St Kilda leader Maverick Weller pens the first of a series of insights into his 2017 season for saints.com.au, with his opening piece delving into the leadership transition at the Saints this year and during his time at Linen House Centre.
We’ve been preparing for this for a few years now. It started when ‘Newnesy’ [Jack Newnes] and I were added to the leadership group at the start of 2015 and continued when Jack Steven joined the group last year. For too long, we’ve been reliant on the elder statesmen at the club to steer the ship, but now we’ve got a far deeper spread of leadership which is a great sign of where this club is heading.
The addition of three more players who are 25 or under completes a major shift in the age demographic of our leadership group. It is now our turn to further develop the leadership at the club for sustained success. And while we’ve still got one of the greatest captains in the history of the game, Nick Riewoldt, and three extremely experienced leaders in ‘Joey’ [Leigh Montagna], ‘Shinner’ [Sean Dempster] and ‘Gilbo’ [Sam Gilbert] all still actively involved in the direction of the club, I think we’re in a very fortunate position.
When ‘Newnesy’ and I joined the leadership group the club didn’t have many options under the age of 24 or 25. What we did have was a strong group at the top who did a mighty job, but given their strength it probably didn’t allow opportunities for others. Now, we’ve seen three younger players – Josh Bruce, Dylan Roberton and Seb Ross – knock the door down to the point where their actions over an extended period of time demanded they be included in our 2017 leadership group. And they aren’t the only ones; Luke Dunstan, Tim Membrey, Jack Billings and Jack Lonie are all part of the next generation who are driving this club forward as young leaders.
Under the guidance of our new Captain Jarryn Geary – who I can’t wait to run out alongside – and with our new leadership group, there are bound to be some challenges we come across, but we’re in the very strong position that we have the likes of Riewoldt, Montagna, Dempster and Gilbert to seek advice from. Nathan Brown, who was vice-captain at Collingwood and a premiership player, is another who adds invaluable leadership experience too. Having that group of experience and leadership around is massive for our club during this transition.
As we embark on a new direction with ‘Gears’ at the helm and with a so much depth in the leadership space behind him, it’s as good a time as ever to reflect on the impact Nick has had on me as not only as a player and a leader but also as a person away from footy. I really value what he does on and off the field and particularly what he does in the community. We’ve had plenty of tough, honest conversations during my time here but they’ve made me a better player and a better person.
He has a great ability to fill you with confidence at times when doubt creeps in or you’re not at your best. It’s hard to separate one moment from another, but I recall in my first season at the club when I was new to the role of tagging and coming off a poor game where I was badly beaten and I didn’t think I was going to get a game that weekend. It was pouring with rain at a Thursday training session and we were at the back of a cone and he grabbed me and said: ‘He’s in for a tough day at the office this weekend. You won’t give him a sniff.’ It was just a really small thing but it turned my belief in an instant and helped me respond that weekend with a good performance and put my season back on track. ‘Gears’ also has the ability to invest time and effort into young players to help build their belief, particularly in the early stages of your career when you’re just finding your feet. I couldn’t think of a better option to take the baton from ‘Roo’ [Riewoldt].
What I value most from a leader is setting the right example through hard work. It’s easy to say the right things but putting words into action is vital. If you look at ‘Roo’ and ‘Gears’ they are our two best leaders and they are two absolute workhorses who have got the most out of themselves through their dedication. You can’t help but be inspired by their actions; they both have this ability to stand up in key moments in games and go back with the flight and put their body on the line or gut run back to support their teammates when everyone else is exhausted. You look around and it lifts you to go to another level. For me, the ability to inspire and get the most out of your teammates is what leadership is to me. I look forward to being a part of the next era at St Kilda, working alongside ‘Gears’ and the other leaders.
