With three Victorian clubs having new coaches this season and one with a second-year coach, Mick Malthouse assesses the elements that are needed for clubs to be successful. In particular, he focuses on Essendon, St Kilda, and Hawthorn, stating that each has the potential to worry any side in the top eight but also be vulnerable against those lower down the ladder. Malthouse examines the importance of having a stable board, a supportive administration, and a strong player group, and discusses the challenges each club faces for the upcoming season. While Malthouse doesn’t have high expectations for any of these three clubs challenging for the final eight this year, he believes that the future is bright for the club that can provide all the right ingredients.
Important Details about Mick Malthouse: Bombers, Hawks and Saints in spotlight as signs of promise are paramount –
– Three clubs in Sunday’s games (Essendon, St Kilda, and Hawthorn) have new coaches this season, and one club has a second-year coach.
– The success of a club depends on several key elements, including a stable board, recruitment department, football administration, CEO, coach, player group, and supporter base.
– Hawthorn and Essendon no longer have representation in their original suburbs, while St Kilda has struggled to attract local sponsors or supporters.
– Getting the off-field stuff right helps the on-field stuff immeasurably.
– Hawthorn has elected to clear out as many “older” players as they can and start rebuilding.
– Essendon has been up and down like a yoyo on the ladder, but Brad Scott will bring a highly disciplined approach.
– The Saints’ full list looks impressive, but the continual stream of injuries may well deplete the team in its early days.
– Sunday’s games won’t represent the clubs for their past or their future, but Essendon, Hawthorn and St Kilda could all make a statement for 2023 today.
– Mick Malthouse has little expectation of any of these three clubs challenging for the final eight this year, but the future is bright for the club that can provide all the ingredients, plus the time to cook with them.
The Importance of Key Elements for Success in AFL Clubs: Analysis of Essendon, Hawthorn, and St. Kilda
Among Sunday’s three games, three clubs had new coaches this season, while one had a second-year coach. However, the coach is not the be-all and end-all for how these clubs will fare this year or in the future. It is crucial for a club to have all the right elements, at the right times to be successful. In this regard, let us focus on three Victorian clubs, namely Essendon, Hawthorn, and St. Kilda.
Essendon has been a tease for many, many years. St Kilda has promised so much without delivering, and Hawthorn has promised and delivered successfully in the past. On any given day, these three clubs could worry any side in the top eight, but then be vulnerable against the bottom teams. For continued growth and development, key elements need to line up. A supporter base, a stable board, the recruitment department, the football administration, the CEO, and then the coach and player group, all must work in coordination.
Essendon, Hawthorn, and St. Kilda must have the right elements to succeed. Similarly, the right mix of team and support must come together to create a strong foundation for success, both on and off the field.
Stability is one of the essential elements of a successful club, which cannot be ignored. For example, the Hawks’ board is highly efficient, though sometimes noisy but mostly supportive. Although Hawthorn no longer has its representation in its original suburbs, the team has made it work, and it’s been delivering results. Essendon’s board under new president, Dave Barham, was under siege in the pre-season following some controversial decisions. However, the club, despite its drug scandal aside, is generally stable. St Kilda’s board is very quiet, and as the most financially topped-up Victorian club in the league, it makes you wonder if it is silent by its making, or silenced. Additionally, the Saints have been at Moorabbin for over 60 years, aside from a failed stint at Seaford, and still haven’t attracted local sponsors or supporters in great numbers.
Looking back twenty years, St Kilda, during these years, has had five coaches. Hawthorn has had three coaches since 2003, including Sam Mitchell, and won four premierships from ten finals campaigns. Essendon is now under its seventh coach in 20 years, including Mark Thompson briefly, playing eight years of finals, including 2003, with just two finals wins.
However, this year marks a chance for each club to move forward, to take positive steps in the right direction. Getting the off-field stuff right helps the on-field stuff immeasurably. For new coaches, it’s easier said than done, but the transition must be steady, with every step towards success, even if tiny, should be celebrated.
Brad Scott has joined Essendon, and he will lead the club this year. The Bombers are up and down like a yoyo on the ladder, but Brad Scott will bring a highly disciplined and competitive team to the field. Supporters will need to be patient, which may annoy some at Bomberland. Therein lies Scott’s biggest hurdle, not being an original Essendon man. It will be interesting to see which direction the Bombers’ players take with their new captain, Zach Merrett. He seems to set a high standard for what he believes the players need to adhere to. This will be much in line with Scott, who won’t take any nonsense.
Mitchell and Hawthorn have clearly elected to clear out as many older players as they can and start again. Mitchell seems to have been given carte blanche with his early coaching plans, which are to slowly build the list into something that resembles the Hawks’ dominant era. They can and should be led well by new captain James Sicily, who is an outstanding player. As much as Mitchell wants his team to play on the edge, he needs to set a disciplined example, which is not a message to be sending to Sicily.
Likewise, the Saints’ full list looks impressive, but the continual stream of injuries may well deplete the team in its early days. Ross Lyon has always thrived on big key forwards. Strikers win games. He knows it will take a big forward to get the Saints up the ladder, and therefore will be sweating on Max King’s return from shoulder surgery, and hoping for a highly competitive Rowan Marshall. As an entirety, St Kilda has all the potentials if it could get its whole act together as opposed to piecemeal on a year-to-year basis.
Sunday’s games won’t represent the clubs for their past or their future, but Essendon, Hawthorn, and St Kilda could make a statement for 2023. The Saints at home, even with injuries, are a chance against Fremantle. Essendon, with its incredible rivalry with Hawthorn, makes it a flip of the coin. However, I do fancy the Bombers over the Hawks, which is my opinion, however, the game outcome may surprise us all.
Overall, the three Victorian clubs’ future is bright, but they must bring together all key elements to line up and be successful. A delicacy indeed.