Sydney’s Culture Review: Same Song, Different Harbour
Every few years a club gets dragged into the spotlight for reasons that have nothing to do with kick-to-handball ratios, and the first thing out of the CEO’s mouth is always some version of “we need to be better.” This week it was Sydney’s turn, with chief executive Matthew Pavlich fronting the cameras looking like a man who’d rather be doing literally anything else, after Tom Papley’s drug test result landed the Swans back in headlines they didn’t want.
Pavlich called it a “bitter disappointment” and confirmed the club is launching an internal review into culture. I’ve heard that sentance so many times from so many clubs over the years I could probably recite it in my sleep, and honestly, after what Richmond went through a few seasons back, I watch these press conferences with the weary recognition of someone who’s already read this particular book.
The Review: Footy’s Favourite Panic Button
Let’s be honest about what a
