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

 

[yodellinhank]

Cleaned out a fractured board ( only Sheedy left), scott better placed then Rutten, ensuring a external review takes place.

Ultimately made mistakes but I think deserves the time to see if he can get rid of dodo and Sheedy and appoint a good ceo.

Still work to do but ess figuratively needed a clean out and blow it all up. I like him as no one else has shown the guts to do it.

Only Sheedy left from what? You 100% confident on the rest of the board, based on their surnames not beginning with "S" and ending in "heedy"
?

The mess has been going on before Sheedy's time, and will likely continue well after his departure. Especially when people seek supposed quick fixes such as "Sack Sheedy".

 

[yodellinhank]

Well, I think I'm now totally onboard with Barham's scorched Earth strategy. We've been an embarrassing *-up of a club for years before the last 3 months (which people seem to have forgotten), so more carnage in quick time is not the worst thing if we come out the other side with a functional, aligned football club with significantly reduced influence from outside parties.

Dominoes fallen:

Campbell era over (incl. two below)
Brasher
Rutten
(Madden?)
(Wellman?)

Hird returning put to rest

Coteries sidelined

External review outcomes still to play out

Dominoes to fall:

Sheedy
Dodoro

Good-bye to the Boy's Club - the same "club" that has contributed to us achieving absolutely * all for 20 years.

Yeah, put Heppell and Hurley on though. That warms the heart. Bombershop to celebrate with a discount reflecting all of their combined finals wins.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Only Sheedy left from what? You 100% confident on the rest of the board, based on their surnames not beginning with "S" and ending in "heedy"
?

The mess has been going on before Sheedy's time, and will likely continue well after his departure. Especially when people seek supposed quick fixes such as "Sack Sheedy".

His clinging to the Hird redemption is not helping the club. He needs to **** off

 

[yodellinhank]

I think Barham’s intentions are good but his executions (pardon the pun) are s**thouse.

 

[Lore]

Only Sheedy left from what? You 100% confident on the rest of the board, based on their surnames not beginning with "S" and ending in "heedy"
?

The mess has been going on before Sheedy's time, and will likely continue well after his departure. Especially when people seek supposed quick fixes such as "Sack Sheedy".

Sheedy resigning would be a good start though. You don't normally invite the equivalent of the leader of the opposition into the cabinet.

 

[yodellinhank]

Sheedy resigning would be a good start though. You don't normally invite the equivalent of the leader of the opposition into the cabinet.

Sheedy is the independent cross-bencher in this scenario. Barham going with his proven strategy of ****ing things up immediately in the hope of an accidental win down the track.

We're probably going to three peat with this accident of history approach.

 

[Lore]

Sheedy is the independent cross-bencher in this scenario. Barham going with his proven strategy of ******* things up immediately in the hope of an accidental win down the track.

We're probably going to three peat with this accident of history approach.

He seems to be aiming for 'benevolent dictator' more than 'independent cross-bench agitator' tbh. And you don't have independent cross-benchers in the cabinet office either, especially if they are known to be untrustworthy, and to use their access to cabinet discussions to undermine the course of action established by a majority vote. The parliament in this scenario is more like the eligible voting members.

 

[nipst@r]

Only Sheedy left from what? You 100% confident on the rest of the board, based on their surnames not beginning with "S" and ending in "heedy"
?

The mess has been going on before Sheedy's time, and will likely continue well after his departure. Especially when people seek supposed quick fixes such as "Sack Sheedy".

Well the board was split on direction/ Rutten as coach
Whereas now all but Sheedy are happy with scott.

Sacking Sheedy is not a quick fix it should be obvious why it is needed.

Sacking dodo is also not a quick fix as he has been there for twenty years with limited results.

So yeah I am more confident with current approach and want dodo and Sheedy both gone.

I say back barham in, as barham appears to be the shake up the club needs.

But I Would love to hear your approach or even why you think Sheedy is good for the club

 

[nipst@r]

Sheedy is the independent cross-bencher in this scenario. Barham going with his proven strategy of ******* things up immediately in the hope of an accidental win down the track.

We're probably going to three peat with this accident of history approach.

Ill take a united board, some actual direction and even just 1 finals win. Not a high bar but a major improvement.

Sheedy - Clarkson outburst, scott outburst, media leaks, hird delusion. Sack Sheedy or stand down isn't a snap decision.

Barham has made mistakes but at least trying to map a pathway fwd.

 

[yodellinhank]

He seems to be aiming for 'benevolent dictator' more than 'independent cross-bench agitator' tbh. And you don't have independent cross-benchers in the cabinet office either, especially if they are known to be untrustworthy, and to use their access to cabinet discussions to undermine the course of action established by a majority vote. The parliament in this scenario is more like the eligible voting members.

Like Barham to Brasher?

 

[brutus76]

Where is the review report?

Have we fired jackets and red nose yet?

 

[Lore]

Like Barham to Brasher?

What did Barham do?

 

[Lore]

Where is the review report?

Have we fired jackets and red nose yet?

Should be presented to the board either "next week" or "early next week" depending on which report you read. Hopefully we get a public announcement of summary findings and recommendations after that – I wouldn't expect the full report though.

 

[boncer34]

Only Sheedy left from what? You 100% confident on the rest of the board, based on their surnames not beginning with "S" and ending in "heedy"
?

The mess has been going on before Sheedy's time, and will likely continue well after his departure. Especially when people seek supposed quick fixes such as "Sack Sheedy".

Yes and when that happened we didn't stick to the Essendon boys club. We appointed a back pocket plumber from Richmond

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Said it somewhere else and it applies here. Classic ******* Sheedy. Thinks we'll go through a process, ignore it and let him Captain pick his mate into the job.

I love how Hird characterizes not being anointed and handed the job on a red velvet cushion = being strung along

 

[Lore]

 

[ghostdog]

Text please?

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I reckon a showdown is coming in the form of a dance off.

 

[Lore]

I reckon a showdown is coming in the form of a dance off.

Are we back to making a reality TV series out of it?

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Are we back to making a reality TV series out of it?

We may as well huh?

 

[Rabbit of Caerbannog]

I love how Hird characterizes not being anointed and handed the job on a red velvet cushion = being strung along

Yeah, that last line reflects extremely poorly on Hird if it's true. Of course it could just be Robbo's own emotional opinion on how he thinks Hird should feel. He's probably more shattered Hird didn't get the job than Hird himself after all.

 

[eth-dog]

I reckon a showdown is coming in the form of a dance off.

 

[The Donners]

I reckon a showdown is coming in the form of a dance off.

Stiffler style?

 

[jmoo wan]

Text please?

because you asked nicely, I'll give you the pictures too (I do not subscribe and give money to newscorp):

Key Essendon figures back new figureheads David Barham and Brad Scott to thrive​

Steve ButlerThe West Australian
Sat, 8 October 2022 6:45PM
Steve Butler
A powerful posse of former Essendon players have emphatically backed new coach Brad Scott and president David Barham as the men to lead the Bombers out of the doldrums and into a bold new era.
The West Australian has learnt the group has signed a statement of support for the pair. The push is understood to have been led by former captain Ken Fraser and is expected to soon be released publicly.
It comes after a fortnight of significant change that has seen Scott announced as coach, while Andrew Thorburn was forced to quit his role as new chief executive – which he held for little more than a day – because of conflict over his religious beliefs.
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“We, the listed group of former players of the Essendon Football Club, have strong confidence that the board and its president David Barham, have chosen Brad Scott as the best available experienced coach to lead the club back to finals football,” the statement says.
“We believe that the president and board, despite some recent emotionally-sensitive and complex difficulties, will lead the club in the right direction for improved on-field success and enhanced club status.”

Brad Scott. 2022 Getty Images
The group of well-known former players is understood to include many who also held coaching and administration positions. The statement is believed to have been triggered by a desire from the former players to give Essendon members and supporters greater confidence in the new direction of the club at a time of deep uncertainty and on the back of yet another disappointing season.
The latter factor led to the sacking of coach Ben Rutten in just his second season at the helm.

 

[Happyskeret]

Cheers to Dave and Brad hopes it the start of what dreams are made of