Club Mgmt. Board of Directors as led by President Andrew Wealshy - Ted Richards joins the board

[Milanista28]

If we keep Zach and bring in players like Simpkin and avoid a larger style rebuild I'll be shattered.

 

[thebigboy]

The problem with 'old essendon' and why it needed to be removed is it placed more value on being an 'old essendon person' than being 'good at your job'.

As long as 'old essendon' refuses to embrace even a semblance of a meritocracy there is no place for it at the club and there should rightfully be a divide. Or to look at it another way, 'old essendon' will always create a divide and backroom ructions as long as they remain frustrated that washed up premiership heroes are not being appointed to every job opening.

100% agree that the level of entitlement and legacy scoring had to go and hopefully the work of the last 3 years, as well as Welsh’s background can be the bridge between removing that problem whilst retaining the strength in numbers pride that the best clubs have going for it.

I’m choosing optimism that he can get it done better than some of the predecessors have because what choice do we have but to be optimistic about it. As I said, time will tell whether he can achieve what he’s said he wants to, but I’m a believer off the back of the very short sample size

 

[Keystone agony]

If we keep Zach and bring in players like Simpkin and avoid a larger style rebuild I'll be shattered.

Can we not do both

Would we not be keeping alot of our top picks anyway

I dont think Simpkin necessarily stops us from bottoming out next year and the year after that people have Bewick as a top 5 pick

But i dont think wed be doing both, maybe 1 or the other

 

[ghostdog]

Dear Members,

I am excited to write to you for the first time as President of our Football Club.

While it's been a whirlwind few hours, I wanted to immediately write to you, our members, whom I am now privileged to represent.

Having worn the red and black with great pride as a player for 162 games, I feel a deep sense of commitment to this club. It has shaped who I am, and having the opportunity to lead the Club as President is an honor and a privilege that I don't take lightly.

I want to take this opportunity to firstly thank and acknowledge David Barham for his incredible service to our football club. He has been selfless in his approach and has driven significant change that has fundamentally reset our club. Under his presidency, we've achieved the stability and alignment that he fought so hard for. Dave's impact will continue to grow as we build on these strong foundations, and I want to thank him for his dedication, passion, and unwavering determination for Essendon.

I also want to acknowledge Dave’s family: his wife Tash and daughters Mia and Sophie. These roles are a family affair, and we look forward to seeing Dave and his family back at the 'G in Round 1 next year as one of us in the stands.

This brings us to where we are today, and I want to make one thing very clear: we are in a strong position. The work of recent years has given us stability and, most importantly, the right people in key roles.

We have an outstanding CEO in Craig Vozzo and exceptional coaches in Brad Scott and Natalie Wood leading our men's and women's programs. I have complete confidence in our senior leaders at the club to continue to drive a culture of excellence, passion, unity, and respect - our core values as a football club.

We have a real opportunity at this Club, and I will bring a fresh approach as President, focused on challenging what we’re doing and encouraging all our people to think, act, and be progressive. I will continue to provide alignment and clarity to everyone at the club so that football is our core focus, and I will work with our leaders to accelerate this area.

Our current stability gives us a great foundation, but stability doesn’t mean safety, we need to get moving and get to work with a sense of urgency and purpose.

To our members, your support is more important than ever right now. It’s not lost on any one of us that it has been 25 years since the Club has tasted the ultimate success, and every person connected to Essendon is working extremely hard to deliver this to our members and supporters.

The power of Essendon has always been in our unity. When we stand together as one, as players both past and present, coaches, staff, volunteers, partners, members, supporters, and our Essendon community - we can be formidable again. As I’ve touched on, good work has been done, but hard work and hard decisions lay ahead for us, and I’m energised to represent you and am up for that challenge.

This Club has an incredible history but it's time to write our next chapter and if I have one message for you, it's this: be optimistic, be excited, and be part of this journey with us.

Our goal is to build a Club that you feel proud of, one that puts itself in contention on the field year after year. Let’s stick together. I look forward to leading this Club as we write an exciting new chapter, which can be our best one yet.

Thanks for your support.

Go Dons

Welshy

I'm glad he's aligned with Vozzo and co.

The only thing that worries me is his comment in the social media post that he expects us to climb back up the ladder "quickly" next year. Pretty sure I'm remembering that correctly from today.

It was a dumb thing to say to nail that expectation publicly. I'm not sure any of us are expecting that at all, and I sure as hell am not interested in another five years of mid-table finishes. We need to bottom out and rebuild. It sounded like he doesn't accept that utterance.

 

[Lore]

I'm glad he's aligned with Vozzo and co.

The only thing that worries me is his comment in the social media post that he expects us to climb back up the ladder "quickly" next year. Pretty sure I'm remembering that correctly from today.

It was a dumb thing to say to nail that expectation publicly. I'm not sure any of us are expecting that at all, and I sure as hell am not interested in another five years of mid-table finishes. We need to bottom out and rebuild. It sounded like he doesn't accept that utterance.

I’m playing a bit of catch up



This one?

 

[CBombers17]

Looks like a fair enough move. Barham did his best and a good time to move on. If getting everyone back to Essendon doesn't mean dumb shit I'm all for it.

 

[Mercurial89]

Annnnd just like that the club measures the rope and places it around their neck.

Stop promising things!!!

Zach's guaranteed staying is he? didn't sound so convincing at the brownlow. You'd better hope he's there.

Strong on not a rebuild, gonna rise fast?? Just embrace the phase you are in. Collect your draft picks, set your program up properly and you will rise if you draft and develop the right way.
You will then earn the right to attract outside talent.

Bragging how you will be active in trade period?
Your captain has just been THE news cycle for wanting out, you have been the number one story the last two weeks of the finals series.
Stop putting stuff out that you will inevitably be judged against.

Christ.
I get you want to appear strong, strength would be honest about where this club is at.

 

[Nicholas61]

Treated so poorly he got half a million pay out

Not sure how Fair Work goes with this but wonder if that was reflective of his annual salary. Could well imagine they said a year pay out and Barham and Vozzo concluding if that is what it takes just take the money and **** off.

 

[BomberManU]

I get that we have PTSD from Dodoro, but there is no way he's coming back. It just won't happen, need to stop stressing about him.
I think a young Pres will suit our young list, hopefully everyone gets behind him - and I don't mean with daggers in hand!

 

[thepokey]

Thought he came across generally ok. Didn't like shying away from the rebuild question, also didn't like the potential inference that we want to extend an olive branch to Dodoro (I really hope he is strictly limiting that to past players).

He also likes to "um" a hell of a lot.

 

[ghostdog]

I’m playing a bit of catch up



This one?

Yep.
That we have the opportunity now "...to push quickly up the ladder on the field."

Cart. Horse.

 

[ghostdog]

Annnnd just like that the club measures the rope and places it around their neck.

Stop promising things!!!

Zach's guaranteed staying is he? didn't sound so convincing at the brownlow. You'd better hope he's there.

Strong on not a rebuild, gonna rise fast?? Just embrace the phase you are in. Collect your draft picks, set your program up properly and you will rise if you draft and develop the right way.
You will then earn the right to attract outside talent.

Bragging how you will be active in trade period?
Your captain has just been THE news cycle for wanting out, you have been the number one story the last two weeks of the finals series.
Stop putting stuff out that you will inevitably be judged against.

Christ.
I get you want to appear strong, strength would be honest about where this club is at.

Agree. He's painted himself and Scott and Rosa into a corner very quickly. A bit dumb.

 

[Goat Hird]

Positives

- As a property developer, he might be able to get us in on some Geelong-style deals

Negatives

- As a property developer he’s probably linked to Dodoro

- He’s a property developer

Dude is what 42, said to be worth like 400m, whilst a lot more experienced property developers are tapping out. Dodoro definitely accelerated his success and if he wants back in, we're screwed.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Hopefully it’s just pandering the naysayers with calming words and we stick to the rebuild plan for this offseason. Even though the talent isn’t great in the draft, one more like last year will be enough of a bedrock to build upon if we get 2-3 150 gamers out of it.

Hopefully we won’t have a choice but to go to the draft as we aren’t a very attractive prospect to lure players worthy of first rounders atm.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Still nobody gives any actual reason for why this has happened.

My only read on it is that Sheedy and Dodoro (and their supporters) got their man.

Barham effectively threw the pair of them out of the club. His playing of the stupid old fool Sheedy was something to behold. He got Sheedy across to give him the numbers to roll Brasher and get rid of Campbell and Rutten. He did this by telling Sheedy that it would pave the way for the return of Hird.

Then once it’d been done, he revealed that there was no chance that Hird was coming back.

It was an incredible double cross.

That and the sacking of Dodoro (which took two years) meant he made massive enemies in that faction, and I’m convinced they’ve been waiting to strike with a board spill ever since and they were about to go, using this latest results / Merrett “crisis”.

The board have managed to head it off by Barham resigning and Welsh taking over, who is much more palatable to the moron faction.

Barham hangs, so they’re sated, to some degree.

What that means from here is unclear. I certainly don’t think Dodoro or even Sheedy is coming back, but I’m sure they feel satisfied and somewhat emboldened. And they will continue to try to pull strings with their coterie mates in tow.

 

[ghostdog]

Still nobody gives any actual reason for why this has happened.

My only read on it is that Sheedy and Dodoro (and their supporters) got their man.

Barham effectively threw the pair of them out of the club. His playing of the stupid old fool Sheedy was something to behold. He got Sheedy across to give him the numbers to roll Brasher and get rid of Campbell and Rutten. He did this by telling Sheedy that it would pave the way for the return of Hird.

Then once it’d been done, he revealed that there was no chance that Hird was coming back.

It was an incredible double cross.

That and the sacking of Dodoro (which took two years) meant he made massive enemies in that faction, and I’m convinced they’ve been waiting to strike with a board spill ever since and they were about to go, using this latest results / Merrett “crisis”.

The board have managed to head it off by Barham resigning and Welsh taking over, who is much more palatable to the moron faction.

Barham hangs, so they’re sated, to some degree.

What that means from here is unclear. I certainly don’t think Dodoro or even Sheedy is coming back, but I’m sure they feel satisfied and somewhat emboldened. And they will continue to try to pull strings with their coterie mates in tow.

So essentially, Barham is an actual self-less hero.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

Agree. He's painted himself and Scott and Rosa into a corner very quickly. A bit dumb.

A cynic might suggest that this is very conscious groundwork for knifing Scott in 12 months time.

Not me, but a cynic might.

 

[JayJ20]

I’m playing a bit of catch up



This one?

Am I the only one that isn't buying the direction of the club or have I become too pessimistic?

From what I hear, Scott is done beyond next year if he even sees out the year. If the expectation is that we rise up the ladder quickly, then can Welsh explain how that will be achieved? If this is a genuine expectation, it is one of two things (or both).

1. Welsh has no clue what it takes to build a sustainably successful side with what would be the youngest list in the league next year
2. We're going to take shortcuts again to attempt rising up the ladder quickly

You may think I'm overreacting, but there was no need to mention a timeline. The supporters largely accepted the rebuild so who is pushing for quick success?

I'm guessing the very same people that will pressure the club to sack Scott when we predictably finish bottom 2 next year.

 

[jdstorm]

Given all the injuries last season I think there’s cause for optimism that a healthy list and 3-4 top picks could make a huge difference for the on field product.

Assuming our 2 2nd round picks are available to be traded to bring in talent + whatever players we get in return for Zac that’s 2-3 useful mature bodies and should be a nice upgrade/depth boost

 

[ghostdog]

A cynic might suggest that this is very conscious groundwork for knifing Scott in 12 months time.

Not me, but a cynic might.

I don't want to be cynical, but I can see it.

 

[Yoda_]

Gary Lyon confirmed it was Solly on SEN who sent the email

 

[Burzum]

The only thing that worries me is his comment in the social media post that he expects us to climb back up the ladder "quickly" next year. Pretty sure I'm remembering that correctly from today.

I don't really see an issue with his statement on this since ideally we would aim to climb up the ladder from 15th. We may be rebuilding, as much as the club has danced around using that word, but there has to be some actual improvement.

 

[ghostdog]

I don't really see an issue with his statement on this since ideally we would aim to climb up the ladder from 15th. We may be rebuilding, as much as the club has danced around using that word, but there has to be some actual improvement.

I'm not convinced of that at all.
We'll be relying on a young ruck who hasn't played even a third of a season as the number one ruck.
Nic Martin won't be available until half-way through the season and would likely take a few games just to get back to the pace of the game.
I'm not confident either Ridley or Reid will play a full season.
We still will have the youngest list, or one of the youngest lists, in the comp.
Most of us acknowledge that we have at least a few areas of need on the list, which we hopefully fill through the draft - those players likely aren't going to play from R1, except maybe a Duursma or a Sharp or a Dovaston.
We are a shambles; who are we trading in from another club? Jye Simpkin?

Welsh's comment (and your support) is predicated on acceptance that improvement is linear, but the variables that are possible make the certainty with which he has said this ill-placed. It was dumb.

We might finish a place or two higher but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Godzke]

I thought 7 pages in I'd see an Oprah gif with Welsh's face superimposed saying "and you get land package! And you get land package! And you..."

I'm disappointed bigfooty

 

[Vindicater]

I'm not convinced of that at all.
We'll be relying on a young ruck who hasn't played even a third of a season as the number one ruck.
Nic Martin won't be available until half-way through the season and would likely take a few games just to get back to the pace of the game.
I'm not confident either Ridley or Reid will play a full season.
We still will have the youngest list, or one of the youngest lists, in the comp.
Most of us acknowledge that we have at least a few areas of need on the list, which we hopefully fill through the draft - those players likely aren't going to play from R1, except maybe a Duursma or a Sharp or a Dovaston.
We are a shambles; who are we trading in from another club? Jye Simpkin?

Welsh's comment (and your support) is predicated on acceptance that improvement is linear, but the variables that are possible make the certainty with which he has said this ill-placed. It was dumb.

We might finish a place or two higher but I'm not holding my breath.

I agree. We will be firmly bottom four.