Club Mgmt. Board of Directors as led by President Dave Barham - Statement from Barham addressing Merrett etc - 12/9

[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

    51

    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

  42

  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

    48

    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

    39

    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

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Exactly how can clarko make a call inside a week without any due diligence at Essendon, it's not on his radar, the media smell blood and after Rutten.

I'd think that why Sheedy crossed the floor there's being discussions for a fair period to get McVeigh, Hird and soloman ticket back to Essendon, completely outcoached Essendon a couple of weeks ago, that was their interview for the job and they passed with flying colours.

Going after clarko is a smokescreen for what they are trying to achieve in bringing back those 3. Clarko will go to north, yze goes to gws then the bombers will say we went through a process and got the best candidate in McVeigh with hirddy and soloman as senior assistants, it's very similar to when hirdy took over from knights really, except hirdy is the bomber and soloman is the McCartney

Why would they need Clarkson smokescreen to get those three when those three will be soon out of the door at GWS? Makes zero sense.

 

[yodellinhank]

Clarkson loves fighting. Loves it. He’s a psycho.

Bring him in i said

 

[andleanback]

Looks like eddie and Caro were making stuff up again when they said rutten would be sacked today

 

[BomberManU]

Is there really anyone that thinks there's any truth to the Hird stuff? That has got me more concerned than anything else going on at the moment.

 

[yodellinhank]

Looks like eddie and Caro were making stuff up again when they said rutten would be sacked today

It's still morning. Fingers crossed.

 

[Ati Tude]

Is there really anyone that thinks there's any truth to the Hird stuff? That has got me more concerned than anything else going on at the moment.

No. Not a chance. Is just clickbait and innuendo.

 

[Fear Boner]

Looks like eddie and Caro were making stuff up again when they said rutten would be sacked today

If I recall they said the president would update the fanbase regarding the status of our coach.

Didn’t indicate a sacking or a nod to backing him in , none of us know what to expect in the next 24-72 hours honestly

 

[Lore]

Is there really anyone that thinks there's any truth to the Hird stuff? That has got me more concerned than anything else going on at the moment.

Not really. We got 99 problems but he ain't one. Be interested to know what Tom thinks of the club right now... I doubt he'd be encouraging his old man to get involved.

 

[Lads2023]

It's still morning. Fingers crossed.

Morning it’s a nice farewell and tribute for Hurley

Afternoon it’s back to being a sh**show of a club

 

[andleanback]

It's still morning. Fingers crossed.

It something you would do first thing in the morning. You don’t let the coach run training then hold a press conference after it and tell him he’s been sacked. Today is Hurley’s day aswell.

 

[andleanback]

If I recall they said the president would update the fanbase regarding the status of our coach.

Didn’t indicate a sacking or a nod to backing him in , none of us know what to expect in the next 24-72 hours honestly

They said he’d likely be sacked tomorrow

 

[Bombermania]

Could see Hird taking a off field position at Essendon or a coaching job elsewhere, but would be surprised if Essendon even entertained the idea.

 

[Howard Moon]

I will be shocked if Clarko doesn't sign with North. Has been in discussions with them for over a month, discussions have gotten to the point where North have actually presented him with a contract offer. You don't go putting contract offers to someone unless there's a very strong indication that they are interested in accepting it. Further to that, he's said that he'll make his decision within days. Unless someone representing Essendon has actually been in contact with Clarko for quite some time (which has been floated but seems to be just rumour at this point with no official confirmation) then the idea that he'll drop everything with North and change his mind to sign with us within 4 days of us asking is pure fantasyland.

didn't they offer a contract to every big fish player under the sun at one point?

you dont always offer a contract if you know you have your man, sometimes you just go fishing

 

[Fear Boner]

They said he’d likely be sacked tomorrow

Guess we will find out sooner or later …

 

[Lore]

Katie was also on the board, and her name is Catherine but on the Blitz she is referred to as Katie.

Originally I think her nickname was Kady, which is still her twitter handle. Her display name on twitter is now Katie Lio though, it changed a couple of years ago, and Catherine is her proper name yes.

She stepped down from the board to make way for Sheedy I think. Or maybe pushed.

 

[DapperDon]

They'll probably announce him as an out when teams get announced this evening

 

[Zach Package]

Could see Hird taking a off field position at Essendon or a coaching job elsewhere, but would be surprised if Essendon even entertained the idea.

Would Hird in Wellman’s role perhaps strike the balance between satiating the messiah desire and finding someone with enough applicable skills to interface between the football program and the boardroom?

 

[Zach Package]

They'll probably announce him as an out when teams get announced this evening

He’ll appear as a long term injury the next time they do the rehab room.

Long term: Thrown into Volcano, Human Sacrifice.

 

[westking]

I don't think many people here actually thought Sheedy returning to the board was a good thing and Wilson was right to call it out as a dumb quick fix to make ourselves look good.

Brashers idea it was.

 

[Petrify]

Sonja Hood said she is expecting an answer by the end of the weekend. Clarko probably waiting for the season to finish. I expect an announcement will come out that it will either be Ruttens last game coaching this weekend either today or tomorrow, then Clarko will be announced on Sunday after our game against Richmond is done.

 

[WindyHillWarrior]

seems a great time to rewatch the 01' comeback game.

I hear Sheeds, Dodo, Madden and da boyz watch it monthly.

 

[The Donners]

On the topic of insanity I was running laps with a guy(who played in the 1980 Richmond premiership team)who was playing for us run laps and the other players were unintentionally pushing him towards the boundary line. It was like he was battling against a strong current to stay outside the lines.
It spiked my interest enough to ask him why? He said his first training session at Richmond he ran inside the lines only to be KO’d! When he gained composure he seen a livid Kevin Sheedy with a cocked fist and he said you never run outside the lines son. He told me that he never had run outside the lines since that moment .
I then asked him what was Sheeds like? He said without any hesitation FRUIT CAKE ABSOLUTE FRUIT CAKE

Bryan Wood?

 

[Happyskeret]

Bryan Wood?

No I don’t want to mention his name as he has passed but I can tell you it was not Bryan.

 

[citizen-erased]

Would Hird in Wellman’s role perhaps strike the balance between satiating the messiah desire and finding someone with enough applicable skills to interface between the football program and the boardroom?

I'd like the board to get away from the notion that they need Essendon people to run this club

it's not served us well the last 20 years.
Vet the board members based on their skills, not where there esteem in Essendon history sits.

 

[tandino]

Why would they need Clarkson smokescreen to get those three when those three will be soon out of the door at GWS? Makes zero sense.

Something needed to shift the numbers on the board.