Glenelg Analysis

Nice article by CK on the Bays:


To say that Glenelg fans are frustrated about their football club would be somewhat of an understatement. Having not won a premiership since 1986 – the third longest gap after South Adelaide and West Adelaide – the loyal fan base has become more impatient for success. The heady days when they drew 11,827 fans to Gilderol Stadium – June 28, 2008 – a record attendance since the Adelaide Football Club was formed, seem a distant memory. Giant strides have been made off the field, with the installation of lights at the ground – making them the fifth SANFL ground to have them – giving them their biggest attendance at night on March 31, 2012 when 6.047 fans willed them to a 22 point win over West Adelaide.

Contrast this to last week, when they hosted South Adelaide on the Friday night and a mere 1,555 fans sat through admittedly very wet conditions to endure a 31 point loss to the struggling Panthers. While many Tiger fans expected 2013 would be a tough year, losing the last three matches by a total of 169 points looks to have sapped the confidence of both supporters and the playing group. As their percentage takes a major hit, with their 43.84% being the second worst in the SANFL, the ground required to make up to challenge for the top five continues to grow. The further concern lies with some inconsistency among their main recruits. While former Western Bulldog Andrew Hooper has had some good moments, ex-Sydney Swan Dylan McNeil, returning ex-Gold Coast onballer Hayden Jolly and former Central District forward James Lawton have all spent time in the reserves, increasing the pressure on the football department when the 2013 reports are being written.

The questions are growing louder about the coaching department also. After a period from 2000 to 2006 when six different men occupied the coaches box, the five and a half year reign of Mark Mickan until the middle of 2011 added much needed stability on the field. His termination in June of that year introduced rookie coach Kris Massie into the firing line. A fifth placing that year possibly masked longer term problems at the club, with sixth place awaiting both the league and reserves groups in 2012. Turning over a number of players takes considerable time to bear fruit also, but their current sixth place seems a little higher than where the group genuinely sits in the scheme of things.

The coaching list around Massie holds plenty of experience. Midfield coach Kym Hodgeman coached the club at senior level, while defence coach Paul Bulluss brings a wealth of AFL experience. Football manager Ken Applegarth has also coached South Adelaide at senior level, so there are plenty of experienced referral points in times of difficulty.

Financially, the club is in a relatively solid position, making interest only payments on the $1.8 million loan from Holdfast Bay council for the lights project, freeing up further cash flow and also drawing sound revenue from the licensed club. In theory, all major indicators point to a club that should be performing more strongly than it is on-field.

List management remains a tricky issue at Glenelg. The gap between the top dozen players and the next dozen remains high and there appear to be some sound peformers from past years on the outer, such as Brad Agnew. Whether some of these players are not fitting into Massie’s gameplan, or whether the composition of the list is reducing their opportunities remains to be seen, but at times, the playing group appears to be slow to respond to the current gameplan. It is too late to recruit quality players for the 2013 season to the club, so Massie will have to work with the current list. The club will need to make a decision at the end of 2013, however, as to whether he is the right person to lead the club into the future.

It seems that a lot of the Bays' problems come back to adminstrative decisions, such as sacking Mark Mickan after giving him assurances they later broke.

Has their relatively poor recruiting in the last couple of years been due to overspending on the cap a while back and forward loading contracts before the rules were changed?

this is nothing new, we've been shooting ourselves in the foot for years

with no actual knowledge i'd suggest with memberships down & the like i'm not so sure we're 'travelling' that well in the financial area either

The list is the real worry.

It is arguably the most inexperienced in the competition both in terms of games played and goals scored. There is a lack of pace in the whole team without the AFL contingent and Hender. Apart from Kirkby, who is solid rather then great, they lack tall, consistent forwards who can dominate a position and a goal sneak in the Callinan / McIntyre mode. The defence needs a mobile tall defender and someone who can attack off the half back line. The middle is solid and slow and doesn't run both ways.

At times the whole team seems one paced and unable to either find a plan B or be creative. Not sure if this is Massie's fault or a reflection that the whole team lacks stars. I think the fact that no Glenelg player was seriously in contention for a spot in the State squad sums it up.

Fitness also appears to be an issue. Jolly, Hooper, Trembath all look overweight and unfit. The way they have lost all but 1 last quarter is a reflection on both the youth and the level of fitness, and the latter does reflect on the coaching staff.

Unless there is improvement from an unexpected source, I think the Bays will struggle to avoid the spoon and I believe that a spoon will spell curtains for Massie.

just on the 3 players you mentioned that 'look unfit' Hoopers been carrying the injured knee for most of the season, Jolly is a side effect of medication for his health problem, Trembath looks solid i agree, the trouble is he has been the 'main man' at times throughout the year while Kirkby was out & he is a very good forward as the second fiddle & i'd have him in because he can kick a goal from 60 metres & we need all the goals we can get, i fear we'll get the spoon as well, Massie was quoted in the local paper as saying he still believes in the group, if he really does believe he has no idea & i don't blame Massie for the problems as he was thrust into the job when he was nowhere near ready for it

In my humble opinion, Glenelg has massively under achieved.
They have by far, and I mean by a long way, the best country zone of all the sanfl clubs. A lot of hard work has gone into that southeast area where glenelg have run 3 academies. Yes the area has produced a few good players for the Bays but Glenelg should have a side that almost represents the southeast. There are two very strong competitions down there, the Western Border and the KNTFL,and a plethora of juniors.

A poor finish to the season could see more turmoil at the Bay.