Oppo Camp The Non-North Footy Discussion & Matchday Chat Thread (NNFD&MCT) - PART X

[gokangas]

* turmoil continues.

Essendon CEO steps down in fresh leadership change at Dons​

Essendon chief executive Craig Vozzo has stepped down from the top job in another major leadership change for the Bombers with two top sports administrators set to lead their wish list.

December 17, 2025 - 9:51AM


Essendon chief executive Craig Vozzo has stepped down from the top job in another major leadership change for the Bombers.
The Herald Sun has confirmed Vozzo has made the difficult decision to quit the role to be closer to family in South Australia.
But there is a chance he could remain at Tullamarine in a part-time capacity or consulting role pending further talks with the club in the new year.
Vozzo has been weighing up his future while on leave in recent weeks after three years in the job.

Craig Vozzo is stepping down from the Bombers. Aaron Francis/The Australian
There was speculation about his position in the trade period in October amid a strong pull to spend more time back home in SA.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation Travis Auld would top the club’s new CEO wish list.
The highly-rated Auld ran second to Andrew Dillon for the AFL CEO job and would be a dream replacement for the Bombers.
But it remains unclear whether Auld could be tempted back into football after two years helping fuel the rise of Formula One in Australia.
Auld was chief financial officer and GM broadcasting and clubs at the AFL, CEO of Gold Coast, and previously chief operating officer at Essendon between 2009 and 2014.


Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski, who was chief commercial and customer boss at Essendon until 2021, could also be sounded out about the position.
Rodski spent 10 years at Essendon in the media and commercial departments before joining the Storm.

Former AFL staffer and current Australian Grand Prix Corp CEO Travis Auld would top Essendon’s new CEO wish list. (Photo by Kelly Defina/AFL Media/ Getty Images)

Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski previously spent 10 years at the Bombers. Picture: SDP Media
While the Bombers have lauded Vozzo’s performance as CEO since late 2022, it has been a tumultuous period for the red and black.
The Bombers won 11 games in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons and only six matches this year amid a terrible run of injuries.
The concerns peaked in October when the Bombers lost star free agent Sam Draper to Brisbane Lions at season’s end and denied Zach Merrett’s bombshell trade request to Hawthorn.
It remains unclear whether Merrett will pursue the same move at the end of next season.
But new president [PLAYERCARD]Andrew Welsh[/PLAYERCARD] has branded the club’s new era an exciting time for the Bombers after landing three early draft picks including gun midfielders Sullivan Robey and Dyson Sharp as well as half back Jacob Farrow.
Under Vozzo, the Bombers have undertaken a considerable list rebuild after an assessment of the Bombers’ playing stocks during his first year at the club in 2023.
Vozzo led the moves to appoint a new list boss, replacing long-time list chief Adrian Dodoro last year, as well as an overhaul of the fitness department in the back end of the 2025 season.
Vozzo’s decision to step down continues the major changes in the leadership ranks at Essendon over the past three months in the wake of a poor 2025 season on the field.
New president Welsh took over from Dave Barham in September, brilliant captain Merrett has handed over the reins after his failed trade request, and a new high performance team was appointed to halt the devastating run of injuries.
In March, the club extended Brad Scott’s coaching contract by one season until the end of 2027.

But the Bombers face a crucial season in 2026 trying to rise back up the ladder after a slew of injuries to senior players saw the Bombers lose 13-straight games to finish last season with only six wins.
The club will immediately embark on a search to find a new CEO to replace Vozzo.
Chief operating officer Nick Ryan will be acting CEO until a permanent replacement is found.
Vozzo was appointed at Essendon to replace Andrew Thorburn who lasted only one day at the club in 2022 due to his religious beliefs.
Essendon apologised to Thorburn two months later, saying “the events of October should have been handled better and apologises for the impact it had on Mr Thorburn, his family and others”.
Vozzo arrived at Essendon from West Coast where he was general manager of football from 2013 and legal counsel from 2021.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Silvagni gets 6 years, 2 months with non parole period of 3 years, 3 months.

 

[gokangas]

Silvagni gets 6 years, 2 months with non parole period of 3 years, 3 months.

Will appeal quicker than (insert euphemism or adage here).

 

[Devington]

Silvagni gets 6 years, 2 months with non parole period of 3 years, 3 months.

Hell of a whack, some friends I have are outraged at it in regards to how relatively minor they consider his actions. I haven't read the judges reasoning but I'm going to assume the fact he went back and tried a second time, then went full gaslight and evidence faking, were huge factors.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Will appeal quicker than (insert euphemism or adage here).

Hope he does.

And gets more.

 

[Devington]

Hope he does.

And gets more.

Real point of interest to me is if anything eventuates of the rumours Tom and/or his family tried to buy the victim off.

 

[andana]

Dual Richmond premiership player [PLAYERCARD]Marlion Pickett[/PLAYERCARD] has been handed a suspended prison term for possessing and dealing with proceeds of crime, in what the judge described as a "line-ball decision".

Pickett had been facing a dozen criminal charges, including aggravated burglary, stealing and criminal damage, relating to incidents alleged to have taken place in suburban Perth, Beverley and Bindoon in late 2022 and early 2023.

The new charges involved stolen foreign currency being transported from Perth to other parts of the country.

In the Perth District Court on Wednesday, Pickett was sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for a period of 12 months.

Pickett received two bank transfers, of $6,000 and $9,000.

Judge Levy said Pickett aided the pair by signing the car rental agreement, knowing what they intended to use it for.



Pickett then came into possession of $5,000 USD, which he exchanged into Australian dollars in Victoria in January 2023.

 

[King Corey]

Dual Richmond premiership player Marlion Pickett has been handed a suspended prison term for possessing and dealing with proceeds of crime, in what the judge described as a "line-ball decision".

Pickett had been facing a dozen criminal charges, including aggravated burglary, stealing and criminal damage, relating to incidents alleged to have taken place in suburban Perth, Beverley and Bindoon in late 2022 and early 2023.

The new charges involved stolen foreign currency being transported from Perth to other parts of the country.

In the Perth District Court on Wednesday, Pickett was sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for a period of 12 months.

Pickett received two bank transfers, of $6,000 and $9,000.

Judge Levy said Pickett aided the pair by signing the car rental agreement, knowing what they intended to use it for.



Pickett then came into possession of $5,000 USD, which he exchanged into Australian dollars in Victoria in January 2023.

Just thankful the sentencing was able to wait until he was off Richmond's list.

Big 4 clubs shouldn't wear that kind of shame.

 

[RooInNorthLondon]

Have to think Carlton are quite happy for the Saints to have Silvagni Sr and Jr right now.

 

[King Corey]

This still makes me laugh.

Kudos to the Saints fans.

 

[Only Forwards]

Real point of interest to me is if anything eventuates of the rumours Tom and/or his family tried to buy the victim off.

Ahhhh the Carlton method.

 

[gokangas]

BREAKING NEWS:

The Geelong Cats have jumped on the pitch bandwagon and have now blamed the MCG turf for losing the 2025 Grand Final! In a statement to the media, Dangerfield declared, "Yeah that grass is evil, got in our heads and drained all our talents - kinda like the Monstars in that Space Jam documentary" ...more to come...

 

[Bertie22]

Ahhhh the Carlton method.

Can you still get brown paper bags?

 

[gokangas]

He seems to have a bit of bad luck.

West Coast investigating after player allegedly involved in street fight​

By Heather McNeill​

December 30, 2025 — 12.37pm


The West Coast Eagles are investigating a street fight in Geraldton at the weekend which allegedly involved one of their players, Tyler Brockman.
An altercation between three men, including a shirtless Brockman, was filmed on a mobile phone, with one of the men reportedly suffering a broken jaw in the fight.

Tyler Brockman.CREDIT: RUSSELL FREEMAN/AFL PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES

In a statement, West Coast said it was aware of the incident, which occurred on Saturday night.
“The club is providing support to Tyler while working to gather all relevant information about the incident and is unable to make any further comment at this time,” it said.

No report of the incident was made to WA Police.
In August last year, Brockman was fined $1400 after pleading guilty to careless driving and failing to report a crash to police after he crashed his Ford Ranger into a light pole in Geraldton in May 2024 before fleeing the scene.
The forward had been in the regional town to attend a family funeral.
The Magistrate described the crash as having occurred in “deeply suspicious circumstances”.
In the wake of the incident, Brockman released a statement saying he would have to make some changes to meet AFL standards on and off the field. He also took part in a club-sanctioned wellbeing education program.

The 23-year-old has played in 56 AFL matches, 30 for West Coast and 26 for Hawthorn.
He is contracted for one more season with the Eagles.

 

[andana]

street fight in Geraldton

Not news

filmed on a mobile phone

 

[gokangas]

Makes you wonder how much of this sort of thing happens without being caught, especially where government departments are involved.

Geelong Cats donors fail to repay charity after allegedly stealing $14 million​

By Cameron Houston​

Two former sponsors of the Geelong Football Club have failed to comply with a court settlement to pay $5.4 million to a major Geelong charity that accused the pair in court documents of defrauding up to $14.5 million.
Former genU information technology manager Sy Giang Nguyen and late Geelong businessman Keith Greenwood agreed in June to make three separate payments to the not-for-profit organisation to resolve the civil case in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Former Geelong Cats sponsor Sy Giang Nguyen.CREDIT: MARIJA ERCEGOVAC

However, after making an initial payment of $1.4 million, the pair failed to pay the second tranche of $3 million on September 26, just four days before Greenwood died.
A subsequent payment of $1 million was made by Nguyen and the Greenwood estate, but the charity is still owed $3 million.

Lawyers acting for genU applied to enforce the settlement at a court hearing on December 18 and said they would seek to appoint a receiver next year to pursue assets from Greenwood’s estate to cover the remaining debt.
Nguyen continues to live in a luxury home in the Geelong suburb of Newtown, which he rented off Greenwood before his death and is part of the estate.

Former Geelong Cats sponsor Sy Giang Nguyen.CREDIT: MONIQUE WESTERMANN

Nguyen allegedly colluded with the late Greenwood to siphon millions of dollars from the registered charity by buying or leasing thousands of IT products on behalf of genU that were never delivered, according to documents filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Greenwood’s former business, Ryrie Office Machines, was also accused of oversupplying and overcharging for IT hardware and software ordered by Nguyen, who had worked for genU since it was founded in 2016.

The pair were long-term sponsors of the Cats, regularly appearing in photos with players, coaches, or in the locker room.
When Nguyen was arrested and interviewed by detectives from the financial crime squad in August 2024 over the alleged fraud of genU, his commitment to the Cats did not falter. Two days after his interaction with police, Nguyen greeted Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield and tossed the coin before a match at GMHBA Stadium.

Sy Giang Nguyen tosses the coin before a Geelong-Adelaide AFL game in August 2024.CREDIT: FOX FOOTY
The website for Greenwood’s former business Ryrie Office Machines claimed it had been an “integral part of the Geelong Football Club for over a decade” and “synonymous with quality and trust”, according to now-deleted posts on social media.
Geelong-based genU is one of the nation’s largest service providers for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with 5500 staff providing disability, aged care and employment services.

Nguyen is also being pursued over a separate debt of more than $800,000 owed to a former partner, who recently discovered he had been unfaithful for their entire relationship, which began in 2004. In June, the 41-year-old woman found out that Nguyen had another partner in Geelong, where they live and have two children together.

​

Exclusive​

Courts​

Who is Giang? Refugee, charity worker, Cats sponsor and Crown casino royalty​

In 2023, the woman refinanced her home to lend $600,000 to Nguyen, who claimed he was investing in a business that was developing a mouthguard that could detect the symptoms of concussion. Nguyen’s former partner said she also lent him $80,000 in May 2014.
The woman, who lives on the Mornington Peninsula, would not confirm how much of the debt had been repaid by Nguyen, but said she was considering taking civil action against her former partner to recoup the money.
In July, she told this masthead he had understated his age by 10 years and claimed to be employed by a Singapore-based digital security company that had an office on Collins Street and included global finance giant Citibank as a client.

She had no idea he had worked for genU, or another registered charity before that.
“He lied to me about everything. His job, his family, his life. But it wasn’t just me ... He’s betrayed my whole family,” she told The Age at the time.

Keith Greenwood at Geelong Football Club.CREDIT: FACEBOOK
According to the documents, Nguyen was dismissed by genU in October 2022, after an employee detected allegedly suspicious transactions. Police were notified in December that year.
Detectives arrested and interviewed Nguyen, 57, on August 1 last year, after executing a warrant at his Newtown home.

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The $100,000 loan contract between Cats legend Joel Selwood and an accused fraudster​

No charges have been laid against Nguyen, who remains the subject of an ongoing police investigation.
Greenwood was under police investigation at the time of his death, but no charges were laid.
Nguyen’s lawyer, Roger Vrachnas from Gigliotti Lawyers, declined to comment.
HWL Ebsworth Lawyers, which acts for the Greenwood estate, did not respond to requests for comment.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Dodgy people around money.

Who knew.

 

[andana]

famous Bob Dylan quote, "Steal a little and they throw you in jail; steal a lot and they make you king,"

 

[zoomba23]

I feel like if you tallied up the recent articles about dodgy financial practices related to AFL clubs, Geelong would emerge as resounding victors

 

[King Corey]

Dodgy people around Geelong financials

Who knew.

Efa

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Efa

Touche.

 

[giantroo]

68K views · 326 reactions | Lachie Neale says he is “deeply sorry” for his actions as he confirmed his separation from his wife, Jules. DETAILS | bit.ly/4po7zix | SuperCoach AFL

Lachie Neale says he is “deeply sorry” for his actions as he confirmed his separation from his wife, Jules. DETAILS | bit.ly/4po7zix

www.facebook.com

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Brisbane just trying to rort the f/s and academy systems again.

 

[andana]

68K views · 326 reactions | Lachie Neale says he is “deeply sorry” for his actions as he confirmed his separation from his wife, Jules. DETAILS | bit.ly/4po7zix | SuperCoach AFL

Lachie Neale says he is “deeply sorry” for his actions as he confirmed his separation from his wife, Jules. DETAILS | bit.ly/4po7zix

www.facebook.com

View attachment 2504073

the white t-shirt makes a statement, having been there for iconic looks of fashionable celebrities and for the little guy standing up for what they believe. Rock a white t-shirt and reminisce on what it's like to be young again with important moments firing all around you. Most of all, let a white t-shirt bring out your confidence. Find your own white tee and front the next presser.

For a long time, white was often associated with status and money because wealthy individuals were able to breezily wear the colour without worry of dirtying it in bustling urban areas or jobs requiring exhausting manual labor, whereas lower-class populations wore darker colors due to everything from sweat to pollution

 

[Karanicolas]

the white t-shirt makes a statement, having been there for iconic looks of fashionable celebrities and for the little guy standing up for what they believe. Rock a white t-shirt and reminisce on what it's like to be young again with important moments firing all around you. Most of all, let a white t-shirt bring out your confidence. Find your own white tee and front the next presser.

For a long time, white was often associated with status and money because wealthy individuals were able to breezily wear the colour without worry of dirtying it in bustling urban areas or jobs requiring exhausting manual labor, whereas lower-class populations wore darker colors due to everything from sweat to pollution

Derek Guy has made it to Bigfooty!!