Captain shocked by Ratts sacking

[saynta]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... f4a8401cd0


"Jack Steele knew something was wrong when he saw Brett Ratten’s name appear on the caller ID on his phone. Ten seconds later, his football life was turned upside down"

"AFL

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Jack Steele was in San Diego when his coach’s name popped up on his phone.

He was in the States with good mate Rowan Marshall and former teammate Luke Dunstan for a couple of weeks of R&R when Brett Ratten called.

While the captain and coach regularly spoke, he was puzzled by the timing of the call. That sense of strangeness increased ten-fold about 10 seconds into the conversation.

Ratten informed Steele that he was about to be sacked.

“It was crazy,” Steele says. “It was something I didn’t see coming and a lot of people wouldn’t have seen it coming.

“It definitely stressed me out and definitely stressed a lot of players out at the time. I was a bit off-side with what happened, then a couple of weeks later Ross (Lyon) got appointed and I was still overseas.”

After the shock sacking St Kilda CEO Simon Lethlean and president Andrew Bassat reached out to Steele who was still hurting by a turn of events which he couldn’t shake a sense of blame about.

“To some degree the playing group would definitely feel (they let Ratten down). I suppose the back half of the year we really didn’t help him out at all which is disappointing because I still believe he was a great coach and the players loved him as much as they possibly could,” Steele said."

[bigcarl]

Still believes Ratten was a great coach. Nice of him to say that.

[bigcarl]

Still believes Ratten was a great coach. Nice of him to say that.

[Yorkeys]

". ..we really didn't help him out at all...

[Impatient Sainter]

Surely all the players were contacted and provided feedback as a part of the review? Im surprised Steele wasnt more aware of what was going on? Perhaps being overseas he missed some of the movements within the club?

Having said that its no surprise he supported Ratts, the team captain and coach should have a close relationship. Be interested to see how quickly he forms a relationship/s with the new coaches, as I gather he will remain as captain.

[Vortex]

Bassett and Lethlean are a couple of absolute .........

I can only imagine the absolute tsunami of material the media are going to have handed to them on a platter regarding the management performance of our 2 pillars this past few years.

Clearly the review process didn't include the Captain of the Club.

[Saintmike65]

Great bloke yes but bit of a stretch saying Ratts was a great coach..Steely is about to see first hand what a great coach looks like!

[Yorkeys]

by Vortex » Fri 18 Nov 2022 7:53pm

"Bassett and Lethlean are a couple of absolute ........."

Vortexes?

[Teflon]

Bassett and Lethlean are a couple of absolute .........

I can only imagine the absolute tsunami of material the media are going to have handed to them on a platter regarding the management performance of our 2 pillars this past few years.

Clearly the review process didn't include the Captain of the Club.

Lots of boorish criticism
F’all on what you’d have done differently
Yet you “love Ross”
Pick a side or that fence post is going to imp-ail u

[cwrcyn]

Ratten....great people person. Likeable, decent, humble, caring. All great qualities, which, from a player's perspective are things that equate to a great coach.

Coaching is not just about that, however. It's also about demands, non-negotiables, and making hard decisions and giving honest and firm feedback when it's needed. It's also about detailed planning.

I would have loved seeing Ratten succeed. It was cruel the way it ended for him. But this club needed a shake up, and however painful the whole process of removing him was, it has now landed us a coach who can give the firm feedback and can enforce the non-negotiables. Plenty of former players have sung Lyon's praises and the common theme is that he gets the best out his players both individually and collectively

[cwrcyn]

Steele mentioned in that interview that there were a few players on the outer under Ratten who are energised by Ross Lyon's appointment. I wonder who they could be?

My guess

Sharman
Connolly
Highmore
Byrnes
Bytel

[saynta]

Steele mentioned in that interview that there were a few players on the outer under Ratten who are energised by Ross Lyon's appointment. I wonder who they could be?

My guess

Sharman
Connolly
Highmore
Byrnes
Bytel

Yep and add Campbell to that list.

[Vortex]

Steele mentioned in that interview that there were a few players on the outer under Ratten who are energised by Ross Lyon's appointment. I wonder who they could be?

My guess

Sharman
Connolly
Highmore
Byrnes
Bytel

Gosh Sharman was Ratts favourite, gave him game when clearly he shouldn't have been playing AFL.

The reason the players you listed weren't getting a game is because they are not AFL standard, Ross might give them a game as role players though so that will be good for them.

Ross should probably also get Clint Jones and Robert Eddie back as assistant coaches for the role players.

[cwrcyn]

I spent half the season banging my head against the wall watching Sharman at Sandy, while our forward line was crying out for a third tall, and then put my head in my hands when Sharman came in and played defence while Highmore remained at Sandy.

Connolly spent the whole season at Sandy trying to create some run out of defence in a hopeless, disorganised rabble that couldn't even work out what he was trying to do because they had no clue.

Bytel had a long interruption at the start of the season and it took him a while to get his fitness up. We won't know what he's truly capable of unless he gets uber fit and gets an opportunity to play in the AFL team.

Byrnes stagnated after a promising start to his AFL career. He has talent and makes good decisions. A stronger focus on development from the coaching team should benefit him.

Campbell was stiff not to play more games

[skeptic]

I spent half the season banging my head against the wall watching Sharman at Sandy, while our forward line was crying out for a third tall, and then put my head in my hands when Sharman came in and played defence while Highmore remained at Sandy.

Connolly spent the whole season at Sandy trying to create some run out of defence in a hopeless, disorganised rabble that couldn't even work out what he was trying to do because they had no clue.

Bytel had a long interruption at the start of the season and it took him a while to get his fitness up. We won't know what he's truly capable of unless he gets uber fit and gets an opportunity to play in the AFL team.

Byrnes stagnated after a promising start to his AFL career. He has talent and makes good decisions. A stronger focus on development from the coaching team should benefit him.

Campbell was stiff not to play more games

You’ve articulated my thoughts perfectly

Agree 100000%

[cwrcyn]

Up until round 18 Sharman played 4 games. That hardly qualifies him as a favourite of the coach.

[saynta]

I spent half the season banging my head against the wall watching Sharman at Sandy, while our forward line was crying out for a third tall, and then put my head in my hands when Sharman came in and played defence while Highmore remained at Sandy.

Connolly spent the whole season at Sandy trying to create some run out of defence in a hopeless, disorganised rabble that couldn't even work out what he was trying to do because they had no clue.

Bytel had a long interruption at the start of the season and it took him a while to get his fitness up. We won't know what he's truly capable of unless he gets uber fit and gets an opportunity to play in the AFL team.

Byrnes stagnated after a promising start to his AFL career. He has talent and makes good decisions. A stronger focus on development from the coaching team should benefit him.

Campbell was stiff not to play more games

At last, a poster who knows footballers and knows what he is talking about.

[Vortex]

Expect when the 2023 season comes around the media will get its first opportunity to put the Bassett "review" process
under the microscope and the fact the review didn't include not even one single conversation with the players, the leadership group and EVEN the Captain just further raises suspicion about the quality of administration by Bassett and Lethlean these past few years and their secret agenda.

[Vortex]

Up until round 18 Sharman played 4 games. That hardly qualifies him as a favourite of the coach.

The fact he was willing to give him every opportunity possibly imaginable with a trial in the backline completely contradicts your misguided view.

Sharman is not AFL standard and is so way off the pace and it is possible he will find it even harder under RL because his biggest weaknesses are at the top of RLs non negotiable list.

[cwrcyn]

If they had a secret agenda these past few years, why wait all this time to appoint Lyon? They could have just done that 3 years ago and saved them a heap of time and energy.

Your assumption that players weren't interviewed in the review process is only that. You have no evidence to back that up.

[cwrcyn]

Vortex, can you list all the players on our list you believe are not AFL standard? I'm very interested in knowing your thoughts.

[WellardSaint]

Great bloke yes but bit of a stretch saying Ratts was a great coach..Steely is about to see first hand what a great coach looks like!

Steele would do well to look at the 3 words outside the club HQ
'together we rise'
Get on board with the new set-up, be a part of it
Or risk being left behind by feeling sorry for Cuddles

[Vortex]

Vortex, can you list all the players on our list you believe are not AFL standard? I'm very interested in knowing your thoughts.

Not the list that is important, the important list is how many players do we have that could have played in Geelongs flag, the types of players who can help the team finish top 4 consistently. Probably about 6 is my count.

The players who are AFL standard, aka have potential to progress into a top 4 type is probably around 6 also by my count...Sharman is not on either of these lists and neither are any of the other players you listed on that list, maybe Highmore being the exception.

[Vortex]

Great bloke yes but bit of a stretch saying Ratts was a great coach..Steely is about to see first hand what a great coach looks like!

Steele would do well to look at the 3 words outside the club HQ
'together we rise'
Get on board with the new set-up, be a part of it
Or risk being left behind by feeling sorry for Cuddles

His comments read ike a player revolt could be on the cards, clearly the players were not consulted or even included in the coup so humans generally harbour resentment with that style of dictatorial management, especially the millennials, everyone assumes they are incredibly welcoming of RLs dictatorial style of management, as it turns out the players weren't even asked about their views. It won't surprise me if we lose more than we gain over the next 2 or so years.

[Sanctorum]

Expect when the 2023 season comes around the media will get its first opportunity to put the Bassett "review" process
under the microscope and the fact the review didn't include not even one single conversation with the players, the leadership group and EVEN the Captain just further raises suspicion about the quality of administration by Bassett and Lethlean these past few years and their secret agenda.

There's no evidence for your assertion that the review team did not speak to any players including the captain Vortex, I expect they did speak to Jack Steele but you would hardly expect them to reveal to him their thinking about Ratten.

In any case, I have long suspected that the spotlight on the senior coach came about separate from the review and was in fact quietly instigated by Geoff Walsh who was appointed EGM of Football Operations on 5 October, 9 days before Rattten was sacked on 14 October.

I'm intrigued to find out from you what you suspect to be Bassat's and Lethlean's "secret agenda"???? Methinks you're just stirring again

Just go with the flow mate and like most supporters enjoy the palpable sense of excitement in the air at Moorabbin!