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

 

[Beerfish]

Just wondering if we have enough people on the panel. Are we sure there isn't room for a seventh?

What's Aurora Andruska up to these days?

If she can remember..

 

[dank420_]

So if what you’re saying is correct, the board could stipulate that they want multiple options to choose from, such as:

• best experienced candidate
• best assistant coach
• best blonde previous club captain to wear number 5

Better yet, they could even leave that last one off and still choose HIrd.

 

[Zach Package]

Walls you would think has been bought in for a bit of an older school view but someone that’s decidedly not Sheedy.

Walls involves at club level in the 80s and 90s, Lewis and Mahoney involved at club land in the 00s, 10s and beyond, McKinnis involved at the elite level all the way through. It will certainly give us a range of opinions.

Lewis will put Yze’s name forward for sure, speaks super highly of him and has done for a long time.

 

[TheGrizz]

No not only that he hasn’t been involved in club land in years.

Walls was at Carlton last year and recommended they move Teague.

Lewis was at Melbourne as recently as 2020.

 

[ghostdog]

Robert Walls.
Why?

 

[Eleven 38]

They surely have to choose who the panel recommends.

The fan base is pissed, imagine if the board selects someone that the panel doesn't recommend and it goes pear shaped. We haven't burned down windy Hill yet but its getting closer by the day.

Atleast with the panel selecting the coach if it goes to shit the board blames them and then sacks Mahoney, board stays unscathed.

 

[ghostdog]

People are professional and have integrity.

Sorry man. Dave Barham. I'm still salty.

 

[andleanback]

Walls was at Carlton last year and recommended they move Teague.

Lewis was at Melbourne as recently as 2020.

Wasn’t talking about Lewis

Walls hasn’t had a full time actual role in a club for years. He was barely part time at Carlton just watching over Teague

 

[ghostdog]

View attachment 1491601

Good find.
So Thorburn's values are reflective of those traits we're trying to rid ourselves of... and whose mate is his then?

 

[Squeaky]

Robert walls smh
and Jordan Lewis 2 guys who hate essendon. You can’t make this up
View attachment 1491524

He doesn't hate Essendon. He in fact followed the Bombers as a kid. He hates Sheedy!
He might find a sympathetic ear here...

 

[frodos gardener]

Maybe part of barhams plan, 2 guys he knows would be against a hird hiring being in the selection panel not succumbing to Sheedy influence, either that or the total opposite and appoint hird and completely * the club up. Lel

If Barham is the type of person I believe him to be, everything is calculated, so it’s a distinct possibility. Keeping Sheedy close to the club but at arm’s length from key decisions is the best thing he can do. And everyone Barham brings in will be there to support his direction.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Have to say, being kept in the loop about what’s happening regarding personnel, timelines etc is a really refreshing change.

I’m starting to feel really positive for the future of our club.

 

[Chambo]

* me Robert Walls?? The guy is a dinosaur, does he have any relevance to modern day football?

I am not overly impressed with the panel...At least we will know if Hird is picked that it has been through a process with externals on the panel.

What I have liked so far in the transparency from Barham and being communicated to, hopefully this continues through the coaching and external review process.

 

[ghostdog]

Here's an interesting connection; Ross Lyon's first coaching gig as an assistant was under Robert Walls in the mid 90s.

So, he has had a working relationship with both Walls and Barham.

 

[Squeaky]

Is Walls problem with Essendon or Sheedy? He barracked for Essendon as a kid.

Sorry crackers just read your post and nearly said exactly the same...

 

[JT_the_Man]

Happy with the coaching selection panel almost purely due to the lack of Essendon people on it.

 

[windyhill]

Robert Walls.
Why?

To give everyone a run in the ruck.

 

[SydneyBomber]

To give everyone a run in the ruck.

Dodoro to get the Shane strempel (sp?) treatment?

 

[Dave]

Dodoro to get the Shane strempel (sp?) treatment?

Lol

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Depends on the beer style you like.

Personally my favourite beer at the moment is a dark fruited sour called "Measures up" from a brewery here in SA called Shapeshifter.

If I am looking at the more commercial beers I prefer the Pirate Life Ales.

You had my attention at dark fruited sour. I can’t agree with Pirates Life, but we all have different taste buds.

I really love ridiculously sour beers, imagine a warhead in a beer (yes, I’m strange). Almost impossible to get them anywhere let alone Australia. I’m in London right now so plenty of different tap rooms and sours. Little Faith in Depford does a great blackberry one and Gipsy Hill has a nice new Mai Tai sour. Imperial stouts are great too.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I'd take out Walls and add Gordon Ramsey, he fixed plenty of kitchens that were quite frankly nightmares.

Was Ramsey involved in Carlton’s process? Did he fix what they were cooking? It used to smell rancid.

 

[CBombers17]

I think the review may have already achieved its mission and it may be a shallow dive.

If Barham is such a 4D chess player he did an excellent job of hiding it with his attempt at Clarkson (including announcing to all we need an experienced coach)..

I'd predict to form here and that suggests this is a predetermined outcome and the panel is good optics only.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I think the review may have already achieved its mission and it may be a shallow dive.

If Barham is such a 4D chess player he did an excellent job of covering it up with his attempt at Clarkson (including announcing to all we need an experienced coach)..

I'd predict to form here and that suggests this is a predetermined outcome and the panel is good optics only.

Yeah the thought occurred to me too. Either way please remove dodo.

 

[yodellinhank]

Shoulda been Parkin instead of Walls.

 

[Old Campaigner]

The fact that the panel is about as un-essendon as it gets is very encouraging

I wonder how many hours the board endured of Sheedy insisting the panel should consist entirely of 2000 premiership players?