Brendon Gale has a lot to answer for.
His 2010 interview on Footy Classified where he detailed Richmond’s ambitious 10-year plan is now famous.
“We aspire to have won our 13th Premiership; consistently provide the most exciting and powerful match-day experience in the competition; once again have the strongest support base in the nation, and enjoy the strongest emotional connection with our members and fans,” Gale said.
The plan also included the club aiming to have zero debt by 2020, as they struggled at approximately $4 million in the red in 2010.
Tick, Tick, Tick. Gale looks like a genius.
It was a remarkable vision from he and the club and the ability to meet and exceed nearly every benchmark was uncanny.
However, it’s been disastrous for almost all the other clubs who have tried to copy Gale’s blueprint.
Take Port Adelaide for example.
In its 2021 strategic vision titled ‘Chasing Greatness’, it set out to win three premierships in five years, reach 100,000 members and be debt free.
Well, they better hurry up.
In 2011 Carlton released theirs titled ‘Blue Print’ which aimed to win two flags by 2015.
They sacked two coaches in that period instead.
It didn’t stop the Blues from going again though. In 2019 under former CEO Cain Liddle ‘The Carlton Way’ was born and it had a target to win premierships plural in the window from 2019-2023.
Like Port, they better hurry up.
In 2017 Hawthorn stated that they wanted two flags from 2017-2022.
Not only will they not win two flags, they won’t win a final in that period. The plan went on to say they want 20 premierships in total by 2050. That’s 7 in the next 27 years.
The competition’s goal is for a team to win a premiership every 18 years. To achieve Hawthorn’s goal, they must win one in every 4 seasons.
These ridiculous examples was why it was so refreshing to hear new Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly speak on Monday.
There were no references to marketing slogans that were cooked up by club executives to sell memberships. There weren’t any lofty and unrealistic on-field goals that only ended up embarrassing the club.
“I'm not going to sit there saying we’re going to win flags and stuff, we’re just going to do a good job,” Kelly said on SEN Breakfast.
“Hopefully the supporters are proud of what the club delivers to them, and the fun they have turning up to the footy and screaming, yelling and feeling like it’s their club.
“That’s what’s really important and exciting.”
Clubs should focus on just that.
Employ a coach that wants to play an exciting, competitive brand of football so that fans want to buy memberships, merchandise and attend the games - inturn making the club highly profitable.
Spare me the latest advertising agency jargon, the powerpoint documents and laughable premiership targets.
Kelly already has his priorities in the right order.
Do you like it when your club sets lofty, public goals or would you rather the actions do the talking?