Loyalty

[Thryleon]

I think that for plenty of players footy is their job, they don't really care where they play.

There is probably a difference as well when the club decides that a player is to go vs a player telling the club they don't want to be there

Loyalty is mainly a notion for fans and older ones at that as AFL becomes more about the $$ than anything else.

I think, when trying to understand this thought process the best way to do it, is to look at it in the context of your regular worker.

Some people, have a lot of pride in themselves, and will flourish in any environment because they want to prove their worth but the second they find a better offer they walk out the door (this sounds too familiar).

Some people, will become stale in the same environment for too long because they are not developed as people.  The second you start to challenge them to grow as workers be it, a change in role, more responsibility, or even just understanding how they fit into the bigger picture of achievement, it can reinvigorate them as workers.  (This again sounds too familiar).

Others no matter what you do for them, see it as a pay packet, will put in the minimum requirement and move on.  (This might apply to a few at our club across the journey.  Hopefully we are weeding out the last of them). 

Apply that context to footy players, and then you have an accurate picture of where our football club has really failed over the last 15 years.

This is why we need to get better at developing people.

This is why we need to get better at treating people fairly and not creating scapegoats here there and everywhere as it breeds resentment.

This is why we need to get better at setting standards.

I know for a while there proffesionally, I was being disrespected for my contribution, and wasnt encouraged to learn, train and gain new skills.  My performance suffered accordingly.  Back to the minimum effort required to get the job done.

That changed with a shift in management initiative, and it can stem from something small.  I.e. I was sent on a one week course in something semi relevant to my job, but would improve my employment prospect = an increase in productivity, commitment to the cause, and putting in additional hours without being asked for it, and the only thing that shifted was how my employer made me feel about working for them.

If we can zero in on this aspect of the club and get that going well, we will start to improve in ways we hadnt even considered.

For the record, Bolton (to a lesser extent Steven Trigg) looks to be the people who understand the above and are working on fixing it.