Stellies recruitment secret
Ever wondered what Stellenbosch’s secret to success is?
It’s been quite a story for coach Steve Barker and his Bolanders coming up from the National First Division three seasons ago and finishing fourth in the top flight last season.
Obviously, their ties to Remgro - the wealthy Rubert family’s company - would be given as an answer.
But you don’t see Stellies splashing cash in market like the likes the big three - Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates - or upstarts like Royal AM.
Chasing the dream by signing expensive players on huge deals can hurt your club. Ever wondered what happened to Wits?
They were the last club to win other than Sundowns to win the league, but spending unsustainable amounts of geld means they had to sell their PSL franchise.
It’s a route Stellies are not going down despite having huge resources.
They instead are playing the “Money Ball” game to build their squad.
Using a stats-based approach, Stellies recruitment policy is run by their analytics department.
Headed by Ryan Hunt, they look at outliers - players with attributes and match actions that are among the best in their positions and roles.
Once they have identified the players, they start to follow them and watch them in action.
If the player’s style of play matches with the level of performance they want to add to the squad, they will start making enquiries about their availability.
And if they are close to winding down their contracts, that’s when Hunt gives the thumbs-up to make a move on a player.
In fact, the six players they brought in during off-season thus far have all been free transfers.
So while most of the players that Stellies have brought in - with the exception of Bafana Bafana defender Vusi Sibaya - are “no-name brands”, it’s the quality and not the packaging that the club have checked out.
It’s an ingenious way to play the market for the best you can get without spending huge amounts of cash.
matthew.marcus@inl.co.za