Club Mgmt. Board of Directors as led by President Dave Barham - Statement from Barham addressing Merrett etc - 12/9

[Lore]

Spoiler: Timeline of events

• 15/8: President, Paul Brasher resigns, replaced by Dave Barham who foreshadows external review
  • Votes for Brasher: Peter Allen, Simon Madden, Sean Wellman
    Sean Wellman

    Age

    51

    Ht

    193cm

    Wt

    90kg

    Pos.

    Def

    Career

    Season

    Last 5

    D

    14.1

    4star

    K

    9.7

    4star

    HB

    4.5

    3star

    M

    4.5

    4star

    T

    1.0

    3star

    No current season stats available

    D

    8.0

    2star

    K

    4.4

    2star

    HB

    3.6

    3star

    M

    2.6

    3star

    T

    0.8

    3star

  • Votes for Barham: Andrew Muir, Dorothy Hisgrove, Melissa Green, Kate O’Sullivan, Kevin Sheedy
• 21/8: Senior Coach, Ben Rutten
  Ben Rutten

  Age

  42

  Ht

  190cm

  Wt

  98kg

  Pos.

  Def

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  13.4

  3star

  K

  6.3

  2star

  HB

  7.0

  4star

  M

  5.3

  5star

  T

  1.3

  3star

  No current season stats available

  D

  10.6

  3star

  K

  6.2

  3star

  HB

  4.4

  4star

  M

  3.6

  4star

  T

  1.0

  3star

  sacked
• 24/8: CEO, Xavier Campbell resigns
• 24/8: Directors to resign
  • Paul Brasher, immediately
  • Simon Madden, immediately
  • Sean Wellman, after new football director is appointed
  • Peter Allen, after AGM & finance portfolio handover in December
• 26/8: Details of coaching selection committee appointment
  • Sub-committee of 6: Josh Mahoney
    Josh Mahoney

    Age

    48

    Ht

    180cm

    Wt

    83kg

    Pos.

    Fwd

    Career

    Season

    Last 5

    D

    11.3

    3star

    K

    6.8

    3star

    HB

    4.5

    3star

    M

    3.5

    4star

    T

    1.6

    4star

    G

    0.9

    4star

    No current season stats available

    D

    9.2

    3star

    K

    5.4

    2star

    HB

    3.8

    3star

    M

    2.2

    3star

    T

    1.6

    4star

    G

    0.4

    3star

    (Chair, GM-Footy), Robert Walls, Jordan Lewis
    Jordan Lewis

    Age

    39

    Ht

    186cm

    Wt

    86kg

    Pos.

    D/M

    Career

    Season

    Last 5

    D

    23.5

    5star

    K

    12.1

    4star

    HB

    11.5

    5star

    M

    5.5

    5star

    T

    2.7

    4star

    MG

    310.5

    4star

    No current season stats available

    D

    15.0

    4star

    K

    6.8

    3star

    HB

    8.2

    5star

    M

    4.8

    5star

    T

    2.8

    5star

    , Simone McKinnis OAM, Andrew Thorburn and Dorothy Hisgrove (board member).
• 26/8: Details of external review process
  • Ernst & Young to coordinate with support from Andrew Thorburn, working closely with Nick Ryan (Acting CEO) & Dorothy Hisgrove (board member)
  • Focusing on four areas: (1) Board effectiveness & composition, (2) a review of leadership, operations and culture including the footy department, (3) the senior coach appointment and (4) the new CEO appointment.
• 26/9: Andrew Welsh appointed to the board of directors, replacing Simon Madden
• 29/9: Brad Scott appointed as Senior Coach
• 30/9: Kevin Sheedy claims decision to appoint Brad Scott was 6-1 against him
• 3/10: Andrew Thorburn appointed as CEO - alternative link
• 3/10: “External review to be handed to the board next week”: Andrew Thorburn, Crichton Medal Address
• 4/10: Andrew Thorburn resigns as CEO
• 11/10: External review preliminary findings
• 24/10: External review preliminary findings II
• 2/11: Dan McPherson appointed as General Manager of Performance & Cam Roberts as Head of Development
• 11/11: Dean Rioli appointed to the board of directors, replacing Paul Brasher
• 14/11: Tim Roberts & David Wills appointed to the board of directors, replacing Sean Wellman and Paul Allen respectively
• 28/11: Dorothy Hisgrove announced as first female vice-president (at the Essendon Women's Best and Fairest night)
• 1/12: Craig Vozzo appointed as CEO
• 13/12: Board director election results: Andrew Welsh and Andrew Muir elected
• 15/5: The club's First Nations Advisory Council established, to be led by Dean Rioli (chair, Indigenous board member), and including: Leanne Brooke (EFC EGM – Community & The Long Walk. Essendon FC), Dorothy Hisgrove (EFC VP and National Manager Partner KPMG), Kane Ellis (CEO of Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service), John Evans (Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Engagement at Swinburne) and Che Cockatoo-Collins (EM, Indigenous Affairs NBN, EFC Past Player)
• 16/5: Board of Directors declare support for the First Nations Voice to Parliament, after consultation with the new First Nations Advisory Council
• 28/8: EGM - Football, Josh Mahoney has accepted a role as GM Football Operations at the AFL
• 10/10: GM - Performance Daniel McPherson, and Head of AFLW/AFL Operations Manager Aysha Ward have been elevated to the club executive as joint leaders of the club's football department, as GM-AFL and GM-AFLW respectively

 

[The Prosecutor]

How the **** does the club think this is all okay to keep Rutten hanging on like this

 

[Schnitzengruben]

How the * does the club think this is all okay to keep Rutten hanging on like this

I would be staggered if Rutten doesn't know exactly what is happening. It just hasn't been announced publicly.

 

[citizen-erased]

This just about sums up everything wrong with the club imo

feckless

 

[carnthedons]

This just about sums up everything wrong with the club imo

There’s been a lot of jokes about ScoMo appointing himself to run our club but seeing this, they may not be jokes any more

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I would be staggered if Rutten doesn't know exactly what is happening. It just hasn't been announced publicly.

I wouldn’t be staggered given Essington, however I think he would be being kept up to date.

 

[Nifft]

By saying the following I’m not saying Essendon have treated Rutten well or handled the whole situation well, however…

Every year clubs (with the consent of coaches) put players into trade proposals for superstar players. This information often gets leaked and the player knows he’s (or she’s) replaceable if it means the team can secure that superstar.

If it doesn’t happen then they are expected to understand and show up and play and improve etc the next year.

This is not that different to what is happening with Rutten at a coaching level. A superstar coach is available and the club is attempting to recruit him. IF (and it’s a big if) behind closed doors they’ve been transparent with Rutten that his job is only in jeopardy if Clarkson agrees to come, then should Rutten be expected to deal with it like the players are expected to?

Main difference with players is they have to agree to a trade, but it doesn’t change their feelings about it or how they’re meant to handle it.

But a player still has a job whether they're traded or not. And players can also make demands to the team if they want to go somewhere else, like what happened with Dunkley and Joe, and then both parties have to deal with it if it doesn't work out.

 

[The Dustbin]

I'd like to hear your logic that has his 2 years and 40 games at Melbourne as more impactful than his 9 years and 90 games at North.

He played 41 games in two years at the Dees vs 90 games in 9 years at Norf.
Played 22 games in his first year at Melb and averaged 23 disposals. That one year alone was more impactful than the previous 9 at Norf.

 

[Seb78]

If he has chosen North and is that worried about Truck, then why wait? Just pick North already .
Why potentially jeopardise Trucks job even further by holding out?
He could've put an end to this easily by now I would've thought.

Unless???

 

[Zach Package]

Clarko wore Golden Station Warriors shirt in Adelaide, Bogut played for GSW and wants Clarko, who visited GSW on his development trip. All lines up to me.

Clarko wears a white robe, Bogut is a neo-nazi. Shakra’s aligning.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Clarko wears a white robe, Bogut is a neo-nazi. Shakra’s aligning.

 

[Lore]

If he has chosen North and is that worried about Truck, then why wait? Just pick North already .
Why potentially jeopardise Trucks job even further by holding out?
He could've put an end to this easily by now I would've thought.

Unless???

I think he's simply been extremely busy and still needs to do his due diligence before accepting offers from anywhere.

I don't think he had a formal offer from Essendon until very recently (I wasn't convinced he had one yet at all until we started getting reports of actual salary figures, and I'm still not sold on it), and he's been interstate dealing with a tragedy/something to do with Caulfield Grammar/had to go to Adelaide. I won't speculate on exactly how that fits together, but whatever it is I'd say it's one of the few things that would be a higher priority on a moral level than putting this circus to bed asap.

 

[Foxx]

Lol turmoil. Come off it.
Every footy club turns over players, coaches and board members every year.
Especially losing teams.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Clarko wears a white robe, Bogut is a neo-nazi. Shakra’s aligning.

The only way we could become a bigger laughing stock is if bogut is brought on for promotional work.

 

[crackers65]

Bit rich from Goodwin about how we are treating truck. Who could forget how Melbourne and the president who didn’t know the rules treated Dean Bailey.

 

[Squeaky]

18% off Connor McKenna socks!!!

Ha ha!
I have a pair of them - Father's Day gift...

 

[The Prosecutor]

Lol turmoil. Come off it.
Every footy club turns over players, coaches and board members every year.
Especially losing teams.

I yearn for the blissful ignorance you have on situations like this and Heppell.

 

[Squeaky]

How the * does the club think this is all okay to keep Rutten hanging on like this

It is ****ing ridiculous.

 

[Foxx]

Bit rich from Goodwin about how we are treating truck. Who could forget how Melbourne and the president who didn’t know the rules treated Dean Bailey.

And it's obviously OK for them to chase a contracted Brodie Grundy mid season.
This is the nature of it these days.

 

[Lore]

Bit rich from Goodwin about how we are treating truck. Who could forget how Melbourne and the president who didn’t know the rules treated Dean Bailey.

The AFLCA is all over it and Clarkson has now commented on it himself as well.

I get the whole 'glass houses' thing but it really shouldn't be a thing at all and it should be called out.

 

[Foxx]

I yearn for the blissful ignorance you have on situations like this and Heppell.

It's ignorant to think its not part of the business these days.

 

[yodellinhank]

If he has chosen North and is that worried about Truck, then why wait? Just pick North already .
Why potentially jeopardise Trucks job even further by holding out?
He could've put an end to this easily by now I would've thought.

Unless???

Maybe he's just taking the opportunity to help a rival club destroy itself? A summer of discontent at Essendon might help lift North off the bottom.

 

[Doss]

This just about sums up everything wrong with the club imo

Yeah damn straight. Where was our 43% off offer when Tippa quit?

 

[naraku]

At this stage, I am assuming we're sacking Rutten some time after the Richmond game.

There's surely no way we're not sacking him now. We've ****ed Truck up so badly no way he isn't getting the arse!

 

[oldandslow]

I just find it funny how we keep Woosha on the seat while orchestrating a replacement with the last year of his contract still to run yet the moment the same sort of scenario seems a possibility with Rutten all hell breaks loose, "the humanity!", etc; etc;

And what's extra funny is Rutten was the direct beneficiary of that, but you didn't hear a peep come from him or his supporters then.

Double standards.

I’m pretty sure Woosha was happy to go and he coached like it too.

 

[Bjchan13]

It's ignorant to think its not part of the business these days.

No one is saying a club looking for a new coach is not part of the business. It is. Its how we've conducted our business that is the issue. We could've sacked Truck on Monday and be done with it. Brutal maybe, but a better way to do business.