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

Member's forum seems like a great idea. Lay the current state of play on the table and show some positive direction.

Best of luck Dean and crew.

A post has been deleted to stop it derailing the thread. Please keep things on track.

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

All the best Dean.

Well this is a positive move I think. Wanting to improve communication and gain support and involvement from the fans. Going to be hard for some to get to the forum, but I think they have conceded that. I don't know if having the forum after the game on Saturday would have worked or not - probably depend on whether the Sixers pull off a win!

Onward and upwards – Go Sixers!

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

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.

'186, I agree on the coaching. No easy path on that but I wouldn't go into a Wednesday forum as the club without being able to respond and give the assurance that Clarke is out. The question will be inevitable and responding without something strong will detract from any efforts to get fans onside and potentially set foundations for a community model. You couldn't really get away with "We'll make a statement about the coaching position at the end of the season," after three years like we've had and expect the bounce Dean is probably hoping to get in his start as GM.

If it hasn't happened already, on Monday I'd speak with the coaches. On Tuesday or Wednesday I'd announce that the coaches won't be reappointed for the following season and the usual junk about searching for a replacement. Then on Wednesday, discuss why he wasn't replaced earlier as some/many fans wanted - some good signs to start the season, players and coaches together thought they could turn it around, money, whatever it might've been.

A real priority though is making sure the club is stable/secured from here. Potential recruiting targets are hearing/thinking (whether right or wrong) that the 36ers are going to fall over. That reality or perception is not good when you're trying to retain or improve a team, not to mention secure a coach.

You had me at "coaching"

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

Great appointment and the best of luck to Dean.

This is nothing but positive IMO.

The announcement coming from the GM himself is a little odd, but it think thats part of the plan to improve communication, and taking ownership for it by doing it yourself.

Unless they plan on getting up in front of the members and declaring "thanks for your support, this is the end" it basically confirms we will have a team next season.

They must also have some positive news on the stadium because thats bound to be asked.

You dont open these things up for questions, if you dont already know you have positive answers.

The timing is right too i believe. There are no more home games, and no more telecast games, so most people wouldnt even know if Clarke is there to coach the last two games anyway. I think he'll coach the last 2 games, but no-one would care if he didnt.

I just hope they get a massive crowd saturday night, and the atmosphere is positive. there's no reason for negativiy anymore.

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.

The only question I would want to ask at the meeting is, how do they plan to re-engage the youth (16-25 year olds) who don't get targeted at all, as it seems marketing is purely been placed to young kids and parents. And follow on question, will they continue the marketing/advertising they have been doing, or use the talented youth in the basketball community to help reignite it all.

However, there is no way they can answer in question thoroughly. Great idea, but best not to make it an open forum like a political running so people aren't given answers that wouldn't have been thought through yet.

Regardless, finally something positive at the end of the season to give some hope for next!

Dean Parker is a 'nice' enough guy, who sure enough in his own little way do his best to fix the problem. HOWEVER, his past 3-4 years of involvement of the team have proven he doesn't have what it takes to lead this club to any form of success...

His record is as bad as Martys is, 3 of our worst ever seasons he has presided over, it was his choice to keep marty, and his moves are what led, in one way or another to the on and off court failings of the team. Sure there would have been variables and uncontrollable things, but fact is, is its the same group of hapless twits running the ship again.

1 minute google search is right! couldnt cut it in Belarus, ofcourse Belarus is a world power... equal world 82nd with Bolivia

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 dont personally know any of the people running the club.

but i cant stand people criticising them for being broke.

some people are acknowledging they dont have the money to do anything, then at the same time criticise them for not doing anything.....

i can understand voicing opinions on how things could be done better. sacking the coach earlier, promote better etc. but it's easy to say when it doesnt cost you anything.

IMO they're doing the best they can.

Get out and suport them or you may not have a team to support much longer.

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?

so Boti is back from holidays then.........

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.

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.

To assume that there will be no change is crazy.
The fact that the club is inviting its members to have input immediately suggests otherwise.
Dean may very well be an interim appointment as the club restructures its ownership model. If not, the current owners (Daryl) have the right to make any appointment they see fit, after all it is their money. Supporters will choose whether to continue to support based upon their decisions. The most important thing is retaining a team and without sos there wouldn't be one. No team - nothing to bitch about. No one else putting their hand up to provide Adelaide with a team.

I assume that Dean Parker through his new position will have more input into decision making which he has not had in the past. If he is passionate about the 36ers he will be on the same page as the passionate 36ers fans. Passionate 36ers fans have not tolerated the failure of the team in the last 3 years, Dean should also not tolerate it. I don't agree with comments about the timing of the members' forum, with 2 more games to go because anything that is happening at the end of the season will already be known by club administrators, the coach, the assistant coach and players. A member's forum with 2 games to go is not going to reveal any surprises to anyone. Good luck Dean, the fans are dependent on you to restore some success into the club.

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.

I bet you 150k it wouldn't, i also bet you dont have 150k in the bank.

Check Grantham's CV, fairly impressive resume right there and a good decision on paper.

I just love how the loud minority feel obliged to share their point of view on this forum. How about you support the 36ers and stop bagging ever single decision the club makes.

This is a positive step and first initiative is to engage the fans, give them a chance to be heard and also let them hear first hand what plans are.

Great post BJF

Leanne prior to 36ers:

Grantham, who was head of women's football, is returning to live in Adelaide for family reasons. She previously worked for the National Basketball League, Australian Hall of Fame and was chief executive of South Australia's Major Events Corporation, responsible for the staging of the Tour Down Under and the Clipsal 500 V8 race.

Anon put your name to your post, i always like to know who i am about to beat with fact and not opinion.

good talk anon, ballsy enough to shoot your mouth off but not tough enough to put your name to your comments.

Tool Time in full effect round here.

BJF,

What would you know about these decisions?

Results say it was a poor decision to employ her!

yeah what did she do when she was in charge?

@Really - i dont understand your question.

decisions about what/ which part?

Everyone is measured by the scoreboard at the end of the day

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.

About why Grantham was employed. Looking at a CV is obviously not such a good way of selecting people in a market that is so specific. How would you know if she had good suggestions for developing the club and moving it forward?

Because her score board is empty.

BJF sounds SO MUCH like Mitch Creek that its not funny. Basically, support whatever crap they serve us. They forget WERE the consumers... and without us, there giving handy's on a street corner.

fact of the matter is.. it is NOT change. Absolutely NOT... I have spoken to, and know dean.. and YES, hes passionate... YES he trys... Full marks for both. HOWEVER he lacks GUTS... He wanted to keep Clarke SOLELY to placate the players, and YES he was a BIG part of that decision... He even admitted himself that he wasn't completely sold on Clarke and this was early this season before the 6ers really went down the drain!!!!

This is nothing but the same old, same old.

I will give hime 1 plus, A members forum... Ok, Good enough Idea... HOWEVER... its OBVIOUS what ALL FANS WANT!.... We want Marty Clarke given his marching orders, we want BIG changes in the team personell and we want them to actually DO MSOMETHING when calamities happen!

It must be said, the management of the 36ers gave up on the season before even mid way!

Got you

CV says in short:
-Run national sports leagues and major international events involving multi national corporate partners
-Very well connected in government which has been a big benefit to the club
-Basketball background

For me that is a pretty good punt to take when looking for what the 36ers needed.

In reality there are 7 GM positions in Australian basketball and very few roles in sport in general where you can find someone who has had specific previous experience in running a privately owned professional sports organisation.

Any person employed into any role is a punt of sorts. How many people out there can say that they have successfully run an NBL team where it has been 1) profitable and 2) an on court success?

Most sports teams are only as good as the beneficiaries behind them. Eddy fell over and we havent seen the Bullets since.

Winning can mask a lot in sport. If your team is winning everyone is happy, when it is losing you got to find the reason and who is to blame. Read the tone on this forum after a loss, cheerleaders, Skip , refs , players, coaches , beer temperature, car parking and taste of hot dogs have all copped a bashing after a loss.

AFL and NRL survive on their massive TV deals and even then we all hear stories of which clubs drop millions year in and year out. Do the financial woes then equate to people running those organisation as being dumb or stupid? Absolutely not.

I believe the forum is primarily a fund raiser. A show of hands to answer who would buy in and how much. I can see the future pivots on this. I hope they present realistic numbers and conditions that are appealing.

Mofo's talking about CV's......sheeeiit. Any one who appoints on CV never worked in a real bidness.

To the anonymous above scoffing at the club paying 150k for a CEO how much would you assume them to be paying?

FWIW the blaze were paying 200k to their man and I'd suspect that's more the market price for someone with the background and ability to get the job done.

The 36ers are so far from the glory days that they dont even warrant the same name as thoes great teams.

the 36ers should be called the 36%ers... the approximate win percentage of the team since clarke got involved.

Dean, is a symptom and contributor of everything that is wrong with the 36ers. to think he will be running the ship from here on scares me...

Deans 6ers have the following list of anti-achievements to there name.. as team, and organization.

Worst coach in organization history (possibly NBL history)

Bottom of the ladder more consistently then any other team ever

Biggest let down of a team (this years talent filled team that should have bellyflopped into the finals yet still manage to finish last)

Worst import in history,,, (debatable yes, but on statistics... he is)

Lowest crowds ever for Adelaide Arena

Smallest community presence in Adelaide ever

Biggest bad news storys for the club ever... (The losses, the ken cole failed bids, that dudes half court shot issue, general instability)

Please explain to me why appointing someone heavily involved in these things is a step in the right direction>??????????

So you havent noticed the 2 replay screens that have been installed at significant cost, havent noticed the better food options, the print at home ticketing, meals before games in the Apollo, post game functions, i could go on and on

Lots of improvements have been made if you chose to see them, big issue is the team has been winning. Dont look now but there are also a heap of other teams that haven't been winning either. I guarantee you that 7 teams this season wont win the championship.

Right now the 36ers are 2 wins out of the top 4 and 3 wins from being in 3rd. I am not happy that the team isn't in the top 4 right now and nor is anyone associated with the team itself. True supporters want the team to be successful.

It is quite easy to sit there and be negative about everything , a little but harder to do something to help and even harder again to put your own money in to try and make it better.

Mitch Creek isn't embarrassing the club he is showing passion, read the responses to him on facebook and see what the fans who are brave enough to put their names to their comments have said. They love it.

I get your analogy of the bad restaurant however you cant relate the two. There are far more variables and outside influences that can dictate a sports teams success vs a restaurant.

A restaurant can control its produce, make the same recipe taste exactly the same dish after dish . No sports team can do that.

The front office could do everything right but if the team doesn't win then it is all for nought; conversely if the team wins every game but the front office botch's ticketing , game night experience etc etc then fans will not comeback either.

Your all fools. how anyone could say that the GM is 'someone new' is ridiculous. How anyone can blame the half court shot guy is ridiculous. how anyone can like marty is ridiculous. Seriously... your all a bunch of tossers with no clue. Being a good fan isnt about accepting garbage, its about holding the club to a higher standard because you know it has achieved it before and because you want the best for it. Most Brothels are better run then the 6ers

One reason I don't understand the anonymous complaining directed at this appointment as more of the same is that there's not really any word that this is a long-term appointment. For all we know before Wednesday evening, Dean could be an interim GM pushing for a community model in a climate where alternative ownership options hardly abound.

You wouldn't put income and expenses on the table for discussion if some overhaul or community ownership wasn't being considered/pushed. And with that uncertainty, you wouldn't be able to hire (or bother hiring) a GM/CEO; you'd wait until you had the model happening and could actually tell a hiring what they'd be running. The best options otherwise are going to run from that uncertainty.

I laugh at people who must be that sick of their lives that they see everything as a negative. Unfortunately the rest of us have to put up with the drivel you post. I look at it like this. The most important thing is we have a club to follow and our kids do and so on as it wasnt that long ago that we were faced with the real possibility that the 36ers were no more. SOS came in and for that i am grateful. At the end of the day they are passionate bball fans who put their hand in their pocket so why the abuse. I have no doubt that the bad times are over and the good times are coming. Instead of bagging the club ( i love anon posts ) why dont you support the club because it is the club you support not inviduals and rick up to games and the forum wed night and listen to what is said. If you dont like it , fine but at least give dean a go as the GM and i reckon he will do a great job. I am looking forward to the future success of the 36ers and hope that we get rid of thia mentality of eating our own and instead support the decisions that are made as it take kahunas to open your wallet when really you know the likelyhood of making big bucks out of it is remote but its your passion.

Just setting out that there are valid reasons as to why some fans are unhappy.

I can,t understand why there is so much negativity surrounding this appointment and the forum. The reality is beggers can,t be choosers and people are not lining up to buy basketball teams in adelaide. the current owners could of been the difference between sixers and no sixers. At least the forum provides a voice from fans to owners, it is something new, at least they are trying something and lets see what comes from it before we assume anyting.

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!

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.

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

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 question gives you nothing much. It's answered easily with hindsight. Club will answer that it was the coach's call and they didn't want to meddle with his selections.

Ask questions about the future path. Not sure I see much point in getting caught up on a decision from a probably outgoing coach - what's the point?

Cortez was doing poorly (but better than CJ) and many fans think he should've been replaced, right?

Grantham CV???
Very good figurehead and good with media. That ends it. She couldn't manage shit into a toilet. Liked by few, despised by many. Will slowly drift into obscurity as the world catches onto her incompetence. Enter left, the karma bus.