Press Play by P. Diddy

Something a lot of people and organisations fail to do? Press home the advantage.

I see it a lot. But I love seeing someone get a good result and then use it to go even harder and better.

Usually the scenario goes like this:

1. Organisation has a big win, or a good result.
2. Everyone relaxes after a lot of hard work.
3. The goodwill/buzz dissapates over time.
4. The organisation finds it has to work extra hard to regain that buzz, but with less emotional energy.

But I love it when someone gets a big win and then takes it to the next level. Sorry for non-sporting fans, but the example I'm about to give is a very very clear example of pressing home the advantage.

The Brisbane Lions secured Brendan Fevola during Trade Week in what was a massive coup. All of a sudden the team had the best full forward in the competition - and they already had the best half forward in the game in Jonathan Brown (Nick Riewoldt can leave a message with my complaints department). Without giving up much in return, the Lions built the most potent forward line in living memory... in fact, the most potent forward line since Brown and Alastair Lynch played together for Brisbane.

Great win, well done. But coach Michael Voss didn't just leave it there. The signing of Fevola would bring in members, crowds, and money. But he wanted to transform the team into premiership contenders.

So he went hard for experienced players during trade week, securing them for next to nothing. It was easy to convince them to join the club, given they would be playing with two of the best forwards in the competition, and one of the best midfielders of the decade in Simon Black. Xavier Clarke, Brent Staker, Amon Buchanan and Andrew Raines have all joined the club, adding Grand Final experience to a club that has a dearth of players between 24-28.

Well done Vossy! Way to press home the advantage. The Lions are now premiership contenders. But he wasn't done yet.

St Kilda's Luke Ball, a former number two draft pick, left the Saints this season and wanted to go to Collingwood. He still wants to go, and is rejecting offers from clubs who can pick him higher in the draft than Collingwood can. Ball is a really good player. Hard in the tackle, excellent distribution, a little slow, but a real leader. He would get into any midfield in the AFL (except perhaps Geelong's).

Brisbane is planning to pick him even though he doesn't want to go there. If the Lions pick him he either has to play for them or stay out of football for a year. That would probably be disastrous for his career and fitness. So Voss is playing hard ball and is willing to pick Ball. It's a fantastic tactical decision, because one of two things happens:

1. He joins Brisbane and strengthens their midfield
2. He refuses to join and sits out of football for a year, depriving Brisbane's rivals of a key player

Michael Voss is pressing home the advantage tremendously. He's proving to be a better coach than I ever would have expected. I can only hope Nathan Buckley is as good for Collingwood when he takes over in 2011.

My advice? If you have a win on something, immediately look at ways you can capitalise on it. Press it home!