Steven Hocking Conflict of Interest

[Sttew]

Jesus, proper hornet’s nest now, and the thread it seems is such an affront to the Cats posters that they got it moved. Nice one.

No, Steve Hocking got it moved. He wanted Bay 13 but Andrew Dillon insisted on Umpiring, MRP, Tribunal and Rules

 

[Meteoric Rise]

See if that’s all you said, I would disagree with you but at least understand your POV. The intonation that he has already made decisions based on said conflict has absolutely no supporting evidence.
And as everyone has pointed out, most of the decision makers and power brokers within the game have had an affiliation to a club so unless you want non football people running football, you will never avoid this

Lol, Intonation?

Implication? Insinuation? No I’ve got it, intimation, you meant intimation. Phew. You had me thinking I was changing the pitch of my voice as I was writing, I f*cking hate it when I do that.

Ok so you think my opening post intimated that based on being influenced by his connections to the Geelong Football Club, Hocking did not execute his duties as final MRO decision maker fairly and properly. Then you said this intimation had, and I quote: "absolutely no supporting evidence.”

I doubt I left much to mere intimation in my opening post. I just straight out stated the case, which was more about his conflict of interest than any individual decisions he has made. However, yes I disagree with all those decisions he made, they all acted to protect Geelong FC interests, and I think it is open to be interpreted as bias. He left that interpretation open to any reasonable enquiring mind by:

1. not handing over the duty of sitting in judgement of Geelong FC players to a less conflicted person, and then

2. finding several controversial cases in their favour.

The evidence, what I considered the three most controversial cases involving any club, all involved Geelong players. The cases were listed in the post. Perhaps you missed that? Dangerfield GF case. Hawkins v May case. Duncan v Holman case.

Anyway, time to work on my faulty intonation.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

In 2020 Steve Hocking, the man the OP calls 'conflicted', recommended placing the AFL Tribunal under Andrew Dillon's governance in the belief this would better uphold the Tribunal's independence, both in look and practice. Previously the Tribunal fell under Operations. At the time Hocking was quotes as saying, “The systems and processes that underpin the operations of the Match Review Officer and the independent AFL Tribunal are fundamental to the AFL and AFLW competitions.”

This doesn't sound like a man who does not understand conflicts of interest. And placing the Tribunal under Legal means that any decision by the MRO that is appealed will not be dealt with by Operations

AFL announces big changes for the Tribunal for 2020 following detailed review

AFL announces big changes for the Tribunal for 2020 following detailed review

www.foxsports.com.au

Thank you Sttew, good contribution.

The two problems are:

1. no matter where he puts the Tribunal; it does not alter the fact he is conflicted in his role as MRO final decision maker in cases that affect Geelong FC, and

2. he is still theoretically in a position to wave cases through to Geelong’s benefit, like the Hawkins and Dangerfield cases.

Would be good if somebody could confirm or deny this, but say in the Hawkins v May case, does the AFL have a mechanism for taking cases further where the AFL disagrees with the MRO waving a case through as no case to answer? Is it the case that it is Hocking himself that would be in a position to do this but of course he never would…because they are all his decisions?

 

[PetterdHoisted]

When did he say this. What was the quote?

I can only locate this now PB

No Cookies | Herald Sun

No Cookies

www.heraldsun.com.au

I can't open it and it only seems to say 'word is Hocking got so angry at Richmond...'

 

[kickazz]

Aren’t there conflicts of interest everywhere in our game though? Why pick on Hocking and Geelong?

Does Damian Hardwick have the potential to tank against Port and Essendon because he won premierships playing for them?
Does Ratten secretly feed Saints intel to Carlton on match week because he’s a life member of the opposition? Or does Ratten actually get told what to do by the CEO of the entire organisation who is a Saints supporter?
Adam Simpson - North Melbourne premiership player and life member
Chris Scott - multiple premiership player for Brisbane
I could literally go on all day and night. Our sport has decided that ‘best practice’ is to appoint ex players as administrators and coaches. The AFL board also has members that have sat on the board of individual clubs. They know how the industry works.
It’s a unique and incestuous industry with a healthy dose of corruption and there are potential and real conflicts of interest everywhere you look.

Lol I remember jokingly thinking this back when Gary Ayers coached Geelong and Hawthorn somehow managed to offload David Loats and Tim Hargreaves to us.

 

[SuperVolley11]

Jake King.

So that’s a no.

 

[Mr Blicavs]

I will openly state my agenda here.

At least three Stephen Hocking’s responsibilities in his role as General Manager Football Operations are clearly conflicted by his history and links with the Geelong Football Club.

The first, and most important in my opinion, is his role in directly overseeing rule changes. It is apparent that people at Geelong are in a position to influence his thinking more than people from any other club. Who knows whether they have or not. But there is a clear conflict apparent.

The second, is his role overseeing the umpiring department, where it must be noted the long standing umpire’s advisor Hayden Kennedy recently and suddenly stepped down, from memory, citing “exhaustion.” His boss was Stephen Hocking.

The third, and most instantly topical, and at this point most clearly controversial, is his role as final decision maker in Match Review Officer cases.

I am going to call into question three MRO decisions relating to matches involving Geelong FC, for which Hocking had ultimate direct responsibility. In each case the Geelong player involved was a key player for them.

1 Dangerfield raised forearm severe impact to Vlastuin’s face in the Grand Final, knocking him out. MRO result: No case. IMO should have been tested at the Tribunal as should all raised arm severe impact cases resulting from a voluntary movement by the player in question.

2 Hawkins elbow to May’s face in a tackle resulting in a fractured eye socket so severe impact. MRO result: No case. IMO should have been tested at the Tribunal.

3 Holman’s perfectly executed run down tackle on Duncan. MRO result: Two week suspension. Nothing further needs to be said, everyone knows the Tribunal will overturn this decision that has been universally condemned without exception from what I have seen and heard.

So 3 key players for the Cats, Dangerfield, Hawkins, Duncan. Of the three cases the two waved through were in my opinion unarguably more questionable than the one penalised. In all cases the decision has gone in favour of protecting the key Geelong player.

For anyone unfamiliar with Hocking’s links to Geelong FC….he played his entire 199 game career with Geelong, retiring after the Cat’s third Grand Final loss in 6 seasons in 1994. He later served Geelong FC in several roles as listed below from 2004:


2004-05 match committee chairman.

2006 - returned to Geelong full time as Training Services Manager, responsible for the planning, management and implementation of all training services for the club.

2010 - Assistant General Manager Football Operations to support Neil Balme.

2013 - General Manager of Team Performance.

2014 – General Manager of Commercial Operations.

2015-2017 - General Manager of Football.

He has no known involvement with any other club in the AFL. He was employed in his various roles including as a player by the Geelong FC for 25 years in total between 1984 and 2017. I have heard interviews with both Hocking and Chris Scott saying the two are very close.

It matters not whether Hocking is deliberately or consciously making decisions to favour or protect Geelong FC. It is a clear conflict of interest with some of his direct responsibilities and as such he should have no direct input to decisions in the three areas I have highlighted. There are ways of achieving this without removing him from his role, if that is seen as the best way to handle it.

The AFL needs to tidy this up. Remember, in regard to the MRO decisions, Hocking has the final say. So we know for sure every decision the MRO makes is Hocking’s position, but we have no certain idea if these decisions also reflect MRO Michael Christian’s position….

I thought the Bay was bad...

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I thought the Bay was bad...


View attachment 1138010

Welcome to a line of about three thousand Cats supporters on this thread saying similar things…and almost nobody else.

 

[Mr Blicavs]

Welcome to a line of about three thousand Cats supporters on this thread saying similar things…and almost nobody else.

#getwellsoonfriend

 

[Ricky Vaughn]

I only just found this thread.

It’s genuinely brilliant.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I only just found this thread.

It’s genuinely brilliant.

Thanks Ricky. It is truly pleasing to have some appreciation from a Geelong FC supporter.

So there does seem to be a consensus amongst Geelong posters, with support from some others, that if Hocking is conflicted then everyone is conflicted, at least to some extent.

So let us accept this is the case for a moment. What do Geelong supporters here think of the general principle that nobody should sit in judgement of MRO/Tribunal cases involving clubs to which they have had a substantial connection? What would be lost by simply substituting the person for somebody who doesn’t have a connection to an affected club?

 

[frggr]

Thanks for orchestrating this lockdown, Uncle Steve. Having Richmond play in NSW will surely hurt their chances!

Love,

All Geelong Supporters

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Thanks for orchestrating this lockdown, Uncle Steve. Having Richmond play in NSW will surely hurt their chances!

Love,

All Geelong Supporters

So ungracious frggr.

We, the Richmond people, would like to sincerely thank S Hocking for orchestrating our back to back AFL Premierships in 2019-20. And especially our finals victories against the Geelong Cats Football Club. . Vote one S Hocking. May he have many sons.

That was very kind of him but really he should not be placed in such an invidious position as to have to favour his ex-club's arch enemy so as to not be seen as biased.

The AFL should therefore relieve him of such of his duties that compromise him and substitute him with a person not so compromised.

 

[Back One Out]

In 2020 Steve Hocking, the man the OP calls 'conflicted', recommended placing the AFL Tribunal under Andrew Dillon's governance in the belief this would better uphold the Tribunal's independence, both in look and practice. Previously the Tribunal fell under Operations. At the time Hocking was quotes as saying, “The systems and processes that underpin the operations of the Match Review Officer and the independent AFL Tribunal are fundamental to the AFL and AFLW competitions.”

This doesn't sound like a man who does not understand conflicts of interest. And placing the Tribunal under Legal means that any decision by the MRO that is appealed will not be dealt with by Operations

AFL announces big changes for the Tribunal for 2020 following detailed review

AFL announces big changes for the Tribunal for 2020 following detailed review

www.foxsports.com.au

Window dressing...

I have no doubt that SHocking sends the message through to the "independent" MRO & tribunal to let them know exactly what is expected of them and what penalty should be applied.


If the AFL head honchos are good at one thing and one thing only, it is being control freaks and meddling in everything.

 

[frggr]

Window dressing...

I have no doubt that SHocking sends the message through to the "independent" MRO & tribunal to let them know exactly what is expected of them and what penalty should be applied.


If the AFL head honchos are good at one thing and one thing only, it is being control freaks and meddling in everything.

Yes all that draft meddling with "priority picks" for s**t teams and stuff

 

[Back One Out]

Yes all that draft meddling with "priority picks" for sh*t teams and stuff

The AFL can't let anything run its natural course

All they ever do is fiddle about with everything, make secret deals with clubs, tinker with the game, frig around with umpiring interpretations, do backflips over player/draft rules and just make shiit up as they go along. Their fingerprints are all over everything which is f**ked about the game. Trying to justify their existence and keep all the self-interested "stake holders" happy at the expense of running a fair comp.

Everything in AFL footy is hopelessly compromised. Look at the draft. I remember simpler times when you didn't need a Ph.D to understand a trade deal struck between 2 clubs, or to determine what pick number your club's first selection was. How about all these "academies"? They make it seem like they're a real thing. Where are all these so-called "academies" ? It's all a pile of steaming crap.

 

[frggr]

Our Hocking, who art in AFL House
Hallowed be thy name
Thy Premiership come
Thy Will be done
At KP as it's done at Marvel

Give us this week
A rule change to benefit Geelong
And forgive us our suspensions
But please suspend all Richmond players
And lead us not into the bottom 4
But deliver us another flag

A-Steven

 

[kickazz]

View attachment 1138609

Our Hocking, who art in AFL House
Hallowed be thy name
Thy Premiership come
Thy Will be done
At KP as it's done at Marvel

Give us this week
A rule change to benefit Geelong
And forgive us our suspensions
But please suspend those against us
And lead us not into the bottom 4
But deliver us another flag

A-Steven

Needs a Richmond reference in there....

 

[frggr]

Needs a Richmond reference in there....

There is? I named their home stadium - Marvel


(Edited for another Richmond reference)

 

[Meteoric Rise]

View attachment 1138609

Our Hocking, who art in AFL House
Hallowed be thy name
Thy Premiership come
Thy Will be done
At KP as it's done at Marvel

Give us this week
A rule change to benefit Geelong
And forgive us our suspensions
But please suspend all Richmond players
And lead us not into the bottom 4
But deliver us another flag

A-Steven

That is so poignant frggr. The way you express your heartbreak suffered at Richmond’s hands and fuse it with your devotion to Hocking using your future hopes as an agent to project the message into the future is really moving, very impressive.

Most talented expression of art out of Geelong since Chrissie Amphlett.

Alas, f*ck all to do with the raison d’etre of this thread.

 

[Back One Out]

Most talented expression of art out of Geelong since Chrissie Amphlett.

What about this half of King Gizzard? They could be singing about SHocking...

 

[Art Vandelay_]

View attachment 1137457

Every thread B.O.O enters the rest lose brain cells.
A blithering idiot.

 

[frggr]

Every thread B.O.O enters the rest lose brain cells.
A blithering idiot.

I think God "backed one out" into his skull instead of the usual grey matter

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Every thread B.O.O enters the rest lose brain cells.
A blithering idiot.

Now Artvandal, we do want to make everyone feel welcome on this thread and that includes you. But if you are going to make defamatory statements about other posters it is only fair we go back over your first two posts on the thread which were both accurate and relevant.

The trouble is the accurate bits weren’t relevant, and the relevant bits weren’t accurate.

So let’s be kind to our brother Back One Out, who has brought to light some interesting and salient points about the subject matter of this thread. In particular I like the evidence that he has brought to the table establishing S Hocking is a snake in the grass.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I will openly state my agenda here.

At least three Stephen Hocking’s responsibilities in his role as General Manager Football Operations are clearly conflicted by his history and links with the Geelong Football Club.

The first, and most important in my opinion, is his role in directly overseeing rule changes. It is apparent that people at Geelong are in a position to influence his thinking more than people from any other club. Who knows whether they have or not. But there is a clear conflict apparent.

The second, is his role overseeing the umpiring department, where it must be noted the long standing umpire’s advisor Hayden Kennedy recently and suddenly stepped down, from memory, citing “exhaustion.” His boss was Stephen Hocking.

The third, and most instantly topical, and at this point most clearly controversial, is his role as final decision maker in Match Review Officer cases.

I am going to call into question three MRO decisions relating to matches involving Geelong FC, for which Hocking had ultimate direct responsibility. In each case the Geelong player involved was a key player for them.

1 Dangerfield raised forearm severe impact to Vlastuin’s face in the Grand Final, knocking him out. MRO result: No case. IMO should have been tested at the Tribunal as should all raised arm severe impact cases resulting from a voluntary movement by the player in question.

2 Hawkins elbow to May’s face in a tackle resulting in a fractured eye socket so severe impact. MRO result: No case. IMO should have been tested at the Tribunal.

3 Holman’s perfectly executed run down tackle on Duncan. MRO result: Two week suspension. Nothing further needs to be said, everyone knows the Tribunal will overturn this decision that has been universally condemned without exception from what I have seen and heard.

So 3 key players for the Cats, Dangerfield, Hawkins, Duncan. Of the three cases the two waved through were in my opinion unarguably more questionable than the one penalised. In all cases the decision has gone in favour of protecting the key Geelong player.

For anyone unfamiliar with Hocking’s links to Geelong FC….he played his entire 199 game career with Geelong, retiring after the Cat’s third Grand Final loss in 6 seasons in 1994. He later served Geelong FC in several roles as listed below from 2004:


2004-05 match committee chairman.

2006 - returned to Geelong full time as Training Services Manager, responsible for the planning, management and implementation of all training services for the club.

2010 - Assistant General Manager Football Operations to support Neil Balme.

2013 - General Manager of Team Performance.

2014 – General Manager of Commercial Operations.

2015-2017 - General Manager of Football.

He has no known involvement with any other club in the AFL. He was employed in his various roles including as a player by the Geelong FC for 25 years in total between 1984 and 2017. I have heard interviews with both Hocking and Chris Scott saying the two are very close.

It matters not whether Hocking is deliberately or consciously making decisions to favour or protect Geelong FC. It is a clear conflict of interest with some of his direct responsibilities and as such he should have no direct input to decisions in the three areas I have highlighted. There are ways of achieving this without removing him from his role, if that is seen as the best way to handle it.

The AFL needs to tidy this up. Remember, in regard to the MRO decisions, Hocking has the final say. So we know for sure every decision the MRO makes is Hocking’s position, but we have no certain idea if these decisions also reflect MRO Michael Christian’s position….

I have read some silly things in my life but this is right up there.

I Hocking is working putting things on the cats terms then why don't we get 11 home games? Why are home finals out if the question? If he's our inside man then he needs to be sacked and replaced with someone who can deliver