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

    40

    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

 

[Dave]

This really was amateur hour by Essendon. Is that what we do now? We sack coaches who have had one bad year? One. On what basis? Team performance they say? Uncompetitive in 5 or 6 games they say?

That may be true, but so what? How uncompetitive was Richmond in 2016 (13th with a percentage of 78%) Or Melbourne in 2019 (5 wins with a percentage of 78%). Richmond, remember lost by 120 points in the last round of 2016

BOTH those clubs could have used the old "we were uncompetitive in several games" excuse but they didn't. They realized that there is more to a football club than just the coach and they backed the coach.

Rutten had only been coach for 45 games and the first season we made the finals. And it's not like he had a 5 year contract. It was a three year contract. He only had one year left, and we had only struggled for one season. You always learn more from a bad season than you do from a good one. So give him the chance to learn from his mistakes. If the performances are still poor after two consecutive bad years then fine, move the coach on. But ONE bad year without giving him the opportunity to make amends and learn from it? Give me a break.

And not only that, the excuses from the club reek of the same illogical crap you hear from idiot supporters. "We were uncompetitive in several games, so we've taken this path". What do dumb supporters do? They say the same thing. They want to sack the coach. We all see them, we all hear them. They're idiots and we we tolerate them at work, and on bigfooty, but it is just ramblings from dumb supporters whenever any club has a bad loss. Yes, there are times to sack a coach, but not after one bad season

You'd expect the higher-ups at a football club would be a bit smarter, a bit more analytical, a bit more nuanced and thoughtful. Such as analyzing recent football history at other clubs and seeing what has worked. For example, they said we are on the lookout for a coach with senior coaching experience. Do these numbskulls realize that the the last 12 premierships have been won by clubs whose coach was in their first senior job? Do these numbskulls realize that 17 of the last 18 premierships have been won by clubs whose coach was in their first appointment? Do they realize that Essendon has ALREADY gone down that path with premiership coaches Thompson and Worsfold, and it didn't work out. Have they not analyzed the failures of Thompson and Worsfold at Essendon, Malthouse at Carlton, Pagan at Carlton, Blight and St.Kilda, Roos at Melbourne etc.

And then there the much needed external review. Why would you sack the coach before this? What if the review recommends keeping the coach? Isn't the whole point of the review to analyze all aspects of the club, including analyzing the people responsible for making the decisions about the coach?

What the hell have we just done? The people making these decisions have no idea. So insular, so stupid, so panicked, so impatient, so ignorant of what has been successful outside our club and what we can learn from those outside successes.

One of your best Dan.

 

[The Donners]

There is a section of opposition club supporters that feel sorry for us. How do people feel about that?

 

[thepokey]

There is a section of opposition club supporters that feel sorry for us. How do people feel about that?

Do they feel sorry for us, or feel sorry for Rutten and dislike us even more because of that?

 

[brutus76]

Everyone was a rabble once. Pies, Cats, Tigers, Hawks

THE BIG BROOM needs to come out some need to fall on their sword

 

[The Donners]

Do they feel sorry for us, or feel sorry for Rutten and dislike us even more because of that?

I feel they have disassociated the board from the playing group, the coaches and the supporters.

 

[Zach Package]

Everyone was a rabble once. Pies, Cats, Tigers, Hawks

THE BIG BROOM needs to come out some need to fall on their sword

I’d be sharpening the broom and using it like a jousting stick.

Skewer the board and send them packing in one fell swoop like an old, saggy shish kabob.

 

[STANTS]

There is a section of opposition club supporters that feel sorry for us. How do people feel about that?

They do I don’t know any thank god that’s the worst

 

[Lore]

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Stuff it...I am going in with my turbo charged, rocket fuelled blower and I will clean the joint out.

 

[Bipolar Bear]

So how can we get the club to reset? Any ideas on what we have to do? Feels as though it's met a critical mass and nothing has happened.
The boys club even know that the football public is onto them now.

 

[faible]

So how can we get the club to reset? Any ideas on what we have to do? Feels as though it's met a critical mass and nothing has happened.
The boys club even know that the football public is onto them now.

Can we force the entire board to step down and re-stand for election?

 

[Maddogm]

Start by disbanding the coteries

 

[Zach Package]

He was an unimaginative, uninspired dolt but he was a strong personality and he absolutely nailed the shit out of that.

I remember thinking at the time it was an oddly philosophical thing for him to say because he usually gave absolutely nothing.

 

[faible]

he usually gave absolutely nothing.

I always got the feeling he'd long since learned that giving the media nothing meant you got your press requirements done and dusted quickly, with no headlines during the week.

 

[Lore]

Start by disbanding the coteries

True… if the club leadership is hollowed out and the coteries are still there then the power vacuum will be filled pretty quickly, rinse and repeat.

 

[JayJ20]

This really was amateur hour by Essendon. Is that what we do now? We sack coaches who have had one bad year? One. On what basis? Team performance they say? Uncompetitive in 5 or 6 games they say?

That may be true, but so what? How uncompetitive was Richmond in 2016 (13th with a percentage of 78%) Or Melbourne in 2019 (5 wins with a percentage of 78%). Richmond, remember lost by 120 points in the last round of 2016

BOTH those clubs could have used the old "we were uncompetitive in several games" excuse but they didn't. They realized that there is more to a football club than just the coach and they backed the coach.

Rutten had only been coach for 45 games and the first season we made the finals. And it's not like he had a 5 year contract. It was a three year contract. He only had one year left, and we had only struggled for one season. You always learn more from a bad season than you do from a good one. So give him the chance to learn from his mistakes. If the performances are still poor after two consecutive bad years then fine, move the coach on. But ONE bad year without giving him the opportunity to make amends and learn from it? Give me a break.

And not only that, the excuses from the club reek of the same illogical crap you hear from idiot supporters. "We were uncompetitive in several games, so we've taken this path". What do dumb supporters do? They say the same thing. They want to sack the coach. We all see them, we all hear them. They're idiots and we we tolerate them at work, and on bigfooty, but it is just ramblings from dumb supporters whenever any club has a bad loss. Yes, there are times to sack a coach, but not after one bad season

You'd expect the higher-ups at a football club would be a bit smarter, a bit more analytical, a bit more nuanced and thoughtful. Such as analyzing recent football history at other clubs and seeing what has worked. For example, they said we are on the lookout for a coach with senior coaching experience. Do these numbskulls realize that the the last 12 premierships have been won by clubs whose coach was in their first senior job? Do these numbskulls realize that 17 of the last 18 premierships have been won by clubs whose coach was in their first appointment? Do they realize that Essendon has ALREADY gone down that path with premiership coaches Thompson and Worsfold, and it didn't work out. Have they not analyzed the failures of Thompson and Worsfold at Essendon, Malthouse at Carlton, Pagan at Carlton, Blight and St.Kilda, Roos at Melbourne etc.

And then there's the much needed external review. Why would you sack the coach before this? What if the review recommends keeping the coach? Isn't the whole point of the review to analyze all aspects of the club, including analyzing the people responsible for making the decisions about the coach?

What the hell have we just done? The people making these decisions have no idea. So insular, so stupid, so panicked, so impatient, so ignorant of what has been successful outside our club and what we can learn from those outside successes.

Exactly. Barham said “what are other clubs doing?” Apparently the review will be about what other successful clubs do. Then he proceeds to do the opposite of what other successful clubs do. Geelong, Richmond and Melbourne all stuck with their coaches. I don’t have high hopes for this review.

 

[TDay]

Hard to front up membership fees when I know they are going towards an 'external' review that will show that successful clubs dont sack their coach as part of a board room ego-driven dick measuring contest

 

[LB#16]

Simon Madden considering his position on Essendon board

 

[Lore]

Simon Madden considering his position on Essendon board

I hope he quits and then mounts a challenge to the board on a new ticket

 

[TheGrizz]

I hope he quits and then mounts a challenge to the board on a new ticket

Can't read the article behind a pay wall, why is he considering leaving?

 

[faible]

I hope he quits and then mounts a challenge to the board on a new ticket

Is he on the pro-Hird faction with Sheedy and Dodoro?

 

[andleanback]

Start by disbanding the coteries

Or just give them less access power to internal people. Just because you want to donate money to the club doesn’t mean you should get a say on how it is run. If you want to be involved with running it nominate for the board.

 

[jmoo wan]

Simon Madden considering his position on Essendon board

i feel there’s more to this story.

 

[Lore]

Is he on the pro-Hird faction with Sheedy and Dodoro?

He and Wellman are with Brasher and Allen, Sheedy flipped on them and went with Barham, Muir, Green, Hisgrove and O’Sullivan to form a new majority.

Can't read the article behind a pay wall, why is he considering leaving?

Dont know I can’t read it either, but if you’re quitting after a board coup that went against building sustained success and threw out the internal review that you were part of then I’d suggest that’s a big part of it… will wait for confirmation

 

[JayJ20]

The continual reference to the marquee games is the worst and most delusional bit of all. Like, stop admiring the view up your own arse and join us in the real world.

While we whistle to ourselves and count our Anzac Day, Dreamtime (aka the annual loss) and Country Game (lol) marquee games, other teams count their finals wins and flags won in the exact era we’ve monopolised these marquee games.

I’d very happily give up every single marquee slot in exchange for us being good. Without a second thought.

So don’t @ me, Essendon, about your marquee games, they’re ******* meaningless because all the marquee games in the world don’t stop you being shithouse.

Marquee games have essentially become an event for us to gift the opposition 4 points + percentage in front of 80K for them to win flags. They should be embarrassed to mention a marquee game we haven’t won since 2014!! And another marquee game that we win once every 4 years.