Coach

What is going on with our current coach for next year.
His contract is up at the end of the season, about 7 weeks away.

The club needs to act now one way or the other as this impacts recruiting, assistant coaches
and everything else in regards to footy in 2020.

This is my second post regarding this matter and still no word from the club.

I’m sounding like a broken record and a whinger, however there is nothing coming from the club in regards to football.

You would think that Gavin, or any other prospective coach, would want to know if he was going to be operating with a full salary cap. If the reduced salary cap is forced on us for another year, then who would want to coach us. I believe that Gavin has done as well as anyone could have under the circumstances. Given the current playing list, it is commendable that we are competitive for at least a quarter in most games. It is obvious to the supporters who watch us each week where the deficiencies lay. An all - out attempt to remedy this should have already been started. A reduced salary cap next year will not allow this process to commence. Furthermore, not only are we not recruiting the players we need, we may well begin to lose players we already have, not to mention supporters. It is not possible to continue on in this way and survive as a club.
The board owes it to the members to keep us informed. Murray has stated on more than one occasion that he values transparency. Can I suggest that minutes of all board meetings be published on the website, making sure that all decisions involving the football department are made known asap. I'm sure that members appreciate Murray's updates, but they are too vague, specifically what is being done to improve the club's on field performance. Surely, everything must be subservient to that end. Supporters have endured 4 abysmal seasons since the 2015 triumph. At the moment, as far as I can see there is no improvement, in fact our on field performances are getting worse. If a reduced salary cap operates again next year, we run the risk of losing our coach, more players and members.

Enough is enough. If I was tasked with the job of destroying a football club, I would reduce the spending of the football department indefinitely and sit back and watch it fall to pieces.

Agre 100% bruce.

Great post Bruce

To my best ability from memory --- On the night of the Presidents Members brief, the Director of Finance Mark Goddard in response to a question about recruiting made a statement that they were presently looking all aspects of the business at once and would not look at any individual area until later in the year when their overall review was completed.

When it was pointed out that this reflected a lack of football knowledge on the board as we needed to be recruiting now with the end of the year being too late and that the persons responsible for recruiting needed to have a clear picture now of the Salary Cap position the President responded that sadly the Director for Football Graeme Barton was not at the meeting as he was returning from an overseas visit (Absolutely NO issues with this) but he had great confidence that his football knowledge would address the issue ????

It needs to be noted that I understand the present Football Director when doing this role in the previous board voted and supported the lower salary cap and continues to do so so I am not sure how there will be any change.

I sincerely hope I am proven wrong but the blunt fact is that the Board is addressing financial issues first and this means that saving of money from other areas of the club is a major part of that plan staff reductions etc and includes the Football Operations area and while there is lip service about wanting club football participation to be successful this ---- IMO at this time the football aspect of the club is a lower priority to the Board.

I share your fears that we will lose a great coach and players due to this approach.

Club lives or dies on Membership ---- attendance at game ------ use of facilities and a winning competitive team is a critical component of this!

4 weeks to go before the end of the season and still no word on the coach.

Can the Board please provide an update. The silence is deafening.

Another week goes by and still no news on our coach for 2020.

Just a thought, not based on any actual fact, but:

We are assuming Colville wants to coach WAFC again next season. What if he is questioning whether WAFC is the best fit for him - professionally and personally?

Gavin has a young family and with his background with unisa and leadership maybe he is considering other options.

Blood Bath,

You maybe right and if so the Board need an answer from him now. With recruiting in full swing I’m sure Potential new players to the club would like to know who their coach is.