Club Mgmt. Board of Directors as led by President Dave Barham

[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

    49

    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

  40

  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

    46

    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

    37

    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

 

[Howard Moon]

Can someone possibly "roughly quote" what Brasher said about McCartney?

Unprofessional, sour grapes

 

[jmoo wan]

Can someone possibly "roughly quote" what Brasher said about McCartney?

Believes his best work as a musician was when he left the Beatles and formed Wings

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Can someone possibly "roughly quote" what Brasher said about McCartney?

“I think Adrian and his team have done a great job,” Brasher told The Age.

“We’ve got (draft picks) six, seven and eight going into the draft and we’ll use those. I was really annoyed to hear him criticised externally.

“I thought it was sour grapes and I thought it was unprofessional and it was a bit like, you know, the kid going home and crying to mum that the other kid didn’t play fair.

“In fact, the deal he complained about is exactly the deal he ended up doing... I don’t know how you explain that. I can’t.’‘

-----

“I don’t think you comment on other clubs – I thought it was very unprofessional to do it,” Brasher said.

“It was clearly sour grapes and actually made him look silly because the trade he (McCartney) said was insulting and a lack of respect is exactly the trade we ended up doing.

“If he’d hoped to get a little bit more on top of it, well that’s his problem not ours.

“If you look at (Dodoro’s) record over the last few years, it has been terrific.”

 

[Howard Moon]

Believes his best work as a musician was when he left the Beatles and formed Wings

pfft what does he know... the real one died in 1966 and was replaced by a stunt double

 

[Lore]

This is worth listening to too. Being interviewed gets him to flesh it out more so you get more nuance.

ICYMI | Brasher on SEN

President Paul Brasher speaks to Gerard Whateley on SEN 1116 following Essendon's post-season football review.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Key thing right at the start (which I missed when listening to it live), he was talking about all the 'opportunities' that were identified, something like 40 different things I think he said? So there's four main themes but there are a lot of different things that came out of it, some more major things and others just little things.

Also said that the saga stuff wasn't really a thing, something he mentioned earlier but it turns out only like four players on the list were even on the list at the time, so for the rest they don't know or care that much. Also said that although he expected them to hold back a bit and that was why he had Sheedy/Wellman in the interviews to pick up on any nuances where they might've been cagey, the players who spoke to him were pretty open about their thoughts and feelings so it ended up being a good process.

 

[Howard Moon]

This is worth listening to too. Being interviewed gets him to flesh it out more so you get more nuance.

ICYMI | Brasher on SEN

President Paul Brasher speaks to Gerard Whateley on SEN 1116 following Essendon's post-season football review.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Key thing right at the start (which I missed when listening to it live), he was talking about all the 'opportunities' that were identified, something like 40 different things I think he said? So there's four main themes but there are a lot of different things that came out of it, some more major things and others just little things.

Also said that the saga stuff wasn't really a thing, something he mentioned earlier but it turns out only like four players on the list were even on the list at the time, so for the rest they don't know or care that much. Also said that although he expected them to hold back a bit and that was why he had Sheedy/Wellman in the interviews to pick up on any nuances where they might've been cagey, the players who spoke to him were pretty open about their thoughts and feelings so it ended up being a good process.

My ears pricked when he said that, (4 saga era players) I reckon I could name 6 or 7 for starters that were around during saga/suspension era and are still playing. I'm sure he means hooker hurley zaka , but weren't all the guys like tippa, parish, frang Ambrose and co all still holding the fort during suspensions?

I think he's discounting it a bit

 

[Lore]

My ears pricked when he said that, (4 saga era players) I reckon I could name 6 or 7 for starters that were around during saga/suspension era and are still playing. I'm sure he means hooker hurley zaka , but weren't all the guys like tippa, parish, frang Ambrose and co all still holding the fort during suspensions?

I think he's discounting it a bit

He was referring to his earlier questions in the very first video he made as president ("Were the saga players being gifted games? I don't know.")

So in that sense I don't think Zaka, Daniher, Merrett, Fantasia, Gleeson were ever suspected of being gifted 'guilt games'. Unless I'm forgetting someone it should be three of the 34 left, being HHH (+TBC would have been the fourth but he has retired).

 

[Lore]

I've had this tab sitting open for like a week and haven't really had time to do anything much with it, but I thought it was interesting and... if there's anyone else here who is interested enough to read a dissertation on corporate governance in the AFL... maybe it'll be relevant enough to sit in an open tab for a week on your computer too.

http://vuir.vu.edu.au/1433/1/Foreman.pdf

No cliffs soz.

The only thing it doesn't seem to have is an org chart.

 

[owen87]

I've had this tab sitting open for like a week and haven't really had time to do anything much with it, but I thought it was interesting and... if there's anyone else here who is interested enough to read a dissertation on corporate governance in the AFL... maybe it'll be relevant enough to sit in an open tab for a week on your computer too.

http://vuir.vu.edu.au/1433/1/Foreman.pdf

No cliffs soz.

The only thing it doesn't seem to have is an org chart.

This report graded us as a Category 1 club based on success. Ah 2006, when we were still full of recent(ish) success.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Isn’t there a review of some sort every year? Could have found last year that Woosha was too lenient and not enough control and then gone on a proper coach search, none of this ridiculous succession planning that no other pro leagues undergo. A proper coach search and we may have had Ross Lyon, the best coach available and perfect choice for this list

 

[owen87]

Isn’t there a review of some sort every year? Could have found last year that Woosha was too lenient and not enough control and then gone on a proper coach search, none of this ridiculous succession planning that no other pro leagues undergo. A proper coach search and we may have had Ross Lyon, the best coach available and perfect choice for this list

I doubt there's a full and comprehensive review done annually, certainly not in the sense that it appears Brasher is doing a genuine in-depth review.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I doubt there's a full and comprehensive review done annually, certainly not in the sense that it appears Brasher is doing a genuine in-depth review.

But surely if you’re about to go into a succession plan some deeper assessment of the current coach was warranted to see if fit with new coach would even work? To be honest I think this is all a little reactionary but certainly warranted with Brasher coming in and not blaming him.

 

[Lore]

I doubt there's a full and comprehensive review done annually, certainly not in the sense that it appears Brasher is doing a genuine in-depth review.

He did say they’ll do a mini version of this annually going forward.



Which implies they didn’t do it before (at least not recently).

 

[owen87]

But surely if you’re about to go into a succession plan some deeper assessment of the current coach was warranted to see if fit with new coach would even work? To be honest I think this is all a little reactionary but certainly warranted with Brasher coming in and not blaming him.

Hard to really know the internal machinations; but Richardson getting the non-renewal suggests he wasn't part of the solution, along with Brashers comments about the involvement of Campbell in the football side of things being diminished.

It may be that Rutten really was a highly rated future coach (from all accounts that's true) but that there wasn't a full and open process done in the appointment of said coach.

Though, if Richmond went and appointed a handover from Hardwick to Rutten that it appeared Hardwick was on-board with, or Hawthorn from Clarkson to Mitchell, would anyone question the governance of those clubs?

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Though, if Richmond went and appointed a handover from Hardwick to Rutten that it appeared Hardwick was on-board with, or Hawthorn from Clarkson to Mitchell, would anyone question the governance of those clubs?

They would in hindsight I guess if it turned to s**t. Roos to Longmire seemed to work seamlessly, Roos to Goodwin seemed ok when Dees made Prelim. Malthouse to Buckley was a screw up mainly because Malthouse was never onboard. I just think it would have been better to say goodbye to Woosha and just have a proper coach search, if Rutten’s still your man then fine. Where’s the harm in that?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Hard to really know the internal machinations; but Richardson getting the non-renewal suggests he wasn't part of the solution, along with Brashers comments about the involvement of Campbell in the football side of things being diminished.

It may be that Rutten really was a highly rated future coach (from all accounts that's true) but that there wasn't a full and open process done in the appointment of said coach.

Though, if Richmond went and appointed a handover from Hardwick to Rutten that it appeared Hardwick was on-board with, or Hawthorn from Clarkson to Mitchell, would anyone question the governance of those clubs?

Perhaps if they’d just had three pretty bloody disgraceful seasons.

 

[Lore]

https://twitter.com/gaiwilliams2020?s=21

Someone just gave us a follow on Twitter. Hasn’t tweeted yet though...

 

[84859300]

https://twitter.com/gaiwilliams2020?s=21

Someone just gave us a follow on Twitter. Hasn’t tweeted yet though...

I want board members to offer more than just a fan's voice at the table - can you imaging some of the s**t that would be brought up, stopping real work getting done.

"There's not enough sauce in my little packet to cover my quarter time three pies"

 

[pazza]

I want board members to offer more than just a fan's voice at the table - can you imaging some of the sh*t that would be brought up, stopping real work getting done.

"There's not enough sauce in my little packet to cover my quarter time three pies"

We have board members either voted in or co-opted by people "in the know" - the fans in the outer are driven by on-field success - not the money the club has. That's their motivation.

 

[Lore]

I want board members to offer more than just a fan's voice at the table - can you imaging some of the sh*t that would be brought up, stopping real work getting done.

"There's not enough sauce in my little packet to cover my quarter time three pies"

Well she has qualifications beyond that anyway.

I'm not advocating for her btw, she just followed the bigfooty bombers acc and I got a notification for it

 

[EnolaGay]

Well she has qualifications beyond that anyway.

I'm not advocating for her btw, she just followed the bigfooty bombers acc and I got a notification for it

There's a Big Footy Bombers account?!?!?

 

[Lore]

There's a Big Footy Bombers account?!?!?

yes

 

[BackOnOurPerch]

But surely if you’re about to go into a succession plan some deeper assessment of the current coach was warranted to see if fit with new coach would even work? To be honest I think this is all a little reactionary but certainly warranted with Brasher coming in and not blaming him.

I was sceptical pre season as to how the Woosha/Rutten arrangement could even possibly work. Being a Liverpool supporter, i had this sense of dejavu, as i only had to cast my mind back to 1998 when Gerard Houllier was appointed co manager alongside Roy Evans who had been manager for 4 years prior to that. Different code, different circumstances, but the outcome was similarly farcical.

The players were confused, as they didn't know who to approach, team selection was compromised as each manager had differing views on the lineup. Players would side with one manager or the other,often because of which one was selecting them or who they were more comfortable with.
The situation was untenable and Evans quit after only 3 months.

 

[DERO]

The training wheels are off.

 

[ghostdog]

I was sceptical pre season as to how the Woosha/Rutten arrangement could even possibly work. Being a Liverpool supporter, i had this sense of dejavu, as i only had to cast my mind back to 1998 when Gerard Houllier was appointed co manager alongside Roy Evans who had been manager for 4 years prior to that. Different code, different circumstances, but the outcome was similarly farcical.

The players were confused, as they didn't know who to approach, team selection was compromised as each manager had differing views on the lineup. Players would side with one manager or the other,often because of which one was selecting them or who they were more comfortable with.
The situation was untenable and Evans quit after only 3 months.

In spite of its failing with us, I think it can work, but the two coaches need to be of one mind and absolutely firm in their unified approach. If there are matters that either are unsure of, they must defer an answer and consult with the other.