Contributing to St Kilda's quest for on-field success is front of mind for new Executive Manager of Football, Geoff Walsh.
The renowned football administrator was appointed to the role earlier this morning after whispers first linked him to the club several weeks ago, and has wasted no time in signalling his intentions to put the Saints back on the map.
St Kilda limped out of Season 2022 again shy of the top-eight for a second consecutive season after beginning its campaign with an 8-3 record before the bye.
Walsh’s “old-school” and upfront edge to drive change across the football department – as seen across his extensive stints at North Melbourne and Collingwood – has been sought out in particular to help claw the Saints back into finals football.
“One of the things I’d like to think I can bring to the table is the willingness to make a hard call or to have a hard conversation,” Walsh told SEN Breakfast this morning.
“To not walk past something if you see it and you know it’s wrong, I’m willing to call it out.
“This might sound abrasive and Saints fans might get upset, but one of the things that I think when asked about how do I see St Kilda, I think the competition would say there’s been a degree of irrelevance."
Walsh retired from his role as Collingwood’s General Manager of Football at the end of 2020, but has remained in touch with the industry in the ensuing years.
Reviews at North Melbourne and Carlton had the experienced administrator at their helm, before he spent three months working for the AFL on the prospective Tasmanian license.
The “challenge” surrounding St Kilda’s current on-field state was, in part, a factor in luring Walsh out of retirement and back into the rigours of the football world.
“When you get an opportunity and an approach from a club like St Kilda, it rekindles the fire a little bit,” he said.
“Certainly the challenge (draws you back in). The challenge of, particularly with the Saints and where they’re poised at the moment, you’d like to think that you can contribute to a rise up the ladder.
“To me, that was part of the challenge: to see where the club is right now. It’s not as if they’re devoid of talent or devoid of hope… so I think there’s opportunities for them to springboard into that bottom-half of the eight as a first step.”
Walsh follows the recent off-field appointment of Carl Dilena to Chief Operating Officer, along with the transition of Simon Lethlean into Chief Executive Officer late last month.
St Kilda’s comprehensive review, led by President Andrew Bassat, will be finalised shortly.
