Toast A salute to outgoing Richmond President Peggy O'Neal

[Klem]

if she had a twinkle would be lauded. But doing a good job with an innie is no reason to put her up for sainthood.

 

[CrowToon]

Would like to know the full list of decisions she made or took the lead with before making a proper judgements.

A lot of Richmond folk I know talk about her involvement as 3x Premierships but can't provide further detail.

We'd love to celebrate the decision that lead to success, not just the result.

 

[dean33]

Would like to know the full list of decisions she made or took the lead with before making a proper judgements.

A lot of Richmond folk I know talk about her involvement as 3x Premierships but can't provide further detail.

We'd love to celebrate the decision that lead to success, not just the result.

Not sacking Dimma after the disastrous 2016 season is one.

 

[CrowToon]

Not sacking Dimma after the disastrous 2016 season is one.

Okay but did she DO?

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Did you like her decision to demolish our 120yo grandstand that is an integral part of Melbourne's culture and history?
It was an easy decision for an American with a corporate background to make.

You think it came down too just her decision then you know nothing.

 

[theyellowsash]

Did you like her decision to demolish our 120yo grandstand that is an integral part of Melbourne's culture and history?
It was an easy decision for an American with a corporate background to make.

I liked how she helped make the club into a well run and relevant club again, with premiership success, and took action to keep up at punt Road rather than having us move like the bombers did

 

[dusty1234!]

Okay but did she DO?

Well that can be quite easily rephrased to:
under heavy pressure and scrunity, she stuck to her guns and kept Hardwick as coach. This showed courage, bravery and strength, and ultimatley put us on course to triple premiership success, and the giant we are now on and off the field.

 

[CrowToon]

Well that can be quite easily rephrased to:
under heavy pressure and scrunity, she stuck to her guns and kept Hardwick as coach. This showed courage, bravery and strength, and ultimatley put us on course to triple premiership success, and the giant we are now on and off the field.

So the whole lot was down to Hardwick? Hmm. I suppose we should do a main board salute to any president of a club that wins a flag.

 

[My_Username]

So the whole lot was down to Hardwick? Hmm. I suppose we should do a main board salute to any president of a club that wins a flag.

Because the threshold for a main board thread is SO high. (BTW, it's 3 flags)



We'll never know all of what the people at clubs do, particularly the details.

Probably the real measure that we outsiders can use is that those around them...Those who would know at least some of the details...Both in and out of the club such people seem to hold her in very high regard and attribute a lot of the club's success to her.

 

[Romeoh1]

She’s a beaut.

 

[irish]

She did well only shame it was at Richmond , wish her all the best

 

[Ralll]

A reporter once asked her how she helped make Richmond successful again. After deflecting any responsibility in her normal modest way, she said the main thing was stopping the board and influential members meddling in and undermining the football department. She even joked sending a few to the 'naughty corner' when they tried.
It shows the benefit of having a smart female influence in a position of power to counter the male ego's that can stifle AFL clubs.
She was the perfect partner for Benny Gale.

 

[darcytiger]

Richmond board

She is yes, moving on now though.

 

[Ancient Tiger]

Did you like her decision to demolish our 120yo grandstand that is an integral part of Melbourne's culture and history?
It was an easy decision for an American with a corporate background to make.

You are entitled to your opinion of a dilapidated and otherwise useless stand that doesn't meet any of the modern safety and structural requirements. You have posted this a thousand times too. Just suck it up and understand that NOTHING lasts forever. The club is not a building. It is the people in it.

 

[SunshineBoy]

Had a great innings. Can't help thinking RFC might have been better with that focus on football group though

On SM-S901E using BigFooty.com mobile app

It’s moved to Tullamarine

 

[SunshineBoy]

Would like to know the full list of decisions she made or took the lead with before making a proper judgements.

A lot of Richmond folk I know talk about her involvement as 3x Premierships but can't provide further detail.

We'd love to celebrate the decision that lead to success, not just the result.

I will tell you on your preseason camp

 

[CrowToon]

I will tell you on your preseason camp

Someone call the Colonel

 

[Cmarsh]

And will now head up the Commonwealth Games committee.

No doubt will turn this into a success as well.

 

[KreigsKats]

I honestly believe the game is a lot better off and healthier for having this pioneer involved at one of the game's most famous and historically important clubs (saying this through clenched teeth lol)

Umm born in the 1960's much? Aussie rules exists outside 1965-85. People have been trying to carry over this mentality for 50 years now!

Richmond/Carlton/Essendon have been absolutely been s**t for 20+ of the past 30 years. I'm fairly certain all 3 have a negative Win/Loss ratio since 1990? Or close to it

 

[76woodenspooners]

Okay but did she DO?

Boards don’t really “DO” stuff.

They appoint the right key people, they hold them to account, they manage risk, they direct organisational culture, they exercise governance, they oversee the financial state of affairs …

… all that boring back office stuff that many people don’t understand and often just take for granted ...

… but be assured, that with a different President over the last 8 years, Richmond would have had very different onfield results.

 

[CrowToon]

Boards don’t really “DO” stuff.

They appoint the right key people, they hold them to account, they manage risk, they direct organisational culture, they exercise governance, they oversee the financial state of affairs …

… all that boring back office stuff that many people don’t understand and often just take for granted ...

… but be assured, that with a different President over the last 8 years, Richmond would have had very different onfield results.

Yeah see, all of those things you describe ARE things. Serving on a board currently I can say with conviction that boards do things. It's just not a manual version.

I think a lot of slightly precious people are thinking I'm trying to slag Peggy which I'm not. I just feel that people should be given credit for specific actions they took or lead.

Those close to the club would know what she did in tangible terms beyond all the soft stuff that so far everyone has come up with. Otherwise all we are actually doing is congratulating her for being at the Tigers during their period of success when I see that as slightly disrespectful to Peggy as an individual.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Yeah see, all of those things you describe ARE things. Serving on a board currently I can say with conviction that boards do things. It's just not a manual version.

I think a lot of slightly precious people are thinking I'm trying to slag Peggy which I'm not. I just feel that people should be given credit for specific actions they took or lead.

Those close to the club would know what she did in tangible terms beyond all the soft stuff that so far everyone has come up with. Otherwise all we are actually doing is congratulating her for being at the Tigers during their period of success when I see that as slightly disrespectful to Peggy as an individual.

But don’t we generally judge boards (footy or otherwise) based on the performance of their organisation, rather than by looking for causal reasons?

 

[Royce Hafey]

Yeah see, all of those things you describe ARE things. Serving on a board currently I can say with conviction that boards do things. It's just not a manual version.

I think a lot of slightly precious people are thinking I'm trying to slag Peggy which I'm not. I just feel that people should be given credit for specific actions they took or lead.

Those close to the club would know what she did in tangible terms beyond all the soft stuff that so far everyone has come up with. Otherwise all we are actually doing is congratulating her for being at the Tigers during their period of success when I see that as slightly disrespectful to Peggy as an individual.

By all reports she has been a calming and steadying influence. One example of what she did was how she and Brendan together intervened during the Covid year to get Dimma to pull his head in and refocus when he was off track early in the season.

Being a labour historian I've always been fond of the fact that, despite being a corporate lawyer, she's a coal miner's daughter born in a coal town in West Virginia that was so small it doesn't exist anymore.

 

[CrowToon]

But don’t we generally judge boards (footy or otherwise) based on the performance of their organisation, rather than by looking for causal reasons?

Yes that is the broad lens but you can always drill down to a level of specificity. I'm not overly invested, just interested.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Yes that is the broad lens but you can always drill down to a level of specificity. I'm not overly invested, just interested.

Fair enough (and I’m same)

From afar I guess the things O’Neil has done are:

• Retained Gale (sometimes doing the right thing means doing nothing)
• Retained Hardwick (ditto)
• Brought in Neil Balme (Not a lot of fanfare was made about that at the time, but he’s been instrumental to RFC’s success)
• Saw off the “focus on football” clowns.
• Expanded their board to 9 to get greater coverage and depth