Hoops

Dean Parker now 36ers GM; Members Forum announced

I'll be there and I hope all members without a decent excuse are there too. Critical jucture in the club's history and it's a chance to have your say. Looking forward to it.

The CJ situation was a debacle. I guess I see the open mike Q&A a recipe for disaster if not handled correctly.

There is no doubt the Adelaide 36ers are in a very tight spot.

Now there are many gripes with the organisation at the moment and one only has to read Hoops to see a long list of issues from which to become depressed.

Part of the process of moving forward is to engage the supporters and I believe this forum is part of that process. A positive part. I suspect The Forum is part of a consultative process in forming a Situational Analysis for the organisation. This Situational Analysis may be used to develop a Business Plan for the organisation to move forward.

Understanding the customer and what they want you to deliver is very important.

Yes, the Sixers have been woeful on court, yes, the coach is hated by fans, yes, people think the front office of the Sixers has been terrible, yes, there are issues with the stadium etc Don't get hung up on the recent past for the moment, but put any issues you have to the Club in a sensible manner as part of a consultation process in moving forward.

The forum will be very interesting and I suspect the following:
- club's financial position
Probably pretty dire, but not as bad as the Greece economy.

- income/expenses
Expenses probably running at around $3-4M/yr. Income might be as low as $2-3M. No effective major sponsor, falling attendances etc all affecting income streams. Unfortunately, all the car makers sponsor the AFL to get the TV exposure. The club really needs a FMCG product/brand to get behind it. One that is able to complete their sponsorship agreement in full. Obviously either need to cut expenses (hard) or increase revenue streams.

- coaching
If Marty is confirmed as coach for another 3 years, the Apollo room could be trashing and the Arena burned down. I suspect that it will be announced that the job will be thrown open and expressions of interest will be called. Please hold all effigy burnings outside of the building to comply with the fire codes. All fans are reminded that releasing pigs with names painted on them breaches animal cruelty laws.

- ownership and community models
The SOS group might have run its course. Initially established to keep the club going, it has achieved that goal. Private ownership seems to be a thing of the past or reserved for the rich and shameless, with the Wollongong model probably being the one proposed. As mentioned by others, community ownership opens the club up to receive more generous government grants etc.

- moving forward
I suspect a community model prospectus will be issued to all members of the club and people will have up to a certain time to buy shares. The club might also wish to have a survey or similar.

Personally, I believe a strong link with BSA and the local clubs is needed. I also believe that while the SOS have impressive resumes in the areas of business, some external support is required in the areas where they don't have direct skills.

- Q&A
This is where there needs to be pretty tight control on the mike. It could be Open Season with the potential for a lot of dumb questions/abuse put to the club. eg "Does the club feel silly axing CJ and replacing him with the worst NBL import ever?" Security could be busy.
Please respect the fact the club is holding a session at all so try to keep any questions sensible.

Can you anonymous posters please put a bloody name to your posts so we can follow what you are saying!

There are some really good arguments/comments coming out and I'd hope that anonymous 488 in particular will be at the forum on Wednesday. Outline your concerns and let the club know them and respond where they can. I'd be certain the last thing the new GM wants is a dull forum where no one is willing to give honest feedback - however damming and brutal it may seem. The only way the club can improve is to hear what their customers like and don't like about the whole organisation and make adjustments where possible. Sure they may not answer all the questions in the way you want but you have more chance of being heard than you do with anonymous posts on a website

Trust me - its not a good feeling when the team folds and you realise it's too late!

Seen and heard more from Dean Parker in two days than I did from Grantham in two years. That alone has to be a good start.

There is already 1 change being made with the forum on Wednesday it's a fresh and new idea. I think we should at least go and hear what Dean has to say and then make up our minds if we think his appointment is a good idea or not.

For the first time in two months I now have reason to enter the Arena with a high level of anticipation. The intrigue!

Heaven help the ownership progression to an assumed community model if both Darryl and Dean announce an endorsement for the retention of Marty Clarke and Mark Radford as coaches for a further year or two.

Anecdotal evidence provided on this forum from people much closer than myself to both the players and owners has given me the impression this outcome is quite plausible.

I admit I've exposed myself to an intensive level of discontent by being a frequent visitor to this forum, but surely this discussion platform provides a reasonable enough sample to make an assumption on the sentiments of the wider membership and fan base.

I'm actually now more interested in what I will hear on Wednesday night than tomorrow night's results.

So he's managing director now, not GM? Sounds likely, given his involvement as a director, but not what was announced.

We can be critical of the speculation, or critical of the lack of clarity and process.

I presume the position was advertised and that his appointment is a result of due process? If not we already have a problem.

And, whatever the process, or the title, this is an 'inside appointment', which by definition means more of the same, with no fresh ideas or energy.

A Part-time Dean will achieve more than Leeanne ever did, even if he is a hour a week..
One tip use the phone not email!!

Nothing wrong with having an executive director - plenty of companies do things thus way. It doesn't mean anything negative and can allow the board to have first hand knowledge of the day to day business of the organization.

As for Dean now being a part time GM due to other commitments I have no idea, probably a good query to put to him at the meeting anonymous - or let me guess, you won't be there as you'd rather sit on the forum and bitch and moan from afar?

Ricey, you occasionally have brainwaves and this is one of them.

The marketing/promotion of the Sixers has been very ordinary for some time. A full review of the marketing / PR of the club would be a very good idea.

I see dean talking to people and this silver fox is keen to get sixers back to where they belong.be interesting night for discussion Q/A will be interested to hear outcome of this meeting.

Great appointment and the best of luck to Dean.

Nice bloke Dean is and very much looking forward to Wednesday night.

You had me at "coaching"

The sentiments are right but I see the presentation/announcement coming from the appointee rather than the chairman as most unusual.

If this statement was issued beside [or soon after] a formal statement from the chairman outlining Dean's skill set, personal attributes and management experience as well as what the board expects/hopes of him I'd be much more comfortable, though that comfort would still be qualified, given that he comes from inside the existing structure, which by definition, for me, means no fresh eyes or approach.

Sorry, but to me this says 'more of the same'. If he couldn't achieve the 'improvements' he implies are needed as a board member, how is he going to achieve them as GM - without him on the board, I assume?

If nothing else, having a board member suddenly change role from director [governance] to GM [management] really confuses the lines between the two, making governance & management difficult.

Would have much preferred someone from 'outside' bringing a fresh approach and new ideas based on experience in other relevant positions.

Sorry to be negative, but this doesn't feel good to me. I hope it works, but can't really see how it can.

And no, I won't be able to make that forum, unfortunately.

Knowing Dean personally, i can safely say he is one of the most passionate 36ers fans on this planet, all the best to him

Iron Sheik for life jabroni!
#TeamSheikieBaby

Disappointed I'm away that night, but look forward to hearing what gets said.

All the best Dean.

Dear Member,

It is with great excitement and anticipation that I take on the role of General Manager of the Adelaide 36ers.

Having been on the board for the last four years, many of you will already know me and know of my commitment and passion for this club and for all the people involved in it. For those of you that don’t know me personally, I do ask a favour, I ask that you give myself and the team of people beside me the opportunity to share with you and show you what we plan on doing and to continue your support of the club as we embark on the path back. Furthermore to those that don’t know me, feel free to come up and have a chat and talk all things sixers.

I come into this role fully understanding the current position of the club and with a very clear direction of what we need to do to get to where we want to be. That is both on and off the court, clearly we all crave on court success, however we also need to make sure we put ourselves in a position to be winning off the court as well.

As a member of the Adelaide 36ers, I would like to thank you for your support and ask you to continue to play your part. The success of this club will not depend on me, The Chairman or the Coach. the success of this club will depend on every stakeholder playing their part from the Chairman, Board, General Manager, staff, Coach, players, support staff, Sponsors and you, our members. Not only your much valued financial support, but also understanding the things that impact on the club and the things you can do to benefit the club. For that to work, our communication with you needs to improve so that we can move forward together and I can assure you our communication with you WILL improve.

You will also find attached a flyer in regards to a Members Forum. This will be held at the Adelaide Arena next Wednesday 13th March and this is an opportunity for me to get together with our members and inform you on key issues. I understand that sadly this date may not suit everyone, however with this letter going out to approximately 2,000 people, there would never be a time that would suit everyone. If able, I ask that you sincerely make your best efforts to attend the evening, as we will discuss and explain the reasons behind some of the decisions that has been made around the club, as well as the current position of the club and more importantly what we can all do, not only to ensure our survival this season, but put a model in place that ensures long term viability.

I thank you for your support and ask that you stick with us, not only for the financial support the club needs, but also to be part of something big. All of you that have stuck with us during some tough years, I now ask that you stick with us and be part of the good times. The good times are appreciated and enjoyed so much more by the loyal people that have been there when it was tough. That would be you!

I thank you again and look forward to taking this journey with you as we head down “The Path Back”.

Sincerely



Dean Parker
General Manager
Adelaide 36ers