects its "supporter" base - or certain of them.

What's worse than a pompous, self righteous , opinionated croweater ? Nothing !!!

[B.M]

Where is Siberia in your thinking?

[bangaulegend]

Where is Siberia in your thinking?

You have a point but ATT I wasn't thinking along those lines

[D.B.Cooper]

What's worse than a pompous, self righteous , opinionated croweater ? Nothing !!!

Your comments are unsurprising and NOTED.

In fact my spiral notepad is almost full from the usual suspects on this forum, the ones who can’t count past three.

Barrrie Robram could count to three as that is how many Margarey Medals the gifted gladiator won

And in those days the Magarey was worth twice the Brownlow

I recall the first time I saw the North Adelaide monolith, it was 1967 and the granite big man was in his first SANFL season

And this was before the decorated warrior carved out a career that made the combined efforts of Hayden Burton, Bobby Skilton & Dick Reynolds look like they were playing VFA football

It was the towering Steve McQueen crossed with Paul Newman looking athletes first game against SA power club Norwood and although 43 years old at the time, I was there in my capacity as Norwood water boy and club mascot due to my stature at 4ft 10 inch tall

I was responsible for ensuring the opposition change rooms were closed after the match and I entered to undertake this task when I saw Robran exit the shower resembling Michelangelo’s David, only more perfect, tanned and symmetrical (if you understand my meaning)

It was captivating, exhilarating, words could not describe the beauty before me

But that is for another time….mmmmm…..memories

Hoorah South Australia

[shanegrambeau]

Where is Siberia in your thinking?

The Siberia I refer to (sorry for being too figurative and out there..expecting others to follow..my bad)..

The Siberia I refer to is the expansion clubs..where the priority for the AFL is to stock GWS and Gold Coast and to a lesser extent, to artificially maintain Sydney with a safety margin.

This means minor clubs like Footscray, North and St Kilda cannot afford to either rebuild from the draft or cherry pick the talent that expansion clubs (and the AFL) have groomed.

So I think the best we can do, is try to stay as competitive as possible, and build the best culture as possible.

Ironically, we can note that Sydney built a strong culture from patch quilt cut-offs in the space between their initial ritzy commercial success and the AFL really going for broke on the national expansion with GWS and GC around the late ‘00s.

We have no home turf, and new supporters so we won’t be benefiting from recruiting (Free-wheelin’) Franklins and Locketts etc.

We need to stay competitive at all costs..and never allow ourselves to slump into ‘rebuild’ again. Just use North and our own mediocrity as an example of what NOT to do.

We need to be wary of AFL career technocrats too…get some crazy passion in. (GT and Sheedy types better than bean counters who are just working to an AFL sterilized remit…congruent with the Saints ‘lowly and irrelevant’ assumed status within the AFL - these types may look no further than their yearly performance review….e.g. re-sign coach tick box, award yourself 10 points, move to next question.

[D.B.Cooper]

The comments by many here are unsurprising and noted

To those on this forum who continue to spew forth rubbish about the all conquering StKilda FC take notice

I remember sitting on the sideline of a cricket match when I was dismissed early watching my opening batting partner Barrie Robran make a grand century

In those days there were no helmets, just a wool cap to protect the scalp from sun and your reflexes to handle the 100 mph thunderbolts

It was a typical 44 degree Adelaide day and the grass was thick ensuring the lean muscular athletic big man had to run most of his century as opposed to striking boundaries

After he left the field and headed to the shower to refresh, I took my opportunity

I went to his kit bag and retrieved his match worn protector still warm & sweaty

I put that protector to my face like a Pan Am aeroplane oxygen mask and I inhaled deeply for several minutes

I still recall than intoxicating manly scent, mmmm

Let’s just say I had a ‘Norwood’ that lasted like a geriatric who swallowed a pack of blue tablets

Hoorah South Australia

Hoorah South Australia

[Killa]

And now there is a thread on this site headed “I don’t like what Walsh has said”

Except for 1966, St Kilda is irrelevant

There are a raft of contributing factors over the history of the Club, including that Creditors received a few paltry cents in the $1- in the 1980’s (that arrangement accepted by Creditors at the insistence of Lindsay Fox exclusively)

And other VFL Clubs also struggled to survive, some being relocated and others including Collingwood and Richmond too big to fail

Geelong survived because of their location, exclusively

St Kilda survived due to Fox (and later Gudinski and Ryan - and even Meldrum who bought profile)

When Travis ran to problems and asked for his $100,000- loan back he lost the Presidency

And the sum result going into the new era (AFL with all the “equalisation” Rules and Regulations) is that there is ONE Premiership Cup behind glass, and the photograph of ONE team on the Walls of what is now the home of the Club (noting who in the modern era plays games at their home ground and has that advantage)

We are now in the AFL era - an era where media rights say there has to be a minimum number of competing Clubs

To become relevant you embark on a process

You learn from those who are relevant

And, as with everything, it starts at the top - so the Board

From there you have a start point, a strategy and a goal

Yes, you review and you tweak

But you stay central - the fundamentals remain

And there are templates - including in the SANFL

IF you have been involved in the template you recognise - you know what success feels like and what it smells like

Walsh is correct

The very fact he has come on board is a positive

[Vortex]

And now there is a thread on this site headed “I don’t like what Walsh has said”

Except for 1966, St Kilda is irrelevant

There are a raft of contributing factors over the history of the Club, including that Creditors received a few paltry cents in the $1- in the 1980’s (that arrangement accepted by Creditors at the insistence of Lindsay Fox exclusively)

And other VFL Clubs also struggled to survive, some being relocated and others including Collingwood and Richmond too big to fail

Geelong survived because of their location, exclusively

St Kilda survived due to Fox (and later Gudinski and Ryan - and even Meldrum who bought profile)

When Travis ran to problems and asked for his $100,000- loan back he lost the Presidency

And the sum result going into the new era (AFL with all the “equalisation” Rules and Regulations) is that there is ONE Premiership Cup behind glass, and the photograph of ONE team on the Walls of what is now the home of the Club (noting who in the modern era plays games at their home ground and has that advantage)

We are now in the AFL era - an era where media rights say there has to be a minimum number of competing Clubs

To become relevant you embark on a process

You learn from those who are relevant

And, as with everything, it starts at the top - so the Board

From there you have a start point, a strategy and a goal

Yes, you review and you tweak

But you stay central - the fundamentals remain

And there are templates - including in the SANFL

IF you have been involved in the template you recognise - you know what success feels like and what it smells like

Walsh is correct

The very fact he has come on board is a positive

A 66 year old Walsh said this way back in 2020:


"I have been contemplating this [retirement] for some time and as one of my old coaches once put it, the moment you start thinking about retirement is the time to finish."

Does the SANFL template drag the tired and retired out of retirement who are on the record as saying they are finished?

What are his employment terms, is he short term consultant, part time or full time employee!

Not much transparency around this appointment?

[Killa]

Vortex, fortunately you and those of your irrelevance are restricted to contributing to these sites.

Where you and your ilk are "experts" on everything.

The uneducated telling their fellow uneducated what they do not know.

[Vortex]

Vortex, fortunately you and those of your irrelevance are restricted to contributing to these sites.

Where you and your ilk are "experts" on everything.

The uneducated telling their fellow uneducated what they do not know.

Dangerous views Mr South Australia and thank you for the acknowledgement.

I do however freely and openly admit when I see photos on a wall I see the past and irrelevance not to mention time wasted. But then again I don't own a camera so my views regarding photos on walls are irrelevant.

You are a lot of fun TTT, please post lots more.

[Killa]

Vortex, it is my view that if you look at a photograph of self you will see the image of a fornicated moron.

You are really not worth the time of day.

You are a serial recalcitrant, be it vaccination from the impact of COVID to any other issue

[Vortex]

Vortex, it is my view that if you look at a photograph of self you will see the image of a fornicated moron.

You are really not worth the time of day.

You are a serial recalcitrant, be it vaccination from the impact of COVID to any other issue

TTT have you considered your obsession with photos is effecting your ability to process logical and free thoughts?

Pleeeeeeese, keep posting though, this board is far less interesting without you. I mean that sincerely.

[bangaulegend]

Vortex, it is my view that if you look at a photograph of self you will see the image of a fornicated moron.

You are really not worth the time of day.

You are a serial recalcitrant, be it vaccination from the impact of COVID to any other issue

TTT have you considered your obsession with photos is effecting your ability to process logical and free thoughts?

Pleeeeeeese, keep posting though, this board is far less interesting without you. I mean that sincerely.

FFS Vortex don't encourage him

[Vortex]

Vortex, it is my view that if you look at a photograph of self you will see the image of a fornicated moron.

You are really not worth the time of day.

You are a serial recalcitrant, be it vaccination from the impact of COVID to any other issue

TTT have you considered your obsession with photos is effecting your ability to process logical and free thoughts?

Pleeeeeeese, keep posting though, this board is far less interesting without you. I mean that sincerely.

FFS Vortex don't encourage him

I know but here's the thing, I firmly believe one of the many things wrong with this modern world is our inability to engage with every human being irrespective of our differing views or the strength of conviction to one's views.

Public discourse has eroded along tribal lines which in the modern era is sculpted by governments and corporate media. Sadly many conversations are either stoked or netruelised with word-weapons such as "fake news", "woke", "anti-vaxxer", and "climate denier" just to mention the very few.

TTT not knows his free thoughts were captured long ago nor the artillery of word-wepons subliminally programed into his ageing brain, so I am more inclined to prolong engagement for no other reason than to amuse myself.

I encourage everyone to engage with fellow human beings no matter your differences, if we do this then maybe one day we will stand together in admiration of photos on walls.

[bangaulegend]

Vortex, fortunately you and those of your irrelevance are restricted to contributing to these sites.

Where you and your ilk are "experts" on everything.

The uneducated telling their fellow uneducated what they do not know.

No mate you're the expert you know everything "apparently " . Just look at your boring longwinded posts about how successful & educated you are & South Australia is the football capital of the world . I beg to differ & I think you're full off it

[asiu]

I encourage everyone to engage with fellow human beings no matter your differences, if we do this then maybe one day we will stand together ...

[SaintPav]

Vortex, it is my view that if you look at a photograph of self you will see the image of a fornicated moron.

You are really not worth the time of day.

You are a serial recalcitrant, be it vaccination from the impact of COVID to any other issue

You forgot that Russia is a paper tiger and has run out of missiles.

[D.B.Cooper]

Regardless of what the faunicated morons of this forum think and spew forth, the only true measurement of success is a photo on the wall

I have a photo on my wall, it is a life sized image of the greatest player to have tamed the chaos of the oval ball….Barrie Robran

It matters little that the photo was taken without the subjects knowledge and taking the candid snap broke restraining orders and laws that today would see a man need to play the mental illness card to avoid incarceration

The year was 1978 and the hulking hero was in his first season of playing coach of the great North Adelaide FC

The innovative lateral thinker had been hampered by knee injuries and had procured three 44 gallon drums which were filled with ice and water for post match recovery

I’d heard of this new science phenomenon and set up my camera in the opposition change rooms at Norwoods home ground to see if we could steal the technology for our own all conquering club

Being 59 years old and 4ft 10, I dressed as a little league player and positioned myself in the rooms post match with camera at the ready

As the strapping sports hunk emerged from the drum I started to take pictures almost causing carpal tunnel syndrome to my wrist, I was snapping so quickly

Most men would find an ice bath somewhat limiting to their manliness due to cold causing shrinkage, but not the robust competitor, I still recall my thoughts of a butchers apprentice making pork sausages

And today that picture continues to adorn my wall as a mark of respect for the sturdy champion and a sign of my own success despite my height, station in life and gargoyle like appearance

Cheers to the great showman….Barrie Robran, the greatest of greats

Cheers Bazza

Hoorah South Australia