The AFL should headhunt Richmond football boss Neil Balme to save Gold Coast Suns, writes Mark Robinson
Every club Neil Balme has been in the football department at has enjoyed success. Mark Robinson says the AFL should make the Richmond footy boss a monster offer to steer Gold Coast out of trouble.
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Surely, this is the final throw at the stumps for the AFL and the Gold Coast Suns.
The club needed help, no doubt, but Monday’s announcement of draft concessions was more than help — it was a salvage package.
The package should have had an accompanying letter with the following warning: Don’t stuff this up.
Because if the Suns aren't able to get their house in order this time around, the future will be grim, if isn’t already.
That’s now $250 million spent on the Suns and another three years of concessions — and compromised drafts — which followed the initial delivery of draft picks back in 2010.
The football world has been largely understanding.
To the grow the game, the competition had to expand.
The fans accepted the Suns as the first expansion team and understood the draft concessions.
And same the fans will understand why the Suns now need more draft aid.
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But that’s it. There’s no next time.
Because if this project doesn’t work, what’s the point of continuing to throw good money after bad?
And continually squandering draft picks.
Does this happen again in another 10 years if it all goes pear shaped?
“It’s pretty radical,” one chief executive said yesterday.
No, it just can't happen again.
There’s a host of reasons why Plan A didn’t work at the Suns.
The AFL has to own its mistakes — it refuses to acknowledge any mistakes were made which is unconscionable — and mostly everyone who worked there has to accept a level of responsibility.
Gillon McLachlan helped set up the club and now Gillon McLachlan has overseen these latest handouts.
There’s no third prize, Gil.
The question is: Will Monday’s package be the deal breaker?
Time will tell, but history says no.
Three of Gold Coast’s first-round draft picks played for Richmond on Saturday.
First-round picks Jack Martin and Callum Ah Chee want out this year.
And who knows if Jack Lukosius and Ben King will stay after 2020.
The Suns’ plan this time was to land picks (tick), bring in young talent (tick), and then keep them.
Clearly, the problem child of that trio is to “keep them”.
That’s where the AFL can also assist.
They should allot more money for coaching/development/welfare and absolutely ensure people in the A-grade jobs are not wearing L plate tags.
For starters, the AFL should offer Richmond football boss Neil Balme a monster package to go there.
Balme has been successful at every club when he’s been in charge of the football departments, so why not?
Arguably, good, experienced people are more important than good young draft picks.
Originally published as The AFL should headhunt Richmond football boss Neil Balme to save Gold Coast Suns, writes Mark Robinson