AFTER a month in the chair, Chief Executive Officer Brian Cook sat down to answer questions from the Carlton supporter base on all things Navy Blue.
Spanning over 24 minutes with 27 questions, it was an extensive chat with the CEO, with just a selection of answers available below.
To hear the full interview, you can watch along via the video in the player below.
How do you define success for the football club in 2022?
It’s got to be whole of club. I’m not a believer in there being only one KPI which is winning a premiership, and if you don’t you’re unsuccessful — I’m a long way from that. I’m a whole-of-club person, and it’s about ensuring our Masterplan is on time and on budget, working towards 100,000 members, ensuring we maintain our top 20 partners, ensuring we have great fan and member engagement, ensuring our staff satisfaction is high: I could keep going and going.
What are your thoughts on Carlton’s rebuild? Is it complete, or is there still growth needed?
I think clubs are always into improving. I know rebuilds can have a connotation of starting again, but in my experience, every club is trying to improve and - for want of a better term - rebuild. You get to a stage where you can sustain success, that’s pretty important. I think we’ve got a fair way to go, to be honest, because we live in an equalised world. You have the same dollars, you’re supposed to have the same talent et cetera. You have to identify what is going to take us to the top and keep us there. Is it our talent? Is it our facilities? Is it our partnerships? Is it a combination of things? I believe that the driver of all of that is a great culture, so for me that’s going to be a real ambition and one I’m going to enjoy.
Have we got the right mix of players and staff now to move forward: is there a synergy in place?
It takes time to build synergy. ‘Was there a synergy in place’ — I can’t answer that. But we do need to develop a really close DNA. The answer is ‘let’s work on it’. My philosophy to running football clubs is you need to be team-driven and it’s all about numbers of teams - whether it be your marketing team, your football team, your backline - who have to work together. It’s very important that, as leaders, we have to be really good at leading teams. It’s not just about just individuals.
How are the Club and the AFL working to replace Liam Jones?
We’re working with the AFL in relation to compensation for Liam. Suffice to say, there is a possibility of other clubs doing the same thing so the AFL are probably being somewhat conservative in how they compensate, for want of a better term. We’re basically in discussions now about what that looks like now and in the future.
What was the reason for wanting to come to Carlton and, having been at a successful club like Geelong, what do you want to put in place at Carlton?
It was an opportunity to think about the 32 years I’ve been a CEO and everything I’ve learnt and the experiences I’ve had. Being able to use all of that in this last gig, and changing the Club in a way where it can become successful for a long period of time.
In your role, what is one thing that’s a non-negotiable?
Core values are non-negotiable. Your club’s purpose should also be non-negotiable. Sometimes within the purpose statement, there are bits of that statement that become more important than others, but it shouldn’t be too negotiable. Your core values - personal, and of the football club - are non-negotiable. And they should align.
What surprised you coming into Carlton that has been perceived differently from the outside?
It’s a little bit more stable than people think. That’s the answer to that.
What’s the biggest strength of the football club, and what’s the biggest area of improvement at the football club?
I think probably the football club’s resources and its people [is its biggest strength]. I think its weakness is it is not totally committed to the plan or its values, or rather a better way of putting it is it’s not necessarily owned which it needs to be.
Can you get AFL home games back to Carlton after your success in the Geelong ground upgrade?
I don’t think that’s on our agenda. We have a vision of having an average home ground attendance of anywhere between 45,000 to 55,000 people. Because of the current redevelopment, the max capacity if we did redo the other half of the ground, it would cost in my opinion somewhere around $300-400 million and it would only take in an attendance of 30,000. It’d reduce our match receipts by millions, so from a commercial point of view, it makes it really hard. From a historical, sentimental point of view, I understand it — the tribal stuff.
When will we be able to tour the Club and see all of the renovations first-hand?
Redevelopments are difficult because it’s basically a work-zone, a safe-zone until it’s completed (which is another year away). When it’s completed, we’ll be able to do that and we’ll be looking forward to doing that in terms of providing tours for members. Showing off what I think will be a brilliant redevelopment. It incorporates our museum, player facilities, administration facilities, a function room at the top, an indoor training facility which takes up nearly half the ground. It’s going to be brilliant.
When will supporters be able to watch training again?
It’s hard to work out what’s going to happen with Covid rules and regulations for us, even with the relaxation of the rules. There’s been no relaxation in that our players remain protected and live away from the rest of the organisation. We have to work through it, but the best way for me to put it is by saying whenever we can do it, we will do it.
How’s Sam Docherty doing?
I spoke to Sam on the weekend and he has completed his last treatments and was chaffing at the bit to start rehabbing from a football point of view and recovering. He is just so dogged and determined. It was the first time I had spoken to him and I was impressed with his manner and determination. Whatever he says he’s going to do, I can assure you there’s a big chance of that happening.
