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

 

[ghostdog]

The reason I asked if he was vocal as a player is because I hope he'll feel comfortable enough in board meetings to speak his mind.

 

[Pweter]

For all his obvious skill he could deliver a bone crunching bump too. When fit he was a complete joy to watch.

 

[The Donners]

The reason I asked if he was vocal as a player is because I hope he'll feel comfortable enough in board meetings to speak his mind.

He’ll have influence.

 

[yodellinhank]

The reason I asked if he was vocal as a player is because I hope he'll feel comfortable enough in board meetings to speak his mind.

He tweets a bit, doesn't he?

 

[ant555]

I don't think we saw him consistently produce to his full capabilities. I wonder how good he could have been if he had a better run with injuries and got himself into peak fitness.

He could never get to peak fitness because his knee was pretty much stuffed. Lot of people hung shit on him about the turtle meat but he could never train at more than 50% most of the time as he was getting his knee drained once a month. Hurt his knee when he was 16 or so. Too bad. He was a sublime player. Even if he reached Walla's level of fitness he would have been a super star.

 

[Doss]

Rioli would have been our second best player during the Hird era if he was fit, IMO.

An extremely big call given this puts him ahead of people like Long, Lloyd, Mercuri and Lucas, but there is no doubt he was an incredibly special talent.

 

[frodos gardener]

Now I want to try turtle meat

 

[TheGrizz]

An extremely big call given this puts him ahead of people like Long, Lloyd, Mercuri and Lucas, but there is no doubt he was an incredibly special talent.

Damian Hardwick on AFL360 a few years ago was asked who the best indigenous player he played with was, and he specifically mentioned Dean Rioli as arguably the most talented, but he just couldn't get on the park and keep fit.

He played with Long, Wanganeen, Pickett et Al.
I thought at the time that was a huge wrap.

 

[frodos gardener]

An extremely big call given this puts him ahead of people like Long, Lloyd, Mercuri and Lucas, but there is no doubt he was an incredibly special talent.

Yeah I have Lloyd and Hird top 2. I’m not even convinced Hird was clearly better than Matty.

 

[DapperDon]

If we are basing it off pure skills then you'd have Mecuri, Lloyd and Rioli ahead of Hird.

Though Hird had that determination on the other's that puts him ahead for mine.

A fully fit Rioli would certainly be up there for sure, I'd have him equal with Mecuri

 

[Squeaky]

If we are basing it off pure skills then you'd have Mecuri, Lloyd and Rioli ahead of Hird.

Though Hird had that determination on the other's that puts him ahead for mine.

A fully fit Rioli would certainly be up there for sure, I'd have him equal with Mecuri

Loving the Dean Rioli talk.
I went to the final at Etihad in 2002 I think. We played WCE at Etihad and Lloyd got KO'd in first qtr.
Rioli was playing back pocket and actually played up on the 50 - leaving his man all alone near goal... but he sharked the ball so often that the WCE coach (Worsfold) asked the forward pocket to kindly play tighter on Rioli as he was rebounding everything prior to halftime.
It was remarkable.

 

[Vander18]

Rioli had a similar level of all-round footy talent to Mercuri.

I don’t say that lightly.

 

[Kong]

Loving the Dean Rioli talk.
I went to the final at Etihad in 2002 I think. We played WCE at Etihad and Lloyd got KO'd in first qtr.
Rioli was playing back pocket and actually played up on the 50 - leaving his man all alone near goal... but he sharked the ball so often that the WCE coach (Worsfold) asked the forward pocket to kindly play tighter on Rioli as he was rebounding everything prior to halftime.
It was remarkable.

My best memory of him was a game late in 2004 against Port, who went on to not lose another game and win the flag, after Essendon upset them.

Chad Cornes was the premier tall defender in the comp, always dropping across and shutting down opposition entries while also being pretty physically imposing.

Sheedy put Rioli at CHF on him, and he completely took Chad out of the game while setting up a heap of goals through his clever reading of the play and silky skills.

 

[Squeaky]

My best memory of him was a game late in 2004 against Port, who went on to not lose another game and win the flag, after Essendon upset them.

Chad Cornes was the premier tall defender in the comp, always dropping across and shutting down opposition entries while also being pretty physically imposing.

Sheedy put Rioli at CHF on him, and he completely took Chad out of the game while setting up a heap of goals through his clever reading of the play and silky skills.

Did we wear a special heritage guernsey for that match?
That's my main memory of that game. Also - did Lloyd hit the aforementioned Chadwick right up the middle in that game too?

 

[The Donners]

Yeah I have Lloyd and Hird top 2. I’m not even convinced Hird was clearly better than Matty.

I am. Aside from the fact Hird dominated for longer he was far more versatile.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I am. Aside from the fact Hird dominated for longer he was far more versatile.

Yep, not even close IMO. I also have several of those mentioned higher than Lloyd not to mention others.

 

[ghostdog]

He tweets a bit, doesn't he?

I wouldn't know.

 

[Doss]

Yep, not even close IMO. I also have several of those mentioned higher than Lloyd not to mention others.

Intrigued as to who else. Lloyd’s a clear top 5 from that era both in talent and actual performance.

 

[frodos gardener]

I am. Aside from the fact Hird dominated for longer he was far more versatile.

In my mind, during that 99-01 period, if you take Hird out of the team then we’re 10% worse off on the scoreboard. Same for Lloyd, if not more. That’s assuming you replace them both with some other fictional player from another team. I‘ve always had a bias for forwards, though, admittedly.

Hird was obviously a better player for longer and an easy choice if you had to pick one of them in a team.

 

[frodos gardener]

There’s a new guy starting as GM Comms at EFC. Did the old incumbent quit?

 

[Lore]

There’s a new guy starting as GM Comms at EFC. Did the old incumbent quit?

Alexandra Stewart was the previous GM Communications, she finished up at the end of August.

 

[The Donners]

Intrigued as to who else. Lloyd’s a clear top 5 from that era both in talent and actual performance.

Hird, Mercuri, Rioli, Lloyd, Fletcher.

What an era of talent. Where players like Lucas, Bewick, Long, Misiti , Wellman, J Johnson and Hardwick aren’t in your sides top 5 best players.

 

[thepokey]

I can't remember the exact game, but I still remember one we played against the Saints where we beat them by about 100 points and I was just in awe of Rioli on that day seeing him live. He was simply untouchable.

 

[faible]

In my mind, during that 99-01 period, if you take Hird out of the team then we’re 10% worse off on the scoreboard. Same for Lloyd, if not more. That’s assuming you replace them both with some other fictional player from another team. I‘ve always had a bias for forwards, though, admittedly.

Hird was obviously a better player for longer and an easy choice if you had to pick one of them in a team.

It’s not a big thing in AFL (yet) but there’s a stat popular in baseball called WAR (wins above replacement) that they did a while back that would have been interesting for guys like 2008 Franklin, 2017 Dusty, or Lloyd / Hird back in that 99-01 era.

 

[naraku]

Who's favourite for CEO ? Auld ?

I wonder if any applicants that missed the job initially are still interested or if we had to start again in the background?