Malcolm Blight says Crows’ culture divide between club and Andrew McLeod can be bridged, starting with establishing a city base
Adelaide’s dual premiership-winning coach Malcolm Blight says establishing a city base would help remedy the Crows’ culture issues raised by great Andrew McLeod, and return the club to its former glory.
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Malcolm Blight believes establishing a heart and soul city base would tackle legend Andrew McLeod’s club criticism and spur the ‘tough’ culture integral to Adelaide’s premiership years.
Dual Norm Smith Medallist McLeod insists the Crows’ West Lakes facility lacks warmth and football ‘authenticity’ while great memories are ‘catalogued’.
Creating a dedicated club and social facility near Adelaide Oval mirroring the popular West Lakes Shed is essential to creating a link between fans, players and accountability that spurred Blight’s 1997-98 flags.
“It puts a bit of toughness in you as a player or football club. I would love to see them get something, but it has got to be within walking distance of Adelaide Oval,” said Crows premiership mastermind Blight.
“The Shed at West Lakes was at the bottom of the whole Football Park arena and when I was there we made it our business to go back as a group.
“You get two or three players and the coach up every home game win, lose or draw.
“So you were compelled to do it, it was part of the thing and it helps to build a club.
“If you keep losing does that help? Yeah, fronting up after losing makes you stronger.”
When Hall of Fame legend and 1978 Brownlow Medallist Blight speaks, the football world listens.
Blight feels “a little bit of the same” regarding McLeod’s observation at the dearth of imagery marking the club’s “history and people” in Adelaide’s corporate entrance.
“A lot of American sports are just marketing operations now. They don’t have a lot of places because they come from all over the States. I do think fans want to have a home,” noted Blight, now a radio Sports Day expert.
Adelaide had to withdraw its $65 million parklands project application due to COVID-19 financial fallout, but punters crave a no frills club setting on match day.
It could be the simplest and best endeavour to reward fans as the clubs seeks membership loyalty pledges for season 2020.
“You can go back for half an hour and let the traffic settle and that’s why it worked with the Shed. That is why I think something around the Adelaide Oval precinct could work,” Blight told The Advertiser.
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Senior coach Matthew Nicks, head of football Adam Kelly and development manager Daniel Jackson are attempting to implement cultural change following Jason Dunstall’s external review delivered last October.
Blight highly regards past players’ president Rod Jameson, but notes his premiership defender can only play catch-up to player bonds developed voluntarily over generations at Hawthorn or North Melbourne.
“Since talking to Wayne Carey and Denis Pagan and the guys that came after us at North Melbourne I am a great believer in bridge building. So when you go somewhere and see a Wayne Carey or John Longmire you have a bit of link, jump with them,” said dual Kangaroos premiership hero Blight.
“The Hawthorn players since 1961 have a heap of bridges built all the way through their history and I reckon that is how you become a really, really successful club.
“You embrace what happened and join the bridges together.
“Premierships help.”
Blight no longer has a formal association with Adelaide, which he says explains his absence from regularly presenting the club champion medal that bears his name.
“A bit like everybody else, it is finished, at a very long arm’s distance,” said Blight, director of football and board member at Gold Coast from 2012-15 in addition to corporate and media roles since leaving as St Kilda coach in 2001.
“Occasionally you talk to Rob Chapman or Andrew Fagan because you are involved in the media.
“You don’t go and live on each other’s door steps, those days are gone.
“I haven’t done that (presentation) mainly as I have lived away.
“Secondly, other things have cropped up over the years and I have tried to keep myself busy. “When I am around I have quite enjoyed doing it, but I haven’t done it very often I can assure you.”
McLeod has raised his club disconnection with premiership teammate turned board member Mark Ricciuto, insisting it “can be better”.
Blight was surprised by McLeod’s comments on the Bunji and Brettster podcast as he “wasn’t one to make a lot of noise”.
“He was quiet and reserved, but ask him a question and he talks,” recalled Blight of McLeod, one of four Crows to play 300 AFL games including Ricciuto, Tyson Edwards and Ben Hart.
Blight rates McLeod the best Crow he coached by virtue of Ricciuto being sidelined with a groin injury for the 1997 finals series “which wasn’t his fault”.
Now, Adelaide’s favourite sons will pursue common ground.
Blight noted McLeod’s AFLW assistant role and significant indigenous program funding recently stopped due to COVID-19 cost cuts and he isn’t comfortable around clubrooms.
Blight says this feeling isn’t uncommon for past stars who must realise their time in the sun has passed.
“I get emails from the club and you can go to games and you can have premiership reunions which seem to work well. The funny thing, I have seen Andrew a number of times,” recalled Blight, who endured three losing grand finals as Geelong coach.
“Having reunions or inviting a whole group of players to games is a good idea, but you are always on the periphery.
“You have your time and once you get a bit older you realise that.”
The mythology around Blight – who delivered the respect Adelaide craved through innovative coaching methods – grows 22 years since its second flag.
Blight dearly wanted to pass the baton on to coach Don Pyke in 2017, but Adelaide is still recovering from its grand final disaster against Richmond.
The late Bob Davis was Geelong’s premiership coaching link before Mark Thompson ended a 44-year drought in the 2007 grand final against Port Adelaide.
Blight is half way to Davis’ mark.
“I feel like Bob Davis at Geelong, all of the times I have met him, doing the Geelong bit and understanding all that. In 2017, I was hoping like hell they would win,” said Blight.
Originally published as Malcolm Blight says Crows’ culture divide between club and Andrew McLeod can be bridged, starting with establishing a city base