When it comes to the influence of American culture onto the world of AFL football, I just can’t seem to make up my mind.
One minute I loathe it. As an example, conversations around pre-game entertainment at the AFL grand final leave me cold; the performances themselves for the most part just look like Super Bowl lite. I’m not convinced our game needs it.
On the move? From left: Carlton’s Tom De Koning, Fremantle’s Luke Jackson, and West Coast’s Harley Reid.Credit: AFL Photos, Getty Images
But then, I’ll do a complete U-turn. Just this week, I was watching the NBA draft lottery, whereby the NBA franchises all get a number of ping pong balls (yes, ping pong balls) relevant to their ladder position. The worse the season, the more lucky balls you get … It’s a clever way to allocate valuable, early draft picks to the bottom teams but sidesteps temptations for teams to tank. At least, that’s the theory.
I watched on this week as the Dallas Mavericks literally won lotto for the No.1 pick (they had a 1.8 per cent chance going in), and I thought, we should definitely adopt that in the AFL.
Back and forth I go. “Hot takes” about footy 24/7? Spare me. But documentary-style films on clubs, players and the history of the game borrowed straight from the USA? Yum. When it comes to American pie, I do gobble it up, but I don’t need to eat every slice.
As is unwritten law for an Australian male in his early 40s, I am obsessed with all things Michael Jordan. I’m embarrassed to say, but rarely a month goes by when I won’t jump back into the Netflix sensation, The Last Dance. And again, this past fortnight, I found myself watching the entire series.
For many people, particularly anyone who is involved in professional team sport, the Chicago Bulls represent so much more than just the six championships. It might be a stretch, but I would even go so far as to say that the Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990s are to team sports fans what the Beatles are to those with a musical or creative bent.
Jordan, perhaps the most spectacular “killer” sport has maybe ever known. Scottie Pippen, the devoted teammate and resident empath. Dennis Rodman, “the backwards walking man”, who carries the torch for misfits and outsiders in sporting teams. And Steve Kerr, the worker, the observer, the specialist.
A group of very different, equally fascinating individuals who came together and created something divine. That divinity overshadowed the grit and gristle that went on behind the scenes.
Australian Luc Longley, the 218-centimetre wise owl, was famously absent for much of the documentary despite his central role (pun intended). The Bulls’ story is dominated by Jordan, the greatest player to ever play the game. Asked to describe Jordan’s leadership style, Longley memorably replied, “Carnivorous.”
Luc Longley and Michael Jordan in 1997.Credit: Reuters
This week, the announcement that Jordan was returning to basketball, albeit as a broadcaster, was worldwide news. It will be fascinating to hear how, some 27 years after the Chicago Bulls reigned supreme in the NBA, Jordan (at age 60) will become an in-game commentator and analyst for the NBC.
With my subconscious faintly buzzing with this cultural crossover of America and Australian rules football, I found myself wondering if there are a couple of forgotten lessons to come out of the Chicago Bulls story that break free from the individuals and could be of use to the 18 AFL clubs. I whittled it down to three.
1. Phil Jackson (the fifth Beatle) emerges as one of the big winners from The Last Dance. This is due, at least in part, to his ability to balance the egos on the team, but more significantly, a coaching philosophy that leant evenly on a system (the triangle) and a connection to the spirit with something greater than any individual through symbolism, storytelling and borrowing from other cultures.
2. The Chicago Bulls are arguably the greatest team of any kind, from all time and at various points, yet they hated each other’s guts! If they were fighting each other, it’s probably reasonable to assume that your footy team will be fed up with each other from time to time, too.
3. This one goes out to a few young superstars in the AFL. What gets brushed over a little too quickly, in my opinion, is the simple fact that Jordan – His Airness, the GOAT – didn’t seek his glory elsewhere. He stayed. He built it. He shaped it, cajoled it and his success was sweeter for it.
Speaking of carnivorous, this year’s trade season promises to be especially active. Will Harley Reid, the young Eagles bull, return to Victoria? There is a recent precedent: fellow No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis left North Melbourne for home when they were at a similarly low ebb. Will the Demons manufacture a reunion with Docker Luke Jackson? Will Tom De Koning take the $1.7 million a year from St Kilda or be a one-club player with Carlton?
My advice is to think long and hard about the benefits of digging in, and to resist taking shortcuts.
The Bulls were a joke when Jordan arrived. If your footy club has cultural issues, you can change it. If your footy club is losing, you can stay and help right the ship. For some, a change of scenery can do wonders for performance, but it’s not a rule.
If the problems begin and end with you, don’t forget the adage, wherever you go, you’ll always be there.
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