Club Mgmt. Upcoming Essendon Board Election- Discussion

[Bunk Moreland]

Putting all the Hird bullshit aside for a second, the problem for me is we have two completely unproven, inexperienced people elected to the highest offices in the club - theyll be steering the future of the club. It's unbelievable when you look at the background of the likes of Gauci.

They got there by playing shamelessly populist politics on a single issue to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

This is garbage modern day politics that has now permeated our club. It's how people like Tony Abbott get elected.

Our club is a large business with some major challenges, and those running it now include a couple of possible lightweights with no clue.

The club is bigger than Hird, and I would've hoped people could see that and put the club first when you have the likes of Ron Gauci available.

But no, that's thrown aside in favour of a three word slogan #standbyhird.

As I said, the lunatics have taken over.

 

[Mercurial89]

Putting all the Hird bullshit aside for a second, the problem for me is we have two completely unproven, inexperienced people elected to the highest offices in the club - theyll be steering the future of the club. It's unbelievable when you look at the background of the likes of Gauci.

They got there by playing shamelessly populist politics on a single issue to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

This is garbage modern day politics that has now permeated our club. It's how people like Tony Abbott get elected.

Our club is a large business with some major challenges, and those running it now include a couple of possible lightweights with no clue.

The club is bigger than Hird, and I would've hoped people could see that and put the club first when you have the likes of Ron Gauci available.

But no, that's thrown aside in favour of a three word slogan #standbyhird.

As I said, the lunatics have taken over.

I dont nesasarily disagree with you that Gauci may have been the better operator that we know of, but Completely unproven board members i would think (as a supporter of the club) you would give the benefit of the doubt to until they give you a reason to want them gone.

Or is their stance on Hird the sticking point for you?

Gauci and Jennings went and did the same thing, they spouted off Hirds name in the papers to get attention on their campaigns. The whole thing was populist politics because thats what getting elected onto a board at a Football club is.
A majority of Members dont care about Joe Bloggs on the board they care about Hird, or Watson or how many games we are going to win, because believe it or not, people are simple. So can you blame candidates for trying to grab a headline to appeal to members? I think the fact two candidates tried to engage with the crowd over at blitz was a stroke of genius. Pretty good first play by someone getting elected to a board, to beat out "more experience proven" candidates.

This is further demonstrated by the fact a pitiful amount of people voted, regular people dont care. The people that care are people on these forums and over at BB, and they banded together and got their candidates accross the line, good for them. If people wanted Gauci in so badly they would have organised voters, and tried to get him in.

I didnt vote for either of the two winners, however im not going to hail this as a disaster, declare the sky is falling and start raving that "the lunatics" are running everything, because quite frankly thats sensationalist BS. The most passionate of our supporters banded together and backed two candidates that won, shock horror.
If the club is so doomed due to these appointments im sure an equally passionate group of people who dont agree with it will band together and get some changes implemented......or will they just sit back and criticise?

 

[Blind Turn]

Putting all the Hird bullshit aside for a second, the problem for me is we have two completely unproven, inexperienced people elected to the highest offices in the club - theyll be steering the future of the club. It's unbelievable when you look at the background of the likes of Gauci.

They got there by playing shamelessly populist politics on a single issue to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

This is garbage modern day politics that has now permeated our club. It's how people like Tony Abbott get elected.

Our club is a large business with some major challenges, and those running it now include a couple of possible lightweights with no clue.

The club is bigger than Hird, and I would've hoped people could see that and put the club first when you have the likes of Ron Gauci available.

But no, that's thrown aside in favour of a three word slogan #standbyhird.

As I said, the lunatics have taken over.

If Gauci is such a slick operator he might want to ask why he has failed so spectacularly to engage the members (which, after all, are a significant part of who he'd be representing). We've got 2 people who bleed red and black and by all accounts are hard workers. Give them a chance to represent us. The other board members will always have the responsibility to bring new board members up to scratch. After that it comes down to hard work, people skills and doing what is best for the club.

 

[baz_machine]

As long as Little still has his hands on the purse strings, exactly what can these guys do wrong?

If anything, it might be refreshing for the board to hear the voice of "ordinary" supporters.

 

[Runk]

I have no issue with either board member newly elected. They are clearly intelligent Essendon supporting people, and I for one welcome them aboard and wish them the very best.

 

[letstayunited]

The candidates that missed out on positions didn't realise that the Hird coaching issue is the most important issue to most of the members.

If they couldn't even understand that, there's a questions as to whether they would have been up to the job.

And I for one do consider it to be the most important issue.

I honestly think he's a good coach that will become a great coach for years and years to come and it would be a tragedy to lose him.

I also think he's been treated very unfairly throughout this whole ASAGA mess and has displayed enormous resilience. Hopefully he can pass that resilience onto the playing group (who have also been amazing throughout).

 

[Jade]

Lunatics are now running the asylum.

 

[Mercurial89]

The candidates that missed out on positions didn't realise that the Hird coaching issue is the most important issue to most of the members.

If they couldn't even understand that, there's a questions as to whether they would have been up to the job.

And I for one do consider it to be the most important issue.

I honestly think he's a good coach that will become a great coach for years and years to come and it would be a tragedy to lose him.

I also think he's been treated very unfairly throughout this whole ASAGA mess and has displayed enormous resilience. Hopefully he can pass that resilience onto the playing group (who have also been amazing throughout).

Its also very easy to be blinkered into making it the only issue, which is what the board positions were being made about, every candidate was asked about their position and instead of playing it with a straight bat they all responded and picked a side.

This isnt a Hird issue, it shouldnt be a Hird issue, and people need to realise that being a part of the Essendon Football club does not mean that you need to air your opinions on him publicly. This is i believe where Ogg, Bunk and others take issue with the two winning candidates. It is a shame that the campaign again became about him, because people let it become that.

I am impressed that these two engaged with the supporter base, that makes me think that they may have what it takes, however if they allow themselves to focus on the "hird issue" then they will fail and the doubters will be proven correct.

 

[Old Campaigner]

If anything, it might be refreshing for the board to hear the voice of "ordinary" supporters.

You mean ordinary supporters like the paranoid delusionals and autists who make up a big part of BB?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I dont nesasarily disagree with you that Gauci may have been the better operator that we know of, but Completely unproven board members i would think (as a supporter of the club) you would give the benefit of the doubt to until they give you a reason to want them gone.

Or is their stance on Hird the sticking point for you?

Gauci and Jennings went and did the same thing, they spouted off Hirds name in the papers to get attention on their campaigns. The whole thing was populist politics because thats what getting elected onto a board at a Football club is.
A majority of Members dont care about Joe Bloggs on the board they care about Hird, or Watson or how many games we are going to win, because believe it or not, people are simple. So can you blame candidates for trying to grab a headline to appeal to members? I think the fact two candidates tried to engage with the crowd over at blitz was a stroke of genius. Pretty good first play by someone getting elected to a board, to beat out "more experience proven" candidates.

This is further demonstrated by the fact a pitiful amount of people voted, regular people dont care. The people that care are people on these forums and over at BB, and they banded together and got their candidates accross the line, good for them. If people wanted Gauci in so badly they would have organised voters, and tried to get him in.

I didnt vote for either of the two winners, however im not going to hail this as a disaster, declare the sky is falling and start raving that "the lunatics" are running everything, because quite frankly thats sensationalist BS. The most passionate of our supporters banded together and backed two candidates that won, shock horror.
If the club is so doomed due to these appointments im sure an equally passionate group of people who dont agree with it will band together and get some changes implemented......or will they just sit back and criticise?

The club is obviously not doomed.

Footy is big business now, I'd prefer we had the best available operators, you know, like we do have... Our president stood aside and we had people of the *in calibre and experience of Paul Little and Paul Brasher to step in. Not many clubs have that. We're lucky and it ensures our club is stable even throughout all this mess. FFS we turned a healthy profit this year, it's staggering.

Gauci was so far and away the best candidate here with his experience, instead we get on the Board a couple of unproven and inexperience people on the back of them saying #standbyhird to a website full of window lickers.

Yeah Hird is important to me, hes a legend, but the good of the club comes first, and that means appointing the best available.

I'm probably more pissed off with our members than anyone for letting this sort of s**t happen. It's the EFC board ffs, they run our club, it wasn't a vote for James Hird.

 

[yaco55]

Interesting listening to Rohan Connolly this morning on SEN. Spent a bit of time discussing the two new board members and was supportive of their election. It was interesting how much talkback/sms chatter there was about the Essendon Board election. One caller even suggested the election was rigged ! Have no idea why non-Essendon supporters have interest in EFC board elections - I have no interest in other clubs board elections.

As an aside, Dave Lowden on SEN gave his media personality award for 2014 to Brendan Goddard. BJ has been a gem both on and off the field for EFC.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

people accusing Gauci of having a dummy spit on twitter. Anyone got info or what was said?

 

[Jade]

The club is obviously not doomed.

Footy is big business now, I'd prefer we had the best available operators, you know, like we do have... Our president stood aside and we had people of the ****in calibre and experience of Paul Little and Paul Brasher to step in. Not many clubs have that. We're lucky and it ensures our club is stable even throughout all this mess. FFS we turned a healthy profit this year, it's staggering.

Gauci was so far and away the best candidate here with his experience, instead we get on the Board a couple of unproven and inexperience people on the back of them saying #standbyhird to a website full of window lickers.

Yeah Hird is important to me, hes a legend, but the good of the club comes first, and that means appointing the best available.

I'm probably more pissed off with our members than anyone for letting this sort of s**t happen. It's the EFC board ffs, they run our club, it wasn't a vote for James Hird.

I voted for Lio and Cousins. I do not post on (or even read) Blitz - primarily for the reasons you stated, awful lot of brainless zealots there.....

Voter turnout is a funny thing - and in the case of a football club board election is, for obvious reasons, generally incredibly low.

Like it or lump it, Cousins and Lio were effective at getting people to figuratively get off their arses and vote.

I was genuinely torn on who to vote for because of the reasons you mentioned. I strongly considered Gauci because of his credentials.

However I considered WHAT the EFC board actually is (or at least is supposed to be). I've seen a few comments similar to yours above in relation to the board being responsible for 'running' the club. I'm gonna have to disagree. The board offers vision and a generalised direction - it then hires executives on behalf of the club that actually do the 'running'.

The board is meant to be a representation of the membership, and 'custodians' of the club as a whole. Whilst it is preferable to me that those members be highly credentialed people; I felt that after this debacle I valued intent, love for the club and action FOR the club above those credentials.

I question Gauci's motives. I wonder if he was truly interested in what was best for the club, or if he was acting for his own interests. I have no such doubts with Lio and Cousins. Yes, they lack his credentials, but they aren't there to 'run' the club - they are there to REPRESENT the club.

 

[yaco55]

I'll be interested in Caro's take on the two new board members. She has raised concerns about the level of influence by coteries at EFC, though it appears the coteries didn't get their candidates elected. Will Caro have her cake and eat it to as is often the case.

 

[Bombermania]

Yep understand that.

Reckon there were tens of thousands who didn't even try though.

Pretty much sums up why we have compulsory attendant for normal elections as the AEC and VEC know that otherwise people just wont bother.

Looks like voter turnout was about 10% or about 6,000 members voted.

 

[Jade]

Pretty much sums up why we have compulsory attendant for normal elections as the AEC and VEC know that otherwise people just wont bother.

Looks like voter turnout was about 10% or about 6,000 members voted.

Its the unions fault.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

Its the unions fault.

 

[Jade]

 

[Whispering_Jack]

 

[Jade]

 

[Bombermania]

Jade

I finished up voting for Albert and Lio, as you wrote, Gauci had an impressive background but I wondered if he just saw it has another job or if he was really serious, he mentioned the need to rebuild the club's reputation but I think its the on-field results which will drive that and thee isn't much the board can do about what others think of it.

He claimed to have extensive support but didn't indicate who they were, sure he couldn't list everyone but if there were significant people then he could have gained their permission to name them to at least give us an idea of who his backers were.

Overall the information sent out by the club was pretty limited in terms of candidates backgrounds and with Lio, she at least indicated an intent to use her communications background to put the club's message out.

Has a Melbourne Storm fan, I really can't think of anything Gauci ever did that stood out.

 

[GUMBLETRON]

This isnt a Hird issue, it shouldnt be a Hird issue, and people need to realise that being a part of the Essendon Football club does not mean that you need to air your opinions on him publicly. This is i believe where Ogg, Bunk and others take issue with the two winning candidates. It is a shame that the campaign again became about him, because people let it become that.

Would we have seen the same response had Jennings got up?

 

[yaco55]

Would we have seen the same response had Jennings got up?

I had issues with all candidates who blatantly used Hird as a 'rallying point in their campaigns' - That is Jennings,Cousins and Lio. It was crass and unnecessary.

 

[boncer34]

Would we have seen the same response had Jennings got up?

His stance was the most idiotic thing I've seen and completely destroyed any chance he had.

 

[boncer34]

And also the second Gauci was linked with Caro and Bev Knight he was cooked. People aren't rational about football clubs they are emotional and there is a lot of hate towards Caro and still plenty towards Bev hanging around.