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

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IggypopsTshirt said:
Barham spoke like a politician under pressure. He was terse, non committal and not endearing in any way. It’s understandable the bloke can’t sack Dodo on radio so he gets a pass on that subject. The most concerning thing about his appearance was a very Essendon trait he exhibits. He doesn’t take feedback or criticism very well and if confronted with some possibly uncomfortable realities he will dig his heels in and forge ahead with his script of cliches regarding club affairs. Given the bloke conspired alongside Sheedy and Hird to usher the messiah back into the coaching job while the turmoil they created very publicly portrayed the club as an absolute basket case; I remain unconvinced that we’ve actually cast aside the insular ol’ boys mentality.
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He didn’t do that at all
Hird was never going to coach under barham
 
owen87 said:
Didn't Barham do the exact opposite?

Use Sheedy to get the numbers then told Hird to go through the process and see how he went?
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I am under the impression they’d planned to manoeuvre Hird back in and the scrutiny came when news of the move drifted. Barham was then forced to abort in fear of his tenure being not much longer than the NAB CEO and Tulla essentially being reduced to a smouldering disaster zone
 
IggypopsTshirt said:
I am under the impression they’d planned to manoeuvre Hird back in and the scrutiny came when news of the move drifted. Barham was then forced to abort in fear of his tenure being not much longer than the NAB CEO and Tulla essentially being reduced to a smouldering disaster zone
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Literally never heard this until someone (might have been you) posted this yesterday.

I do remember Hird's camp having a big sook that he wasn't simply parachuted in as coach.
 

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Fair to say assurances and
Expectations were firmly inferred during these chats.
Essendon great James Hird is reportedly “fully lost to the club” after president David Barham’s decision to appoint Brad Scott as Ben Rutten’s replacement.

Herald Sun reporter and AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson wrote on Tuesday evening Hird received a visit from Barham in the lead-up to Rutten being sacked as the coach, during which he assured the former captain he and Kevin Sheedy would be selecting Rutten’s successor.
At that meeting, Hird and Barham reportedly agreed the former would apply for a coaching role while the latter would push for the presidency.

Hird and Sheedy, the report said, felt “betrayed” by Barham after he appointed Scott to the role of head coach.
 
IggypopsTshirt said:
Essendon great James Hird is reportedly “fully lost to the club” after president David Barham’s decision to appoint Brad Scott as Ben Rutten’s replacement.

Herald Sun reporter and AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson wrote on Tuesday evening Hird received a visit from Barham in the lead-up to Rutten being sacked as the coach, during which he assured the former captain he and Kevin Sheedy would be selecting Rutten’s successor.
At that meeting, Hird and Barham reportedly agreed the former would apply for a coaching role while the latter would push for the presidency.

Hird and Sheedy, the report said, felt “betrayed” by Barham after he appointed Scott to the role of head coach.
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So he applied for the coaching role as agreed, and didn't get it?

Sounds to me like smart politicking
 
owen87 said:
So he applied for the coaching role as agreed, and didn't get it?

Sounds to me like smart politicking
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I'm glad he didn't follow through but hes clearly promised Hird the job if true.
 
IggypopsTshirt said:
Fair to say assurances and
Expectations were firmly inferred during these chats.
Essendon great James Hird is reportedly “fully lost to the club” after president David Barham’s decision to appoint Brad Scott as Ben Rutten’s replacement.

Herald Sun reporter and AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson wrote on Tuesday evening Hird received a visit from Barham in the lead-up to Rutten being sacked as the coach, during which he assured the former captain he and Kevin Sheedy would be selecting Rutten’s successor.
At that meeting, Hird and Barham reportedly agreed the former would apply for a coaching role while the latter would push for the presidency.

Hird and Sheedy, the report said, felt “betrayed” by Barham after he appointed Scott to the role of head coach.
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There’s nothing in there that says hird was guarantee the job
Barham never wanted hird
Half of that is Robbo just sooking as he was cheerleading for hird
 
boncer34 said:
I'm glad he didn't follow through but hes clearly promised Hird the job if true.
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Hard to know whether he was just doing what was necessary to get the support to oust Brasher, wasn't it down to one vote (e.g. Sheedy)?

I'm sure the Hird camp would say that it was a guaranteed promise that was always intended to be played out in reality. We also know Barham took a swing pretty quickly at Clarkson though.
 
owen87 said:
Hard to know whether he was just doing what was necessary to get the support to oust Brasher, wasn't it down to one vote (e.g. Sheedy)?

I'm sure the Hird camp would say that it was a guaranteed promise that was always intended to be played out in reality. We also know Barham took a swing pretty quickly at Clarkson though.
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Maybe he was. Still doesn't change that he promised Hird the job.
 
andleanback said:
There’s nothing in there that says hird was guarantee the job
Barham never wanted hird
Half of that is Robbo just sooking as he was cheerleading for hird
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Reporting at the time suggested otherwise but as you rightly point out Robbo is hopelessly compromised when talking Essendon. I don’t think it’s a long bow to draw that Hird was offered some kind of assurance but I may well be wrong and you’re absolutely correct. 🤷🏼‍♂️
I’m pop in a couple more quotes to highlight that I’m not screeching into the inter webs for the sake of it but rather that I’d simply interpreted the reporting from that period.

“James Hird believed he was given the support of Essendon chairman David Barham to make a stunning return to the club as the successor of sacked coach Ben Rutten, a new report claims”

“At the meeting, it is reported that Barham revealed he would contest the presidency and that Hird should apply for the coaching role, not a board position.

The same report suggests that Sheedy was aware of the secret meeting and the plan put forward by Barham.

Hird went on to apply for the coaching position, believing that he had the support of Barham and Sheedy. He was interviewed by the coaching selection panel and Sheedy was confident that his former star midfielder would get the job. “
 
andleanback said:
There’s nothing in there that says hird was guarantee the job
Barham never wanted hird
Half of that is Robbo just sooking as he was cheerleading for hird
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You think if that is actually true that Barham turned up to Hirds and told him that him (Barham) and Sheedy were picking the person without guaranteeing Hird the job?

If he did that he was 100% telling Hird it was his job. Maybe he was doing it with the view to always shaft them like owen87 suggested. Or maybe he changed his decision on the fly.
 
boncer34 said:
You think if that is actually true that Barham turned up to Hirds and told him that him (Barham) and Sheedy were picking the person without guaranteeing Hird the job?

If he did that he was 100% telling Hird it was his job. Maybe he was doing it with the view to always shaft them like owen87 suggested. Or maybe he changed his decision on the fly.
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boncer34 said:
You think if that is actually true that Barham turned up to Hirds and told him that him (Barham) and Sheedy were picking the person without guaranteeing Hird the job?

If he did that he was 100% telling Hird it was his job. Maybe he was doing it with the view to always shaft them like owen87 suggested. Or maybe he changed his decision on the fly.
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Yeh I think there’s plenty of robbo Mayo in that story
 

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andleanback said:
Yeh I think there’s plenty of robbo Mayo in that story
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I agree, that's why I've said if true.

I was just confused how you could possibly read it and come to the conclusion you stated.
 
owen87 said:
Didn't Barham do the exact opposite?

Use Sheedy to get the numbers then told Hird to go through the process and see how he went?
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I would assume that was done to neutralise the hird camp.
Decent decision.
We had a couple of false starts (clarkson, thorburn), but ever since Barham has found course and done a decent job imo.

Absorption of the dodoro commentary is being handled well too imo
 
boncer34 said:
I agree, that's why I've said if true.

I was just confused how you could possibly read it and come to the conclusion you stated.
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What conclusion?

He said him and sheedy would have a say on who was the coach, well yeh that’s true. But it goes to a board vote, after the coach panel had chosen the person they believed was best fit - not just sheedy and barham doing what they wanted (doubt barham would do that anyway)
Few holes in that story and I doubt it went down like that.
 
andleanback said:
What conclusion?

He said him and sheedy would have a say on who was the coach, well yeh that’s true. But it goes to a board vote, after the coach panel had chosen the person they believed was best fit - not just sheedy and barham doing what they wanted (doubt barham would do that anyway)
Few holes in that story and I doubt it went down like that.
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No. He said they would be selecting.

You can't possibly read that and think there's nothing in it guaranteeing Hird the job. He was 100% guaranteed the job. You don't go to the blokes house and say "Hey apply, me and your biggest fan ever are the ones selecting it" unless you understand what it means.

If it's true of course.
 
boncer34 said:
No. He said they would be selecting.

You can't possibly read that and think there's nothing in it guaranteeing Hird the job. He was 100% guaranteed the job. You don't go to the blokes house and say "Hey apply, me and your biggest fan ever are the ones selecting it" unless you understand what it means.

If it's true of course.
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Yeh and I’m saying I don’t believe that happened. May have gone to his house and asked him to be apart of the process, but guaranting him the job because they would be the only ones picking it is a bunch of Bull imo
2 guys don’t just pick the coach it’s not the way it works. It goes to a board decision. You don’t think it would leak out into the media straight away if barham didn’t take it to a board vote and just appointed hird without process. Wouldn’t take long for someone to talk giving board members love to spill goss to the media.
 
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andleanback said:
Yeh and I’m saying I don’t believe that happened. May have gone to his house and asked him to be apart of the process, but guaranting him the job because they would be the only ones picking it is a bunch of Bull imo
2 guys don’t just pick the coach it’s not the way it works. It goes to a board decision. You don’t think it would leak out into the media straight away if barham didn’t take it to a board vote and just appointed hird without process. Wouldn’t take long for someone to talk giving board members lovely to spill goss to the media.
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There's a difference in saying its not true and saying there's nothing written in it. To me anyway. But I get your point now.
 

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boncer34 said:
Maybe he was. Still doesn't change that he promised Hird the job.
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Unless it’s in writing & not verbal it only counts for so much. Before I got my teaching job I was verbally promised a promotion at my old job because I was the only one dumb enough to actually turn up on time; do my work, help others etc, but when it came down to it I was never in the mix.

I’d imagine that’s likely what’s happened, an empty promise
 
andleanback said:
2 guys don’t just pick the coach it’s not the way it works. It goes to a board decision. You don’t think it would leak out into the media straight away if barham didn’t take it to a board vote and just appointed hird without process. Wouldn’t take long for someone to talk giving board members love to spill goss to the media.
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On the contrary, that’s precisely how it’s worked at Essendon for a long time now. No process, no due diligence, no coherent plan, just powerbrokers and club “royalty” doing whatever they please and the board can fall into line.
Barham, Sheedy and Hird in a continuation of Essington methodology planned to shoe horn Hird in and very nearly did.
Robbo mayo or not reporting of events clearly outlines a process to circumvent an actual selection process and install the messiah back in the seat.
 
mcgrath_truther said:
Unless it’s in writing & not verbal it only counts for so much. Before I got my teaching job I was verbally promised a promotion at my old job because I was the only one dumb enough to actually turn up on time; do my work, help others etc, but when it came down to it I was never in the mix.

I’d imagine that’s likely what’s happened, an empty promise
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Yes. I've said that's possible.

It doesn't make what I said wrong though.
 
boncer34 said:
Yes. I've said that's possible.

It doesn't make what I said wrong though.
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oh i don’t disagree, it’s just what i’ve expected to have happened
 
IggypopsTshirt said:
Fair to say assurances and
Expectations were firmly inferred during these chats.
Essendon great James Hird is reportedly “fully lost to the club” after president David Barham’s decision to appoint Brad Scott as Ben Rutten’s replacement.

Herald Sun reporter and AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson wrote on Tuesday evening Hird received a visit from Barham in the lead-up to Rutten being sacked as the coach, during which he assured the former captain he and Kevin Sheedy would be selecting Rutten’s successor.
At that meeting, Hird and Barham reportedly agreed the former would apply for a coaching role while the latter would push for the presidency.

Hird and Sheedy, the report said, felt “betrayed” by Barham after he appointed Scott to the role of head coach.
Click to expand...


It is so obvious that Barham and Sheedy were in on it together. Perhaps this is part of a deal Barham made with Sheedy to get his faction to move on Rutten.

It came out of nowhere that, all of the sudden, Hird could be part of it again.

There was no reason to muddy this process with Hird's presence unless they were angling to get him the job. It subjected the whole thing to unnecessary scrutiny.

There was no popular sentiment toward Hird at all. The AFL's PR campaign to blame for the SAGA was successful. There are a handful of people here who will admit to wanting Hird if you want evidence of its success.

We know Lade and Solomon got told no thanks. The Hird camp says it got positive feed pack post round 1. It says it was then frozen out and ignored from that point. It was never told no. That is completely consistent with what was reported.

We were running a process that had 4 candidates participate in r1 to r2 (i cant remember the exact sequence). We then end the process to show Yze around the Hanger while we were convincing to Scott to take the job as part of the process.

Did I say process?

Honestly, it looks like we have gotten everything we deserve.
 
BrunoV said:
It came out of nowhere that, all of the sudden, Hird could be part of it again.
Click to expand...

This really isn't true.

edit:

Robbo called him the next GWS head coach before season even started;

www.foxsports.com.au

‘They’ve employed their next coach’: James Hird tipped to take GWS job when it opens

‘They’ve employed their next coach’: Hird shock as AFL great tipped to take GWS job
www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au

By May was promoting Hird replacing Rutten

www.foxsports.com.au

‘Can bring the club back together’: Hird return to Bombers floated after seven-year exile

‘Can bring the club back together’: Bold call for Hird to return to Bombers after seven-year exile
www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au
 
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