How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success

[Twodogs]

I get the reasons why people are siding with the club but I think we are being too harsh on Sue Alberti.

I dunno about that. Alberti knew that there was a shit storm underneath this and she went ahead and unleashed it anyway. I wouldn't have done it to the club no matter how upset I was with the officials.

Sue needs to step up now and make sure she clears the air with PG. We need to move on.

Yes she does.

[Sedat]

Sue needs to step up now and make sure she clears the air with PG. We need to move on.

Too late, horse has bolted. Any future meeting to clear the air is now meaningless for the club because this pathetic little issue has reached maximum media damage through a combination of Susan's preciousness and sense of entitlement and PG's needless and rather pithy statement.

Both should be ashamed of their actions, Susan more so than Peter. But it goes to the heart of our appalling communications from senior management. This issue, the JJ issue and the banner fiasco have all been handled utterly pathetically. And they are all notionally minor issues but our responses have magnified all of them and garnered the club unwanted negative media coverage.

[bornadog]

Too late, horse has bolted. Any future meeting to clear the air is now meaningless for the club because this pathetic little issue has reached maximum media damage through a combination of Susan's preciousness and sense of entitlement and PG's needless and rather pithy statement.

Both should be ashamed of their actions, Susan more so than Peter. But it goes to the heart of our appalling communications from senior management. This issue, the JJ issue and the banner fiasco have all been handled utterly pathetically. And they are all notionally minor issues but our responses have magnified all of them and garnered the club unwanted negative media coverage.

I think you are being over dramatic.

1. I think Peter did the right thing, given HUN was posting on their front page. He was compelled to stick up for the club.

2. JJ issue, we got on the front foot and silenced everyone

2. What Banner fiasco? Did I miss something.

[Sedat]

I think you are being over dramatic.

1. I think Peter did the right thing, given HUN was posting on their front page. He was compelled to stick up for the club.

2. JJ issue, we got on the front foot and silenced everyone

2. What Banner fiasco? Did I miss something.

1. Peter's response was over the top, whilst well intended. We're talking about someone being advised to go through a different gate at a FREE event. Susan is a revered figure but is not an official of the club - we did not need to make any public statement to inflame the situation, but egos are a hard thing to rein in (I'm talking about both of them)

2. JJ statement was fine except for the pathetic line about being "disappointed he was out so late". That completely undid the purpose of the statement, by implying the club was actually not happy with his actions - grist for the mill for the media scumbags who are trawling the gutter to make their shitty living

3. Danny being demoted/sacked from writing the banners was very poorly handled. We turned a positive discussion topic and a clear point of difference that the club enjoyed into something completely watered down. The wording about how "we've moved beyond such messaging" was as off the mark as you could get with regard to this issue and speaks to the general Groupthink mentality that society abides by in this day and age. We can't write anything on the banners that might potentially inflame or insult anyone now can we (even though that was the exact purpose of Danny's banners)

We're performing like busted arseholes off the park at the moment. Won't matter a jot when the season starts but I expect much better from so-called professionals.

[Twodogs]

I think you are being over dramatic.

1. I think Peter did the right thing, given HUN was posting on their front page. He was compelled to stick up for the club.

2. JJ issue, we got on the front foot and silenced everyone

2. What Banner fiasco? Did I miss something.

You don't read Facebook do you? The banner thing has been all over it.

[Ozza]

Didn't know about the banner thing.

Not that I really care about the banners, but at least we were doing something different - and Danny becoming a regular on channel 7s shows was a bit of extra positive press for the club and I think was another aspect (however small) of 2016 that people warmed to.

To have wording like "we've moved beyond such messaging" - sounds like we are disapproving and distancing ourselves from Danny McGinlay and the light entertainment he was adding. That's pretty ordinary.

[Twodogs]

Didn't know about the banner thing.

Not that I really care about the banners, but at least we were doing something different - and Danny becoming a regular on channel 7s shows was a bit of extra positive press for the club and I think was another aspect (however small) of 2016 that people warmed to.

To have wording like "we've moved beyond such messaging" - sounds like we are disapproving and distancing ourselves from Danny McGinlay and the light entertainment he was adding. That's pretty ordinary.

The wording in the press release sounded a bit rude didn't it?

[bornadog]

You don't read Facebook do you? The banner thing has been all over it.

I was objecting to the word Fiasco - really a non issue and no one outside the club cares

[bornadog]

1. Peter's response was over the top, whilst well intended. We're talking about someone being advised to go through a different gate at a FREE event.

PG was backing the staff at the entrance with extra security for the Governor of VIC. It wasn't just Susan it was the whole camera crew. PG has rung her 4 times but she refuses to meet him or talk about it. End of story, hardly an issue but HUN decided to go for us. Chris Judd being refused entry didn't make the front page and arguably that is a bigger story.

JJ statement was fine except for the pathetic line about being "disappointed he was out so late". That completely undid the purpose of the statement, by implying the club was actually not happy with his actions - grist for the mill for the media scumbags who are trawling the gutter to make their shitty living .

I don't think any one cares about that statement - not a big deal.

Danny being demoted/sacked from writing the banners was very poorly handled. We turned a positive discussion topic and a clear point of difference that the club enjoyed into something completely watered down. The wording about how "we've moved beyond such messaging" was as off the mark as you could get with regard to this issue and speaks to the general Groupthink mentality that society abides by in this day and age. We can't write anything on the banners that might potentially inflame or insult anyone now can we (even though that was the exact purpose of Danny's banners) .

Hardly a fiasco.

We're performing like busted arseholes off the park at the moment. Won't matter a jot when the season starts but I expect much better from so-called professionals.

Harsh statement and I don't agree, but respect your opinion.

[comrade]

I'm happy we've moved on from Danny and the cheesy banners. He'd run his course and milked everything out of it.

Could have probably handled the transition but man, we're talking about banners here.

And this Alberti/PG stuff. Come on, it's absolutely pointless stuff that has no bearing on what actually matters...what happens on the field.

The next month is going to drag if these types of non issues are all we have to talk about.

[jeemak]

I'm not too phased by the decision on the banner, aside from the messaging about the messaging............I personally thought they'd well and truly peaked.

The JJ statement is fine. Footballers are instructed to not be out late this close to the commencement of the season, I can understand why the club thought it was needed to point out its disappointment he was out late, if it didn't, they'd be admonished for not doing so.

As for the Alberti situation, I don't understand why she has to use the entrance reserved for club/AFL officials and players.

[Twodogs]

I saw Lou Richards go through that entrance back in the day when (Was it the members' entrance? I think it was) it was actually a turnstile. It might have something to do with it. It makes as much sense as anything else does.

[westbulldog]

I'm happy we've moved on from Danny and the cheesy banners. He'd run his course and milked everything out of it.


I didn't think they were cheesy at all Comrade, I thought, as supporters of other clubs did, that they were refreshing, inventive and to the point. Whoever at the club canned McGinlay is shallow imo, so who specifically made the decision ? And who is that genius modern day Nostradamus who determined that Danny couldn't change tack ?

http://dannymcginlay.tumblr.com/

[choconmientay]

Damage is done. Not a good way to start the 2018 season.

I wonder if as a club we would need to be more open to the media for them not to blow up every small thing big like an elephant and run with it for a long period. Have the communication going both ways. Feed them with (not so important) story to keep them satisfy. (Not sure we employ a media/communication manager to manage the media)

Sport media are like sharks. If you feeding them, keeping them under control they would be tame and harmless. But if we don't and occasionally letting them smell blood, they would be all over us.

[jeemak]

Damage is done. Not a good way to start the 2018 season.

I wonder if as a club we would need to be more open to the media for them not to blow up every small thing big like an elephant and run with it for a long period. Have the communication going both ways. Feed them with (not so important) story to keep them satisfy. (Not sure we employ a media/communication manager to manage the media)

Sport media are like sharks. If you feeding them, keeping them under control they would be tame and harmless. But if we don't and occasionally letting them smell blood, they would be all over us.

The problem is that we have provided access in the past, and have been used as a punching bag too often.

I like our current approach, we are on the right path if we are annoying the entitled media establishment to the extent that they have to push stories like this one which are immaterial to our club and its successes or otherwise.