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

 

[Vander18]

They would've played against each other a few times including a grand final but different draft years, different U18 clubs, played and worked for different clubs during their careers, and were even in different states for a long time. Both been in the industry and it's a small one though. Is there something else?

Went to same school, same vintage. Josh’s older brother would have been good mates with Scott’s.

100% they have been mates for a long time.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Has Little said whether he’d implement the recommendations of the external review?

 

[TheWeapon]

Little needs to go with Sheeds to the retirement home. Seriously who is giving these has-beens air time now

 

[EnolaGay]

please don’t say laser focus
please don’t say laser focus
please don’t say laser focus
please don’t say laser focus

goddamnit.

 

[ghostdog]

barrettdamian reports there are calls for Essendon to bring Paul Little back to the club.

And there we have it, the destabilizing faction presents

On Little, the factional puppet; it's interesting to note the EY's external review has identified the need for strong governance. Was not strong governance an identified need from the Switkowski review? Wasn't Little the prez who should have overseen the implementation of processes, checks and balances to ensure that we developed strong governance after the drugs debacle? Honest question. Reacting angrily right now...

Edit: quick angry google search reveals, yes, Little was responsible after the previous review that found we had governance issues. Clearly not dealt with adequately during his tenure.

Hey Paul Little. F*** off.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

View attachment 1533213

Looks a bit like Paul Little and seems to have laser focus. I vote for him!!!

 

[Dave]

Just nominate all the Daves and see what happens?

Reminds me of primary school. “David!!”. “No, not you, or you, or you, the other one!!!”.

 

[Zach Package]

hasn't ant555 always said that, basically, this is similar to what we did during Knights to Hird? under-resourced during knights time then when everyone chucked a huge dummy spit, sacked knights and gave hird a blank cheque

Feels like a lifetime ago but I believe I said if the findings of this review is that the footy department is a shitshow and woefully under resourced then culpability as far as Rutten goes lands somewhere between ‘he was a problem but not the problem’ and ‘completely and utterly shafted’. I don’t think the review would have recommended Rutten’s removal had he stayed, I don’t see how, with good conscience, it possibly could have.

Provided Barham can stave off this bizarre fresh attack I’m a little bit more hopeful now that we’re throwing a combination of big money and best practise at this which will hopefully yield a better result.

Not opposed to Barham just flat out murdering anyone who stands in his way at this point to be honest.

 

[citizen-erased]

Word on the street is ive got my edge back, I'm commin at ya like a beam, like a laser I'm Monsoon moon and I'm nobodies bitch.

Pls vote for me

Quality post

I give you two votes

 

[citizen-erased]

Interesting to see where most sit on this one

They do that and fans should revolt

EPL style signs at games and shit.

 

[TheGrizz]

I get the distinct feeling that the coterie and old boys network may be realising the potentially-scathing outcome of this external review, paired with a brawler of a President and a coach who gives literally zero shits about them means their influence is under threat.

So what do they do? Mobilise the old boys puppet of a president that buried the last scathing external review, and prepare for a board coup.

 

[Howard Moon]

Quality post

I give you two votes

 

[thebigboy]

I get the distinct feeling that the coterie and old boys network may be realising the potentially-scathing outcome of this external review, paired with a brawler of a President and a coach who gives literally zero shits about them means their influence is under threat.

So what do they do? Mobilise the old boys puppet of a president that buried the last scathing external review, and prepare for a board coup.

100% this.

Hopefully they get the sentiment across the majority of fans & ex-players and stay the f**k away from the club they f****d up

 

[citizen-erased]

I get the distinct feeling that the coterie and old boys network may be realising the potentially-scathing outcome of this external review, paired with a brawler of a President and a coach who gives literally zero shits about them means their influence is under threat.

So what do they do? Mobilise the old boys puppet of a president that buried the last scathing external review, and prepare for a board coup.

We should get to vote on the coteries

I vote for cannons aimed at the sun.

 

[fairbump_playon]

We should get to vote on the coteries

I vote for cannons aimed at the sun.

I vote for cannons aimed at the Suns.

 

[Doss]

We should get to vote on the coteries

I vote for cannons aimed at the sun.

I vote that the sun's rays are beamed at the cannon too.

 

[Corleone]

Has Little said whether he’d implement the recommendations of the external review?

He's too busy pissing in Sheedy's ear ...

This is completely unacceptable from Little. His last captains pick was Worsfold ... This cannot be allowed to transpire. The only comfort I gain from this that if Little is the figurehead these clowns are attempting to prop up then they must be a bunch of absolute pissants.

 

[yodellinhank]

2 Presidents and 3 CEOs in the space of 3 months is shambolic but 3 Presidents and 3 CEOs is actually almost mind-bending, particularly for the hoops they have to jump through to even get to that point.

The tactics Essendon and AGL use to resist challenges from new board directors

Though from different realms, both companies deploy similar tactics to retain old directors and stonewall the new.

www.smartcompany.com.au

I'd hope the structure of the board is ripped to shreds in the review.

 

[DERO]

Gotta reduce the numbers and put jmoo wan on there.

 

[Lore]

Gotta reduce the numbers and put jmoo wan on there.

Is he called Dave?

 

[Nuggs Bunny]

Instead of marching en masse to the 'G in Round 1, we should be marching to Tullamarine to seize power in a bloodless coup. And if that fails, a regular coup.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Is he called Dave?

My sister’s cat is called Dave, then she met her now fiancée called Dave. No joke. Makes for fun conversations.

Should they both apply?

 

[Here_we_come]

Not sure what’s been said, so I’m sure others have said as much already. But you’ve got to respect Barham for what he’s been able to do since he took over from Brasher.

He’s made some mistakes and in hindsight could clearly do things better, but I feel he’s accomplished more in a couple months than any of his predecessors could do in years or even decades. He’s copped a lot of flack publicly but at least he’s had the courage to initiate changes that are well overdue, even if he hasn’t done things perfectly. That’s a lot more than can be said for any of his predecessors in the last 2 decades.

If he can somehow now get rid of Dodoro and Sheedy he will become my new hero.

 

[yaco55]

meh ... we will have a new CEO in <1 mth, and this whole saga will be completely forgotten about by Xmas

The issue is less about sacking him and more about 1) the lack of background DD that Hisgrove and those EY idiots conducted, and 2) then allowing him to interview for the role afterwards. Absolutely mindless. But what's done is done, i'm not fussed we have no CEO at the moment.

There was an urgency in hiring a senior coach to facilitate (limited) opportunities during trade week, list planning and offseason prep, but there is no urgency in hiring a CEO. Let Nick Ryan continue to act in the role and he can use plethora of ppl as sounding boards if needed, including Brad Scott given his intimate knowledge of the AFL administration.

People continue to overlook one important fact - The AFL has to to sign off on every club CEO appointment - So they would have been fully aware of Thorrburn's background which was evident when Gil spoke about Thorburn's resignation.

 

[Godzke]

People continue to overlook one important fact - The AFL has to to sign off on every club CEO appointment - So they would have been fully aware of Thorrburn's background which was evident when Gil spoke about Thorburn's resignation.

No this our mess, own it, don't blame the afl

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