Crows chairman Rob Chapman defends Collective Mind program while admitting change was needed after Gold Coast camp

CROWS chairman Rob Chapman admits Adelaide’s pre-season camp did offend some of the team’s indigenous players, but he is not apologising for the Crows seeking a mental edge in sport.

Crows forward Eddie Betts was one of the indigenous players offended by aspects of the Collective Minds program used by Adelaide at its Gold Coast pre-season camp — and club chairman Rob Chapman admits this was “bad” and will not be repeated. Picture: Richard Wainwright

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ADELAIDE will not abandon its contentious “Collective Minds” program as Crows chairman Rob Chapman defends the chase for a new, powerful mental edge in sport.

“There is not much more than incremental gains we can make today in physically improving our players,” Chapman told The Advertiser on Thursday. “But when we are told we are using just five per cent of the mind’s capacity, it would be negligent not to explore how we can unlock the potential of the mind.”

The Collective Mind program — also used by NRL club South Sydney — continues to be used at Adelaide amid extraordinary claims from the Crows’ pre-season camp on the Gold Coast.

Eddie Betts leads Crows players off the field after losing the Round 12 match against Fremantle in Perth on Sunday. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright

Chapman describes some of the statements made of the camp — that includes claims of having “cult-like” elements that challenged the players’ mental strength — as “noise from second or third-hand reports from people who were not on the camp”.

But Chapman has conceded there were elements of the camp that could not be tolerated because these offended the club’s indigenous players — in particular star forward Eddie Betts — and the Aboriginal culture.

“We acknowledge the terminology used did offend some of the Aboriginal players,” Chapman said. “It was taken as offensive to their culture and their heritage.

“That is bad. And it has been rescinded from the program.

“And there are other changes and tweaks that have been made to the program.

“To the best of my knowledge, there is no lingering issue — and Eddie Betts made that clear in his radio interview (with FIVEaa) yesterday. Even Eddie is not sure why this comes up again and again (when the camp was in February).”

The changes to the Collective Mind program with the Adelaide Football Club has led to one of the facilitators from the Gold Coast camp no longer involved in any work with the Crows.

“Like any program anywhere, you adjust and adapt to your needs,” Chapman said. “But we have not walked away from the program.

“We have the coaches using it; the leadership team is using aspects of the program. We will not move away from anything that helps us win games of football.

“We will encourage the football department to keep using it to make us better on the field.

“And it is not a psychological program as the (external) noise makes it out to be. There is self-visualising, meditation, leadership, dealing with feedback … we are seeking to unlock the potential of the mind.”

Crows coach Don Pyke and the Crows adopt their national anthem ‘power stance’ during last year’s grand final. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

Chapman was publicly supportive of the Collective Mind project when he was questioned at Adelaide Airport on Thursday morning when — as Adelaide Airports chairman — he announced a $165 million upgrade to the facility.

He insisted the Gold Coast camp — and Collective Mind program — had enhanced the Crows rather than become a millstone that is part of the team’s fall to a three-game losing streak and a 6-6 record.

“We’ve put that (concern of the indigenous players from) that camp behind us,” Chapman said. “There are many good things that have emerged from the camp …

“I’ve listened to our players, I’ve listened to our coaching group, I’ve listened to people that were involved in the camp and many of them are telling me the wonderful things that they’ve taken from the camp that they’re applying in their everyday life … many are saying great things about it.”

Club veteran Richard Douglas, who on Thursday signed on to play a 14th season at the club next year, was not as keen to delve further into the controversial program.

“You guys (the press) like talking about it, we don’t,” Douglas said at the announcement of his one-year contract extension.

“We’ve moved on as a footy club.

“We had the camp, it was a really positive experience for most guys.

“There were a few little issues that came out of camp, we dealt with it, we move on.

“They (Collective Mind) are still a part footy program and we’ll continue to work with that and get the rewards from that.”

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