Like AFL clubs, we’re in the business of building high-performance teams. It’s not enough to recruit someone brilliant at their craft; they need to fit our culture and values. The best AFL clubs understand this instinctively. They’ll pass on a talented player with attitude issues because one cultural misfit in the locker room can derail an entire team. We face the same decisions at Ark—technical excellence matters, but cultural alignment is non-negotiable.

Budget constraints are another shared reality. Just as we’re working within salary budgets, AFL clubs navigate the salary cap, making impossible choices about who to pay, who to let go, and where to find value. Both environments require creative thinking: identifying undervalued talent, developing people internally, and knowing when to make a marquee investment versus building depth.

But here’s where it differs dramatically. AFL recruiting happens in the brutal glare of public scrutiny. Every decision is dissected by media and fans. When a club tells a loyal veteran they’re not wanted anymore, it plays out publicly. That’s when culture and values face their ultimate test—when the business of football collides with individual dreams and loyalty.

As a St Kilda fan, watching Jack Steele – our captain and loyal servant over the last 9 years—traded to Melbourne doesn’t sit right. But maybe it is the right decision for the Club and for Jack.

At Ark, we can have difficult conversations privately, with dignity intact. There’s no press conference when someone doesn’t work out, no social media firestorm when we pivot our team strategy.

Another stark difference is the timeframe. The AFL trade period is a compressed, high-stakes 10 days where years of planning must come together or fall apart. Clubs make decisions under intense time pressure, often with incomplete information, knowing they won’t get another chance for twelve months. We have the luxury of patience—we can take time to find the right person, wait for the perfect fit, or pause hiring if we’re not confident.

This time pressure also means AFL clubs sometimes make emotionally-driven mistakes—overpaying for a name, panic-trading to satisfy fan pressure, or holding onto players when the decision should be to trade. Did Essendon make the right call with Zach Merrett? They drew a ‘line in the sand’, but it’s hard to see who wins out of that—except the AFL, who’ll be licking their lips at the prospect of Essendon vs Hawthorn in round 1 next season.
We face similar temptations, just spread over longer timeframes: the impressive interview that masks cultural misalignment, or the urgent hire that compromises our standards because we need someone in the seat now.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway is this: AFL clubs must make decisions in the most adversarial environment possible—where every choice is questioned, every conversation leaked, and every outcome judged immediately. If their culture and values can survive that crucible, they’re probably authentic.

At Ark, we have the privilege of building culture with less external pressure. That makes it easier—but also means we need to be more intentional about stress-testing our values when tough decisions arise. Are we living them when it’s hard, not just when it’s easy?

The best AFL clubs, like the best companies, make these moments defining rather than destructive. They’re honest, they’re fair, and they remember that how you treat people on the way out says as much about your culture as how you celebrate them on the way in.

If you’re an investor, borrower or strategic partner who values forward-thinking leadership, now is the right time to connect.

Let’s talk about where you want to go and how we can help you get there.