News Ben Buckley stepped down as President, BIGFOOTY'S OWN Dr Sonja Hood has taken on the role.

[Dan]

get them likes my boy and keep fighting the good fight.

 

[Sillygit]

I don't know the man but why is it so hard to believe that JHF might actually like what we do off-field?

It's not hard, in fact it would not at all be surprising.

 

[amaz199]

Nah to be a footy player you gotta drink 5 beers and smash 6 pies before a game, marinate yourself in deep heat, be driving a clocked back holden commodore, have the most ridiculous looking mullet ever known to man, disregard anything about women, communities or basically anything modern thinking, and have 'You're the Voice' CD on repeat or just listen to 1116 SEN religiously and take it seriously.

 

[ferball]

You're the voice!!!!

 

[Dan]

Nah to be a footy player you gotta drink 5 beers and smash 6 pies before a game, marinate yourself in deep heat, be driving a clocked back holden commodore, have the most ridiculous looking mullet ever known to man, disregard anything about women, communities or basically anything modern thinking, and have 'You're the Voice' CD on repeat or just listen to 1116 SEN religiously and take it seriously.

You're probably not far off from describing the characteristics of our club's greatest footballer and one of the goats in the game.

 

[Kangaroos techno]

I don't know the man but why is it so hard to believe that JHF might actually like what we do off-field?

No one is saying that. Who wouldn't like what North does? But there are a lot of dreamers in here that would like to believe that it is high on his list of reasons. Every AFL player is trained to say the right thing to please the fans and club.

Jade literally said that is her job and has worked with JHF for 2 years.

18 year old, number 1 pick, just moved out of home, first taste of real money, AFL environment...the huddle would probably be the last thing on his mind right now (as it should be for the first few years).

 

[ferball]

get them likes my boy and keep fighting the good fight.

"Your boy".

Lol.

Seriously now, how could you post that and not expect people to react. Its not even coherent.

For a start ... how is actively trying to achieve something being passive?



Do you really think she became president of the club to be a thorn in the side of men?

That's all it is?

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

No one is saying that. Who wouldn't like what North does? But there are a lot of dreamers in here that would like to believe that it is high on his list of reasons. Every AFL player is trained to say the right thing to please the fans and club.

Jade literally said that is her job and has worked with JHF for 2 years.

18 year old, number 1 pick, just moved out of home, first taste of real money, AFL environment...the huddle would probably be the last thing on his mind right now (as it should be for the first few years).

His list of reasons for... ? Choosing to be drafted by North?

 

[Dan]

"Your boy".

Lol.

Seriously now, how could you post that and not expect people to react. Its not even coherent.

For a start ... how is actively trying to achieve something being passive?



Do you really think she became president of the club to be a thorn in the side of men?

That's all it is?

Have another read of that post and maybe watch her speech again.

Spoiler

She didn't apply, she was asked.

 

[hilly]

No one is saying that. Who wouldn't like what North does? But there are a lot of dreamers in here that would like to believe that it is high on his list of reasons. Every AFL player is trained to say the right thing to please the fans and club.

Jade literally said that is her job and has worked with JHF for 2 years.

18 year old, number 1 pick, just moved out of home, first taste of real money, AFL environment...the huddle would probably be the last thing on his mind right now (as it should be for the first few years).

That's true and I probably took a black or white view. Suspect the truth is he is for it but obviously more pressing priorities.

And I'm not unhappy with his management team after seeing that doco.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[ferball]

Have another read of that post and maybe watch her speech again.

Spoiler

She didn't apply, she was asked.

She said it never occurred to her she was able to aspire to such a position. But encouraging other women to think they were capable of it if they were ... thats the opposite of what you said about having people at your club on merit. If women don't believe they have the merit to be in those roles cos they don't see them as available to women that cuts the pool of people available on merit by about half.

She is literally doing the opposite of what you said.

 

[Kangaroos techno]

That's true and I probably took a black or white view. Suspect the truth is he is for it but obviously more pressing priorities.

And I'm not unhappy with his management team after seeing that doco.

On SM-G950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

For sure. Glad he's working with Ben and Jade over Connor's and his buddy.

 

[Le Grille]

I have to believe the club selected the most qualified candidate in their opinion.

I don’t think Sonja was picked on gender at all, nor is she on some men hating crusade either, whether you believe it or not there has been an under representation of women in senior positions in almost every industry, she is merely giving other women evidence that there are legitimate pathways developing to senior roles. If that threatens you in any position be better at your job

The huddle exists to provide a meaningful, tangible link between the club and local community. This does benefit the club regardless of your misgivings about it. Apart from doing good for the community Does the NMFC get upgrades to Arden street without it? Does the publicity attract socially minded sponsors and investment opportunities? Build a local fan base?

 

[Dan]

I have to believe the club selected the most qualified candidate in their opinion.

I don’t think Sonja was picked on gender at all, nor is she on some men hating crusade either, whether you believe it or not there has been an under representation of women in senior positions in almost every industry, she is merely giving other women evidence that there are legitimate pathways developing to senior roles. If that threatens you in any position be better at your job

The huddle exists to provide a meaningful, tangible link between the club and local community. This does benefit the club regardless of your misgivings about it. Apart from doing good for the community Does the NMFC get upgrades to Arden street without it? Does the publicity attract socially minded sponsors and investment opportunities? Build a local fan base?

The fact that 4 out of the last 5 premierships coming from clubs that have female presidents probably played a role in the decision making to some extent. But for the most part I think she was picked on merit and someone who's clearly qualified on many fronts.

I never said she was on a man hating crusade (seems to be a thing I've noticed that some will use words that I never posted and use it as fuel for their rebuttal). However she did say she wanted a lot more women in clubs in higher positions. Why? This is a results driven industry and everyone wants to win. Premierships aren't decided on your club having a fixed gender quota. I just want the best people playing their role in helping us to our next premiership...man or woman. And if you are picking the best people possible then most of the time it's gonna be men.

I do NOT give a s**t if that comes across as misogynistic.

Our club hasn't been in a Grand Final for 20+ years.

Society doesn't push for more men to be nurses......doesn't push for more women to be builders. Because people just want the best care possible in hospitals and buildings built on time.

 

[ferball]

It doesn't come across as mysoginistic Dan. Silly maybe, cos you're just setting up a strawman woman person argument to have with yourself.

 

[giantroo]

 

[StazMob]

Hope they had cake for Ben

 

[king of the road]

I went to school with Ben, good bloke.

This is concerning though, Slomo listed under her Influencers. Her only influencer.

View attachment 1320431

I too went to school with Ben. We’re you in the same year as him at highs school?

 

[Rod Stroker]

I too went to school with Ben. We’re you in the same year as him at highs school?

Yep. Same year as him all the way from year 7 to 12.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Andrew Harris and Rodney Piltz as new board members - they each have impressive CVs and are reported to be true North people. A good sign.

 

[King Corey]

Piltz easily converts to Putz if things go sour for him.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

And if you are picking the best people possible then most of the time it's gonna be men.

I do NOT give a sh*t if that comes across as misogynistic.

I think we are done here.

 

[Mav]

I think we are done here.

 

[Dan]

I think we are done here.

Seeya

 

[giantroo]

A message from new club President Dr Sonja Hood

New North Melbourne Kangaroos President Dr Sonja Hood pays tribute to outgoing predecessor Ben Buckley, and lays the platform for the club’s Board …

It’s an incredible privilege to be the next President of the North Melbourne Football Club. I’ve been North for as long as I can remember – home games at Arden St, away games at every ground around the VFL, standing on tiptoe in the outer, and always ready to jump the fence on the final siren, trying to beat the players and every other kid to the race.

And although so much of our club has changed since I was a kid, the core ingredients are the same: we’re intensely competitive, we have the most passionate and loyal supporters, and we know we don’t have to be the biggest to be the best.

I was lucky to join many of you in 2007 to fight to ‘Keep North South’. In 2011 I joined the club as General Manager of The Huddle, spending five years developing the club’s community footprint, only to return to the club in an official capacity by joining the Board in 2019.

We've come a long way since 2007. The route to debt free took more than a decade – and was accompanied by rebuilding facilities, properly resourcing our football department, adding our women’s program, developing The Huddle, as well as growing membership and so much more. And none of these things have been done as a bolt-on – every single piece has been well thought out and considered and added with care and an eye to the future.

Many people have contributed to this success along the way, particularly James Brayshaw, CEOs Eugene Arocca, Carl Dilena and Ben Amarfio, and their respective boards and administrations.

But I want to pay particular tribute to Ben Buckley, who has been on the Board for nine years and President for six. Ben’s drive, ambition, and love for North know no equal, and he has been an outstanding leader of our club. I have been especially grateful for his counsel, and know that we will all continue to benefit from his support and advice, even after he steps down from the Board.

With Ben’s departure, and following the retirement of Brady Scanlon at the end of last year, the Board has added two new directors, Rodney Piltz and Andrew Harris. They, of course, join existing directors Paul Dwyer, Dr Harry Unglik, Suzana Ristevski, and Anthony Stevens

Anthony Stevens

Age

52

Ht

178cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

15.7

5star

HB

5.6

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.0

5star

No current season stats available

D

25.2

5star

K

17.8

5star

HB

7.4

5star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.8

4star

on the club’s Board.

Rodney, a partner at Ernst and Young, has been a member of the club’s Audit and Finance Committee and is a member of the Match Committee coterie group. Andrew, also a Match Committee member, has worked on our Integrity Committee and has served as the club’s external lawyer for well over a decade. Both Rodney and Andrew will stand for election by members at our AGM later this year.

So, as we prepare for the start of the 2022 AFL season, and for the AFLW finals (it’s unbelievably exciting to be playing a final at Arden St this weekend!), I’d like to take a minute to summarise our priorities.

First, on-field success. It’s going to take us a few years to get there, but we are not interested in making up the numbers. We are interested in sustained success. And we will give both our men’s and women’s football teams everything they need to take us to our fifth men’s and first women’s flag.

Second, off-field security. Paying off debt is an incredible achievement and means we can now invest in our future rather than paying off our past. But we still have no non-football assets on the balance sheet. We need to build an asset base, and we need to build cash reserves that enable us to weather future storms, or to make decisions that are best for our club, and not forced on us by financial necessity.

Third, Arden St. Our facility is tremendous – but we don’t own it, or the land that we are on. We’ll be working to rectify that, and to ensure that we have a solid future base in the Arden Precinct, which will be a game changer for our club.

Fourth, our club culture. We are a club that reflects, as we always have, the suburb we are in – diverse, inclusive, vibrant and relentlessly optimistic. Whether you think of yourself as North, or a Kangaroo, or a Shinboner, these are the characteristics that define us. They were key to our early decision to move away from pokies revenue and they underpin the work we do through The Huddle.

And last – but by no means least – our members. It’s critically important that we listen to and engage with our members. You are our single most important asset. You saved our club in 2007, you paid off our debt and re-built our facilities, you joined in record numbers last year when we finished bottom, and you support our women’s and men’s teams, no matter what. The simple fact is, we won’t achieve anything – on-field success, off-field security, and a long-term Arden Precinct base – without you.

Although it’s true that we need to grow our membership base, we also need to fully engage the members we have. We need you at games and on our website and social channels. We need to hear from you when things could be improved – or when they go well – and we need you to stick with us as we grow, on-field and off.

I hope to see as many as possible of you at Arden St on Saturday to cheer on our women’s team, and at the MCG on Sunday as our men take on the Hawks. I cannot wait.

Go Roos!

Sonja​