The new 17th and 18th clubs on the Gold Coast and Western Sydney regions will face enormous challenges – like all AFL clubs do – but they will be building from the ground up.
There has been much debate among AFL clubs about what concessions the incoming clubs will receive in terms of players and draft picks.
Early debate has some clubs believing the new franchises will receive too much in the way of draft picks and players in coming years while others are swaying on the other side, believing they could perhaps receive more to make them more competitive, faster.
What is certain is that the great percentage of these two clubs’ lists will be made up of players from across the country.
Like all interstate clubs, these sides will feature young men living away from home in a strange, new environment.
To keep these players happy and enthused about life away from home, a modicum of success in their early years would certainly help.
What normally keeps guys at footy clubs is winning, but in the first three years that is going to be a real battle for these clubs despite whatever concessions they are given.
There will be a delicate balance for those in charge as they juggle trying to be competitive in the early years with their ability to be a premiership threat and consistent top-eight side five years down the track.
A purely short-term view for the start-up clubs spells danger.
Having the right people in charge in the key positions will be paramount to ensuring the long-term stability of these new clubs.
The coaching and recruiting roles, among the host of initial appointments, will be of particular importance.
They could really make or break these footy teams in their early days.
If you look back at history at previous clubs’ inaugural years (such as West Coast and Fremantle), clearly what the first coach has done is set up the club, and weathered the early storm for its first real crack at finals and a premiership.
One has to expect somewhat of a rough ride early on.
That’s where I think history tells you an experienced coach is best equipped to deal with the media, members, sponsors and everything else that will come with the massive task of bringing a new club into a big national competition such as the AFL.
Guys like Kevin Sheedy and Neale Daniher have got enormous experience with those sorts of things.
I’d think that with their next opportunity they mightn’t be looking for a seven or eight-year deal. If they did get an opportunity to help establish one of the new teams they’d probably go in thinking: “Look, I’m more than happy to take three years”.
That way, they could help set the club up. If they have success, great. Then they may be offered another deal.
But if they don’t, then at least that experienced guy was there just to help set it all up while the club was in its infancy and riding out what might be a tough time.
The pressure to get immediate success could take too great a toll on an untried coach.
While the new coach will ultimately be judged on wins and losses, he will also be responsible for building a culture.
In some ways that will probably be easier despite there being no history for these new entities to draw on.
These clubs will have no bad habits, and can start with blank pages.
It might be easier to create a strong, healthy culture than turning around a bad one.
On the flip side, if they don’t get it right from the start it might poison the club for 20 years.
