The Turnaround

[PJ]

When did it start?
Who started it?

It seems that over the last 6 months or so the club has just done a complete about face. We came off one of the most uncompetitive seasons with 5 wins. Were being smacked from pillar to post in the press. Player unrest (senior mainly) seemed to be at a high. Coach was under the pump from all directions and seemed to have little answer.

To me it seems as though Summers becoming president was a catalyst for much of this. I know nothing of what was happening behind doors and some on here probably know a great deal more but it's interesting to ponder the question who kicked this off?

We now have a
1/ Great coach (yes early days but so far hasn't put a foot wrong)
2/ President making the right moves
3/ New CEO that has complete backing from clubs, AFL and players

We are being praised in the media - even Caro seems to love our work

This is a phenomenal turnaround in what seems a very short time frame.

[stinger]

if you look to the end of last season and the start of this one.....we have won 5 out of our last 7 games for premiership points....


on the other hand ...essendon has won 3 out of their past eleven games....

...puts it all in perspective....

[Bluthy]

I was really impressed with the way Summers sounded when he became President. He was measured and grounded but he sounded like a man who would take action. He knew we couldn't just keep trying to tread water or we would eventually drown. If you are not moving forward you are falling behind. They took decisive action on Watters (betting on Pelchen instead). I love what we are doing in NZ. I get the feeling he is working his guts out behind the scene on things like our crippling stadium deal, sponsors (which is tough with our recent dwarf burning etc.), junction oval etc. The great teams have a solid stable admin which is the rock inspiring confidence throughout the club. It creates that feeling of "we are going somewhere" on and off the field.

[joffaboy]

Tend to think that we underperformed last season as Scott Watters didn't handle the pressure and fell away pretty severely.

As we saw, he brought in a bunch of less than exciting WA recruits (Maister and Dennis Lane are two examples of "curious" recruits), his team selection was all over the place and his gameplan was getting more ragged as the season wore on.

Obviously the work environment was poor last season both for the admin and the players.

So we get a new President, the CEO departs, and so does the coach (for many reasons).

We cope with the fallout and the bagging and the talks of crisis and rabble.

Richo is appoainted coach very late, amid fears of another botched coaching appointment.

We get roundly bagged during the trading period (trading McEvoy FFS, are they mad?????) losing Dal Santo.

Meme circulated that the saints are just a hopeless bunch that wont win a game....

But Richo walks in - says to the senior players, "not here to end your careers, but extend your careers", gets senior player buyin early.

Notices players are not fit. Trains them very hard over summer to increase endurance levels.

Puts together coherent simple game plan (contested ball, and run hard in transition).

Underperforming 2013 squad still has core group of senior players plus mid range agers Steven and Armo, plus third yearsers Webster, Newness, Wright, plus some new, highly talented youngsters (Eli, Dunstan, Billings).

Biggest hole in the team filled, a KPP backman in Delaney and another big talented defender in Bruce.

So the turnaround is based on hard work from the list, senior buyin, improvement of 3 year players, some canny "reject" drafting, and a simple fundamental gameplan put together by a no nonesense, calm, considered coach.

[busso mick]

The appointment of Summers I feel was the catalyst. He is a very measured sort of bloke, and we were very patient in our appointment of a coach and also CEO. Despite the constant bleating of the press about how we were a rabble, Summers kept his cool and waited for due diligence to be followed. Also the fact that we abandoned our penchant for electing ex-players (ie Nettlefold, Butters, Thomas) to significant positions in the club and opted for the best available for our situation was also a positive. Pelchen still has a lot of clout around the club but for me it was the appointment of Summers that was the crucial one.

[Milne]

So the turnaround is based on hard work from the list, senior buyin, improvement of 3 year players, some canny "reject" drafting, and a simple fundamental gameplan put together by a no nonesense, calm, considered coach.

Great summary Joffa. The club has done wonders and we are definitely on the upward slope!

I just hope that we all can remain positive during the "volatility" that no doubt a young team can expect to experience over the next couple of year.

[White Winmar]

Let's also give some credit to Terry Dillon, our interim CEO and CFO. Deserves as much credit as Summers for working tirelessy in the background, for very few kudos.

[White Winmar]

That should've read COO.

[Saints94]

Let's also give some credit to Terry Dillon, our interim CEO and CFO. Deserves as much credit as Summers for working tirelessy in the background, for very few kudos.

+1.

[busso mick]

Let's also give some credit to Terry Dillon, our interim CEO and CFO. Deserves as much credit as Summers for working tirelessy in the background, for very few kudos.

Great point WW.

[Con Gorozidis]

I reckon it started two years ago when we got Elshaugh and Pelchen in and the Newnes/Webster draft. Sadly Ross and Markworth havent come on as quickly as wed like - but I reckon off field we started turning it around back then.
Watters was a minor hiccup - but it wasnt like he was a complete disaster - just a a bit off on the personality side. 2012 was a good year remember and 2013 brought us Billings, Acres, Dunstan.

[fingers]

Starts with Summers. Both he and the coach have something in common....get the basics right and keep the message simple. Will take time but will get there.

[HitTheBoundary]

Starts with Summers. Both he and the coach have something in common....get the basics right and keep the message simple. Will take time but will get there.

I agree. And hopefully Finnis will complement this further.

[spert]

During the post Lyon era, there were a couple of things that bogged down the club.. the president and board got caught napping and acted like a slow turning ship instead of hitting the ground running to get a new direction happening. Secondly I think it took a while to adjust to the new coach and then losing Goddard. Our experienced players really didn't have a big input- Hayes injured for a good chunk of last season, Fisher had injury problems and NDS didn't bust a gut- Roo didn't quite carry on early good form, though Milne probably did the best. I feel that some of the senior players didn't get behind Watters and got a bit selfish and sooky, and this rubbed on to the younger brigade, I think that in review, the senior players probably realised they could have done a whole lot better in the last two seasons and are now really putting in.

President Summers clearly is much more pro-active and decisive in his role than the ghost was, and this has freshened up the business side of the club, and Richo seems to be a good communicator with a strong work ethic that seems to be rubbing off on the players.

[stinger]

I reckon it started two years ago when we got Elshaugh and Pelchen in and the Newnes/Webster draft. Sadly Ross and Markworth havent come on as quickly as wed like - but I reckon off field we started turning it around back then.
Watters was a minor hiccup - but it wasnt like he was a complete disaster - just a a bit off on the personality side. 2012 was a good year remember and 2013 brought us Billings, Acres, Dunstan.

think the jury's still out on that one.....in this weeks "inside football.....crackers keenan states and i quote".... nick dal santo and brendon goddard are gone and people close to st kilda tell me it had as much to do with scott watter's presence as it did with list management......he does go on to state that that opened up the way for a list regeneration that will build st kilda's future.".....he also has plenty of praise for richo.....

[markp]

Pelchen ---> Summers ---> Richo.

Pivotal moment (perceived by many as rock-bottom) was sacking Watters, and our bold trading period.

Older (and younger) players have stepped up and 'bought in' as JB says, young guns have enthused and energised the pervading sense of positivity and building towards something special.

Also, honourable mentions to the legacy of Saints Footy under RL and the camaraderie of the GT era... if we distil the best of those periods and define that as our culture (instead of having our culture defined for us), we're on.

[joffaboy]

Also, honourable mentions to the legacy of Saints Footy under RL and the camaraderie of the GT era...

Think you are spot on with both obversations here markp (IMHO anyway).

I see a lot of Saints Footy in our current defensive set up, but with one HUGE difference, youthful legspeed in transition.

In the Lyon era, we were a talanted but one paced team, only Jones and that bloke from the Dockers (how quickly do you forget their names) had any real toe.

Now we have Webster (flew past Jetta like he was standing still) Stanley, Newness, and Jack Steven leading the way. All with plenty of toe.

With all the kids coming through together we have the genesis of the early 2000's with Steven, Webster, Saunders, Newness, Wright, Ross, Saunders, Stanley, Hickey, Longer, Dunstan, Billings, Eli, Mav Weller etc all around the same age.

In fact it was mentioned (between talk of lasers, and Mexican food) on the commentary last Saturday that 12 of the Saints players weren't even born when Fletcher debuted.

Speed, enthusiasm, a good simple gameplan, a clear understanding of what the coach wants and the roles to play, and we have the beginnings of a footy team.

Exciting.

[SaintPav]

I just want to say, GREAT POSTS by everyone.

[SaintPav]

Without trying to put a dampener on how we're going, can we just hold off for at least another two weeks before we get too excited.

I'd like to see how we go this week being favorites for the first time this year.

The following week we are up against the Hawks which will be a really good indicator of how much we have improved.

[saintsRrising]

Electing Wastaway as President was a disaster for club.

With our onfield success and platform he was given he should have set up soundly. Instead he drove us into the ground.

[joffaboy]

This thread will be interesting in about two months.

In the next 7 weeks after today, 6 of the team are in the top eight.

We have yet to play a top eight team.

[Old Mate]

I just want to say, GREAT POSTS by everyone.

Yup. +1

[Harvey To Hayes]

This thread will be interesting in about two months.

In the next 7 weeks after today, 6 of the team are in the top eight.

We have yet to play a top eight team.

Of course what you say is true, but I think everyone's completely aware of that. We have a long, long way to go until we're seriously challenging again, but the excitement is stemming from the fact that we (seem to be at the moment) moving forward at a far greater rate than anyone could have expected even a couple of months ago. I remember watching us get spanked by GWS in Wagga Wagga in NAB Cup (live on cable in LA strangely enough) and thinking we had a tough few years ahead of us, but now I ' only seeing positives and upsides, whether it be the new blood like LD, Billings, Eli and (soon) Acres, or the improvement by the likes of Hickey, Webster and Newnes (to name but a few). Plus I love the club's increased communication with members and long-term strategic approach ( I'm typing this from my Wellington hotel room), and trust Pelchen and Richo with our boys as much as anyone in the 40 years I've been a supporter...

The next couple of months onfield will indeed be tough but there is so much to be excited about moving forward...

[citywest]

This year's trading will tell the story IMHO. I just hope we are as bold as last year. Two trades that I think (and hope) Pelchen is considering.....

Gilbert and our 4th pick for a pick under 20 in return.
Armatage for a pick under 15 in return.

[QuestionOfAccuracy]

The catalyst for the turnaround on field has been Alan Richardson.

He's gotten the senior guys to fully buy-in. He's gotten the younger guys playing with a lot of confidence and discipline too. And he's gotten the team to focus on defense, which means they will be able to compete in most games.

Off-field I'm yet to be convinced anything has been turned around yet. The website still shows our membership count at 29,332 - this is likely to be the lowest of any of the Melbourne sides, and don't think it's any better than last year.

The Club is yet to acquire another major sponsor either.

Matt Finnis on the surface of it seems to be a strong appointment. But off the field, we're still well and truly behind the 8 ball.