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

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    193cm

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    90kg

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    Def

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    14.1

    4star

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    9.7

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    4.5

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    1.0

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    8.0

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    4.4

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    2.6

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    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

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  42

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  13.4

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  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

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    48

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    180cm

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    1.6

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    0.4

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

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    39

    Ht

    186cm

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    86kg

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    D

    23.5

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    , 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

 

[Nifft]

The coaching selection panel – I posted the full bit from the member email in the coach thread which has all their resumes etc, but it is 6 people:

• Josh Mahoney (chair & GM-Footy)
• Dorothy Hisgrove (board member)
• Andrew Thorburn
• Robert Walls
• Jordan Lewis
• Simone McGinnis OAM

I’m curious whether these guys actually select the coach, or if they put a recommendation through to the board, who then make the final decision.

 

[citizen-erased]

I'm excited that Hisgrove and Mahoney are involved. The fact that neither of them have been at the club long and have been at other clubs recently is a good thing.

happy with that. Also McKinnis reads well as knowing what a good coach should look like.

I guess Lewis has seen two decent modern systems, and Mahoney would have sought him out during his shift to Melbourne. So would see something there. will trust that.

Walls i wonder if he's been out of the game too long for this sort of gig. Would have thought Carter was a better credentialed option here for an old football hand.

Imagine Thorburn is part of the CEO process. I'd be reluctant on an organisation culture front there. didn't leave his last big gig in the best circumstances.

I'm hoping once this is done Barham uses it as a chance to step away and someone can convince the Governor of Vic to step back into the club. Dessau would be nice in the president seat imo.

 

[Lore]

I’m curious whether these guys actually select the coach, or if they put a recommendation through to the board, who then make the final decision.

The board would ratify whatever decision the committee makes I think.

 

[JayJ20]

For a laugh maybe, not if they’re being paid to give advice. They lose reputation if they tried to derail the process.

In real life yes but on bigfooty they’d be considered the best panelists.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Robert walls smh
and Jordan Lewis 2 guys who hate essendon. You can’t make this up
View attachment 1491524

Is jordan lewis actually on record for saying he hates Essendon?

Whilst at Hawthorn maybe. for obvious reasons, but i dont recall him being vocal about it

 

[Reximilian]

It wouldn’t surprise me if Walls recommended Hird or to re-hire Rutten just to get his revenge on the club that caused his sacking. However, it’s not such a bad idea to have someone from Richmond in the 90s though for advice on what not to do.

 

[faible]

Is jordan lewis actually on record for saying he hates Essendon?

Whilst at Hawthorn maybe. for obvious reasons, but i dont recall him being vocal about it

I never got the sense Lewis hated EFC, he's fairy unbiased in his commentary and as a fairly young guy, wouldn't want to be burning his reputation because he 'disliked' Essendon and sabotaged the process.

 

[threeleggedgoat]

Can't help but scoff at Walls being involved. Not because he hates Essendon, but because I think he's a washed up dinosaur who is probably as out of touch with modern AFL as Sheedy is.

So he was part of the panel that hired Lyon at the Saints.. 15 years ago. And Eade at Sydney 25 odd years ago... and this is what the club is using to spruik his relevance and experience?? Why don't we just dig up the bones of Jock McHale and Allan Jeans and have them on the panel?

 

[Burzum]

Robert walls smh
and Jordan Lewis 2 guys who hate essendon. You can’t make this up
View attachment 1491524

People are professional and have integrity.

 

[BomberManU]

I like it. Another step in the right direction.

 

[baz_machine]

People are professional and have integrity.

That's not the Essendon way

 

[Donakebab]

I'd take out Walls and add Gordon Ramsey, he fixed plenty of kitchens that were quite frankly nightmares.

We definitely need an EFC idiot sandwich meme.

 

[andleanback]

People are professional and have integrity.

No not only that he hasn’t been involved in club land in years.

 

[Beerfish]

I’m curious whether these guys actually select the coach, or if they put a recommendation through to the board, who then make the final decision select Hird.

 

[Burzum]

No not only that he hasn’t been involved in club land in years.

Like 4 years ago he was at Carlton

 

[SydneyBomber]

Can't help but scoff at Walls being involved. Not because he hates Essendon, but because I think he's a washed up dinosaur who is probably as out of touch with modern AFL as Sheedy is.

True, definitely raised an eyebrow when i read that too...
Am I the only one that sees it as a deliberate FU to sheedy (and possibly by extension, hird?) from Barham?
Too much tin foil in my hat perhaps?

 

[andleanback]

 

[TDay]

Is there any chance at all that Rutten could be re-recommended by the review? I would drink an english pale lager brewed in brisbane in an asahi bottle to that

 

[footyfanatic111]

I’d be shocked if those guys chose Hird as best option for coach.

Maybe part of barhams plan, 2 guys he knows would be against a hird hiring being in the selection panel not succumbing to Sheedy influence, either that or the total opposite and appoint hird and completely * the club up. Lel

 

[Beerfish]

View attachment 1491601

There you go. Who says this bloke isn't Essendon?

 

[crackers65]

Is Walls problem with Essendon or Sheedy? He barracked for Essendon as a kid.

 

[dank420_]

Is there any chance at all that Rutten could be re-recommended by the review? I would drink an english pale lager brewed in brisbane in an asahi bottle to that

They can recommend anyone. They aren't choosing, however.

 

[Vindicater]

Can't wait until these guys select "best option" and are then overruled by Sheedy who picks Hird.

 

[Nifft]

They can recommend anyone. They aren't choosing, however.

So if what you’re saying is correct, the board could stipulate that they want multiple options to choose from, such as:

• best experienced candidate
• best assistant coach
• best blonde previous club captain to wear number 5

 

[TheFrenchCut]

Just wondering if we have enough people on the panel. Are we sure there isn't room for a seventh?