Failure.... and excuses

[Sterling Cooper]

Curious to ponder the 'excuses' that were kicking around on Mad Monday at the PD clubs who didn't make finals in 2012.

We read many cliched 'releases' from across the league in the first half of the year about 'club's on the rise' however as the reality of the season arises they tend to go very, very quiet on the press release front.

My guesses on the excuses are;

UTS - My personal favorite of the 'clubs on the rise' - 'we are too busy taking over the world and being the greatest club EVER to actually field a consistent 22 each and every week across the year in our top grade'. Wow, weren't they impressive when they were front runners against the lower half of the competition and didn't they love telling anyone who would listen. I'd heard from several sources that they were prepared to put themselves forward as premiership favorites as late as 4 weeks ago. Typical delusional eastern suburbs behavior!

Their favorite excuse 'we are an amateur club' and don't pay match payments is also getting a bit tired. The very large majority of players across the PD league do not get paid a cracker (I'd guess 85%+) and perform much better than the Bats. I believe they are keeping the 'amateur' tag simply to avoid facing the reality they aren't up to finals standard in PD. Unfortunately for the bats, it seems from their captain down, they are more focused on trying to make it into Sydney Confidential than a Sydney AFL finals series.

Sydney Hills - Simple, 'NEAFL stole our high quality players' - all respect to SHE, their club appears to be in strong shape and no doubt they will adapt quickly to their current challenges. These guys at PD have earned respect this year, although have a long way to go.

Sydney Uni - Again relatively simple, 'NEAFL stole our slightly better than average players.' But there appears to be a 'poor little old me' attitude developing in their club. Loads of excuses, not a lot of solutions. A long way back in comparison to SHE.

Illawarra - I really feel sorry for, they are a bunch of battlers who simply cannot make in roads into the competition. I admire them, but they are really struggling. Cannot see any solution on the horizon.

Campbelltown - With leaders like theirs (captain/coach), no wonder they are in the @@@@ and will be for a long, long time. Again very sad. Seem like they have a good bunch of volunteers but unfortunately not translating to on-field results.

Wests - Who knows what is going on with these guys, where do you start... Again, feel sorry for this once proud and strong club. Hopefully we see them bounce back before it is too late. This year most of their players seemed more interested in getting in a fight than an actual contest and the season results mirror that.

Best regards,

Roger Sterling.

[Norris Lurker]

I know I can be a "glass is half full" type; but I think you're a bit harsh with some of those clubs Roger.

But unfortunately when a club is getting belted most weeks, and has been for years, it can have an effect on club morale. We did see that sometimes this season - not once all season did a team from outside the top six beat a top six team; and most of the time a game between a top 6 team and a bottom 5 team saw a margin of well over 10 goals.
I don't know what the answer is. There's always going to be teams at the top and teams at the bottom. But sometimes this season I've wondered whether 11 teams in Premier Division is one too many; and whether it's time to look at promotion and relegation.

[justabaraker]

Curious to ponder the 'excuses' that were kicking around on Mad Monday at the PD clubs who didn't make finals in 2012.

We read many cliched 'releases' from across the league in the first half of the year about 'club's on the rise' however as the reality of the season arises they tend to go very, very quiet on the press release front.

My guesses on the excuses are;

UTS - My personal favorite of the 'clubs on the rise' - 'we are too busy taking over the world and being the greatest club EVER to actually field a consistent 22 each and every week across the year in our top grade'. Wow, weren't they impressive when they were front runners against the lower half of the competition and didn't they love telling anyone who would listen. I'd heard from several sources that they were prepared to put themselves forward as premiership favorites as late as 4 weeks ago. Typical delusional eastern suburbs behavior!

Their favorite excuse 'we are an amateur club' and don't pay match payments is also getting a bit tired. The very large majority of players across the PD league do not get paid a cracker (I'd guess 85%+) and perform much better than the Bats. I believe they are keeping the 'amateur' tag simply to avoid facing the reality they aren't up to finals standard in PD. Unfortunately for the bats, it seems from their captain down, they are more focused on trying to make it into Sydney Confidential than a Sydney AFL finals series.

Sydney Hills - Simple, 'NEAFL stole our high quality players' - all respect to SHE, their club appears to be in strong shape and no doubt they will adapt quickly to their current challenges. These guys at PD have earned respect this year, although have a long way to go.

Sydney Uni - Again relatively simple, 'NEAFL stole our slightly better than average players.' But there appears to be a 'poor little old me' attitude developing in their club. Loads of excuses, not a lot of solutions. A long way back in comparison to SHE.

Illawarra - I really feel sorry for, they are a bunch of battlers who simply cannot make in roads into the competition. I admire them, but they are really struggling. Cannot see any solution on the horizon.

Campbelltown - With leaders like theirs (captain/coach), no wonder they are in the @@@@ and will be for a long, long time. Again very sad. Seem like they have a good bunch of volunteers but unfortunately not translating to on-field results.

Wests - Who knows what is going on with these guys, where do you start... Again, feel sorry for this once proud and strong club. Hopefully we see them bounce back before it is too late. This year most of their players seemed more interested in getting in a fight than an actual contest and the season results mirror that.

Best regards,

Roger Sterling.

Roger,no wonder your advertsising agency was taken over by the Poms...So much negativity, so little "spin". You don't have a kind word for any of the lower placed teams other than Baulko.

Who do you think has done well this year, and what will they say at the presentation night to sum up their season ?

[The Student]

Really? Not sure if you're aware but both Hills and SU entered their reserve grade teams into the PD, how could you expect players 23-44 at a club to be anywhere near competing with players 1-22 of strong clubs like North Shore and Balmain? Hills did a great job of recruiting at the top end and had a few stalwarts stay down in PD but we basically had none. At the back end of the season, half the SU PD team consisted of our 3rd grade (Div 2) side due to injuries and unavailability - they tried hard and enjoyed the experience but realistically, they were woefully outclassed. It is a concern but hopefully over the next few years we will be able to develop some of the younger players and attract a few recruits in order to be more competitive at both the NE and PD levels.

[Mug Punter]

Curious to ponder the 'excuses' that were kicking around on Mad Monday at the PD clubs who didn't make finals in 2012.

We read many cliched 'releases' from across the league in the first half of the year about 'club's on the rise' however as the reality of the season arises they tend to go very, very quiet on the press release front.

My guesses on the excuses are;

UTS - My personal favorite of the 'clubs on the rise' - 'we are too busy taking over the world and being the greatest club EVER to actually field a consistent 22 each and every week across the year in our top grade'. Wow, weren't they impressive when they were front runners against the lower half of the competition and didn't they love telling anyone who would listen. I'd heard from several sources that they were prepared to put themselves forward as premiership favorites as late as 4 weeks ago. Typical delusional eastern suburbs behavior!

Their favorite excuse 'we are an amateur club' and don't pay match payments is also getting a bit tired. The very large majority of players across the PD league do not get paid a cracker (I'd guess 85%+) and perform much better than the Bats. I believe they are keeping the 'amateur' tag simply to avoid facing the reality they aren't up to finals standard in PD. Unfortunately for the bats, it seems from their captain down, they are more focused on trying to make it into Sydney Confidential than a Sydney AFL finals series.

Sydney Hills - Simple, 'NEAFL stole our high quality players' - all respect to SHE, their club appears to be in strong shape and no doubt they will adapt quickly to their current challenges. These guys at PD have earned respect this year, although have a long way to go.

Sydney Uni - Again relatively simple, 'NEAFL stole our slightly better than average players.' But there appears to be a 'poor little old me' attitude developing in their club. Loads of excuses, not a lot of solutions. A long way back in comparison to SHE.

Illawarra - I really feel sorry for, they are a bunch of battlers who simply cannot make in roads into the competition. I admire them, but they are really struggling. Cannot see any solution on the horizon.

Campbelltown - With leaders like theirs (captain/coach), no wonder they are in the @@@@ and will be for a long, long time. Again very sad. Seem like they have a good bunch of volunteers but unfortunately not translating to on-field results.

Wests - Who knows what is going on with these guys, where do you start... Again, feel sorry for this once proud and strong club. Hopefully we see them bounce back before it is too late. This year most of their players seemed more interested in getting in a fight than an actual contest and the season results mirror that.

Best regards,

Roger Sterling.

Some fair calls there. Other random thoughts

UTS - Intent on being the inter-state private college schoolboys first destination upon arriving in Sydney, they should stop congratulating themselves on their "great culture" and how fantastic they are

Campbelltown - Wow, hasn't GWS been a bonus for for them. Apart from the years they have had a sugar daddy pumping big dollars in there they have always been a shambles. Their long term existence is surely questionable...

Wests - good honest battlers in the inner west market. Again, only will be successful if their Leagues club. At least they have one, which leaves me on to the next team.

Balmain - watch these jokers implode over the next season if rumours coming out of there are to be believed....

Illawarra - hard to see them ever making the big jump to contenders bbut they are too good for SFA. Only hope is to nurture a good bunch of juniors. Which they did and Sydney Uni poached them....

[unconfuseme]

Really? Not sure if you're aware but both Hills and SU entered their reserve grade teams into the PD, how could you expect players 23-44 at a club to be anywhere near competing with players 1-22 of strong clubs like North Shore and Balmain? Hills did a great job of recruiting at the top end and had a few stalwarts stay down in PD but we basically had none. At the back end of the season, half the SU PD team consisted of our 3rd grade (Div 2) side due to injuries and unavailability - they tried hard and enjoyed the experience but realistically, they were woefully outclassed. It is a concern but hopefully over the next few years we will be able to develop some of the younger players and attract a few recruits in order to be more competitive at both the NE and PD levels.

Hope you can swim, 'cause you're clearly living in de Nile!

Seriously? ... the model is simply wrong, and it is teetering on collapse already. No support or interest externally, and pretty much the same from within. And good luck attempting to "recruit" players ... No Collingwood Scholarships around, what's the bait going to be this time???

[Norris Lurker]

Really? Not sure if you're aware but both Hills and SU entered their reserve grade teams into the PD, how could you expect players 23-44 at a club to be anywhere near competing with players 1-22 of strong clubs like North Shore and Balmain? Hills did a great job of recruiting at the top end and had a few stalwarts stay down in PD but we basically had none.

I don't think anyone would have been surprised at SHE and SU going down the ladder in Premier Division.
We've had four years of the divisional structure, and one thing that's consistently happened is that when one club's seniors are up against another club's reserves, the senior team will usually win. Premier Division was always going to go the same way.
Most clubs, probably every club, have a handful of players who are too good for that club and are good enough to compete at a higher level; but for personal reasons choose not to. Those players will always be playing seniors.

[Sterling Cooper]

Roger,no wonder your advertsising agency was taken over by the Poms...So much negativity, so little "spin". You don't have a kind word for any of the lower placed teams other than Baulko.

Who do you think has done well this year, and what will they say at the presentation night to sum up their season ?

Ha, the Poms are funding my retirement! I leave the spin to Don and his mob. God knows his ego needs the work.

Now back to Sydney AFL matters, to answer your question on who I think has done well this year, I take my hat off to North Shore, Pennant Hills, UNSW-ES & St George for outstanding years.

These clubs are great examples of developing from within and are all focused on building a sustainable, competitive football sides which leads to the overall health and future of our competition.

I particularly admire Pennant Hills in how they seem to always be blooding new local talent without needing to recruit far and wide, and seem to be consistently managed off field also. No need for the grand 'rise' from the ashes of other clubs that we often hear about in our news feeds. They simply get on with it, year in, year out.

I admire the work of President Donahue and Terry Mudge at St George in breathing life with their enthusiasm into a club that looked like it had seen better days.

I am also big fan of Jon Hayres & Rhys McAlister who both appear to be getting the best out of groups who have largely remained unchanged from last season yet have enjoyed vast improvements with existing talent.

These 4 clubs operate on shoe-string budgets and rely upon a select few tireless volunteers. Their work, and their current form are currently holding our competition up.

To suggest that Sydney Uni is simply a better performing club than these 4 due to receiving NEAFL status is ridiculous bordering on insulting to those clubs on and off the field.

You will also notice I've omitted one club from my summary of the top 5, given they are ridiculously in debt and have no real continuity with their playing group or overall culture, I am loathe to actually call them a club. They are just a band of football mercenaries based in Sydney bought together by the downfall of a community based bowling club and funded by its 'projected' value. Fingers crossed we won't even need to be discussing this black mark on the competition next season.

Best regards,

Roger Sterling

[UTSBatman]

Hahaha great reading! Wonderful creative skills there Roger! Never let the truth get in the way of a good story, I like it.

I do feel a sense of duty to throw in some facts, though I know it's not generally welcomed on this site. However, there are no excuses being bandied about our club for not making the finals. We've become a lot more competitive this season. We had 3 wins last season compared to 11 wins this season. That for us is something we are proud of and know that we are heading in the right direction, though we still have things to improve on to make the next step.

Unfortunately, when our finals birth was on the line, we came up against a very good St George side who outplayed us in every aspect. They were fantastic and deserved their spot, and I'm sure they'll at least go a couple of weeks into September. No excuses, just weren't good enough this year.

I'd love to know who your so-called 'sources' are claiming that we considered ourselves Premiership favourites four weeks ago. Tabloid magazines & Current Affair programs use that word a lot, and we all know when we read/hear "sources say" or "a source close to whoever", that the journalist is full of crap.

One thing you did hit the nail on is that we have not had the consistency we'd like to have in our senior side. We played 55 players in PD this season, and that is probably too many. I'd suggest we'd need to get this down to around 40, which is about average.

Finally, we do have a great positive culture at the Bats. Again, this is something we are proud of and believe will drive our on-field success. We very, very rarely have players leave us to go to another Sydney club. It's an inclusive place that I'm very lucky to be a part of.

But I really did find your post entertaining. Your insight into Sydney AFL is astonishing. It's refreshing to hear from people outside a club believe they know everything about every other club and their so-called deficiencies and misgivings. It's such a rare quality you possess...oh, hang on

[Tim Freedman]

A little harsh on Wests I would have thought Sterlo. From what I know and have looked into they had an ordinary year from an injury / availability perspective. Eurell, Lafferty, Roehrig, Huddo, Mumme, Grundy etc all missed their fair share of games throughout the year which would have stretched their depth. If they can recruit a few and keep the bulk of the list together I would tip them as the big improvers next year. As long as they can keep their Top 10 on the track more often than not.

Other comments:
SHE - no excuses from us and we aren't using the NEAFL as an excuse. We simply werent up to it this year and will need to significantly improve next year. On the positive we got to blood a number of young players that should hold us in good stead over the coming years.

Syd Uni - The 2nd time we played them they resembled nothing like the 1st time we played them and to be honest I only recognised one of their players in Lethal McWhirter who wouldnt have played prem div for many years. They are in it for the long haul though and wouldnt be judging themselves on one dissapointing season in the NEAFL and Syd AFL.

Illawarra - it is one of the toughest coaching gigs running around down out at the Gong. A little too far for most to travel so it makes recruitment of quality players almost impossible unless they move down that way. They need to keep the hyphenator and do everything they can to recruit more players. Maybe free weekend accomodation next door?

UTS - a meteoric rise compared to last season and they should be very pleased with the improvement. To win 11 games this year compared to 3 last year is a great effort. It is a good platform to launch from next season.

C'Town - another tough year however it was good to see them continually place the importance of developing juniors over and above their own results. Have some very good young players and may get some returning next year which should see them improve. Their president just needs to lay off the meat pies!!

Finally I am tipping UNSW/ES for the flag this year. McAlister is coach of the year IMO and he has them very well drilled. They have a good game plan, are structurally sound and defensively disciplined which will help them come finals time. They were easily the best side I saw this year. I am also tipping Rampe for the Phelan

[Mug Punter]

You will also notice I've omitted one club from my summary of the top 5, given they are ridiculously in debt and have no real continuity with their playing group or overall culture, I am loathe to actually call them a club. They are just a band of football mercenaries based in Sydney bought together by the downfall of a community based bowling club and funded by its 'projected' value. Fingers crossed we won't even need to be discussing this black mark on the competition next season.

A truer word was never spoke.....

Sad though as they used to be a good bunch in the SFA days with a decent club culture. They should step back to their roots and start again. A magnet for too many dodgy, glory hunting administrators who clear off and leave others try and fix their mess

[OLDMATE]

If the NEAFL didn't happen this year is it fair to assume that SHE and Syd uni would have made the 5? This being the case you would think that St George would have finsihed 7th instead of 5th. Which is an improvement of only 1 position from previous years. Well done to them for making finals you can only beat who is in front of you but hardly think they have massively improved.

[Ken Oath]

If the NEAFL didn't happen this year is it fair to assume that SHE and Syd uni would have made the 5? This being the case you would think that St George would have finsihed 7th instead of 5th. Which is an improvement of only 1 position from previous years. Well done to them for making finals you can only beat who is in front of you but hardly think they have massively improved.

If Sydney Swans reserves and a team of supermen also played in the comp this year then it would be fair to assume they would have finished 9th which would have been a backward step and a massive failure.

[Benchwarmer]

We very, very rarely have players leave us to go to another Sydney club. It's an inclusive place that I'm very lucky to be a part of.

on

Hey Batman, the clearance boards show 9 bats left for other clubs this year. More than most other clubs.
Perhaps leave the spin to Stirlo and the experts.

And Stirlo if you are reading this,
The Students excuses on why they struggled with NEAFL and PD needs a bit of work too.

Best Regards

[Mug Punter]

Hey Batman, the clearance boards show 9 bats left for other clubs this year. More than most other clubs.
Perhaps leave the spin to Stirlo and the experts.

And Stirlo if you are reading this,
The Students excuses on why they struggled with NEAFL and PD needs a bit of work too.

Best Regards

They may be a bunch of chardonnay sipping, polo-loving, self congratulatory, silver spoon sucking, attention seeking college boys but it is hard to argue with the results of their lower grade results plus the improvement in their ones this season.

Their overall quality in numbers must start to reap results at the senior level before too long much the same way Sydney Uni did.

With no juniors, a very tenuous link to the UTS student body and no clear geographical base away from Dover Heights, Vaucluse and Woollahra they must be doing something right.

From an outsider I'd say it is this

- Be truly inclusive
- Set standards and enforce them
- Strive for excellence and continually raise the bar
- Be responsibly run financially

You'd be mad to think they won't get stronger and stronger.

Any comments UTSBatman?