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

 

[Dave]

So we’re not going to get any input from the external review with regards to the head coach or CEO positions, we’re just going to sort those out separate to the review?

Can’t help the timing if people jump ship.

 

[Lore]

Can someone please catch me up with the various factions here?
There is/was: Dodoro + Sheedy + ??
Campbell + Brasher + ??
Where do Barham and Madden sit?
Mahoney?

Officially there are two blocs on the board of directors:

• New: Barham Muir Hisgrove Green O’Sullivan Sheedy
• Old: Brasher Allen Wellman Madden

That’s the split of votes that gave us a new president. Sheedy was the swing vote that tipped the scaled in Barham’s favour.

The CEO, GM-Footy and Senior Coach were supported by the old power bloc and the new ones want to get rid of all three.

The joker in the pack is Sheedy, who is close with Dodoro and wants Hird as coach. It seems some other old guard players, staff and coteries are in that same group as well, along with journos like Robbo. We don’t know if anyone else on the board is with him.

 

[84859300]

Gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette

We're re-drafting Tommy Cutler?

 

[andleanback]

Can’t help the timing if people jump ship.

Ceo jumping ship tells you everything you need to know. I’m sure there’s plenty within the club that can give feedback on him.

 

[Inspecta Gadget]

Brasher, Truck, Campbell, Madden all gone

Me:

 

[Lore]

Can’t help the timing if people jump ship.

Jumped before they were pushed

 

[DERO]

He has fallen on his sword which is actually the decent thing to do in light of the massive contract extension earlier this year.

 

[BomberManU]

Officially there are two blocs on the board of directors:

• New: Barham Muir Hisgrove Green O’Sullivan Sheedy
• Old: Brasher Allen Wellman Madden

That’s the split of votes that gave us a new president. Sheedy was the swing vote that tipped the scaled in Barham’s favour.

The CEO, GM-Footy and Senior Coach were supported by the old power bloc and the new ones want to get rid of all three.

The joker in the pack is Sheedy, who is close with Dodoro and wants Hird as coach. It seems some other old guard players, staff and coteries are in that same group as well, along with journos like Robbo. We don’t know if anyone else on the board is with him.

Thanks mate. So it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the side that Sheedy swung to might be in the Hird camp? Does anyone know Barham's thoughts on Hird?

 

[P Money]

I think the one thing that's clear is that we need to take anything Barham says publicly with a very large grain of salt. Appearing with X at the presser, praising him greatly and all but guaranteeing his position was safe only to whack him two days later tells me that while Barham comes across as a train wreck in front of the camera he is more media savvy than I have been giving him credit for

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

When is Barham resigning?

When he and Sheedy mob appoint Hird and a new group lead another coup (with me supporting them)

 

[andleanback]

He has fallen on his sword which is actually the decent thing to do in light of the massive contract extension earlier this year.

Better for a career of a ceo than to have a sacking next to your name.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Wellman probably next

 

[doug85]

Dodoro and Mahoney safe according to the herald sun

 

[andleanback]

I think the one thing that's clear is that we need to take anything Barham says publicly with a very large grain of salt. Appearing with X at the presser, praising him greatly and all but guaranteeing his position was safe only to whack him two days later tells me that while Barham comes across as a train wreck in front of the camera he is more media savvy than I have been giving him credit for

You can guarantee anyone’s position before a review, it means nothing. Because when you get the findings of a review you have an out, which is new information has come to light and we have to act.

 

[faible]

Dodoro and Mahoney safe according to the herald sun

I had thought these two were mutually exclusive.

Also wasn’t XC reported as safe 24 hours ago by the Herald Sun?

 

[Lore]

Thanks mate. So it wouldn't be a stretch to say that the side that Sheedy swung to might be in the Hird camp? Does anyone know Barham's thoughts on Hird?

Barham has said a couple times that no one has talked to Hird and he almost seemed annoyed and surprised anyone would ask that during the press conferences.

I would say Sheedy is either the only one on the board in the pro-Hird camp, or maybe 1 out of 2. The pro-Hirds are influential inside the organisation but they’re not on the board.

 

[DERO]

Dodoro and Mahoney safe according to the herald sun

Time will tell I guess. Sounds a bit like what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

 

[Lore]

Listening to Whateley and I swear to god he just said Campbell resigned on Sunday night? After the Truck sacked conference.

So it’s been kept quiet for a couple of days… I think he told the staff this morning.

 

[Lore]

Time will tell I guess. Sounds a bit like what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

Sparks fly

 

[P Money]

You can guarantee anyone’s position before a review, it means nothing. Because when you get the findings of a review you have an out, which is new information has come to light and we have to act.

Well they didn't even wait for the review, so clearly Barham had him in the crosshairs while he was publicly backing him. Gotta say this is not the type of guy I'd necessarily like to work for, but may be the type of person the club needs right now. Definitely seems to have a ruthless streak. Not sold on his ability to turn the culture of the club around though which by all accounts is sorely needed.

 

[frodos gardener]

One point here . The internal review was not botched. For some reason it took of in the media and then the public that it was something it was not. Brasher stated at the time it was never a review on positions but a review on how they could improve the player development and recruiting and the scope to spend more money to bolster them.

Should they have done an external review. Yes it is needed but the internal review is exactly what it was set up to be.
The mistake Brasher made was announcing it.

Brasher’s hand was forced because there was demand for a review, so he was compelled to say something was being done. His downfall was not reading room and thinking he could manage it by sticking firm. There was always a risk post announcement of the internal review of it blowing up if onfield results didn’t improve.

 

[doug85]

I had thought these two were mutually exclusive.

Also wasn’t XC reported as safe 24 hours ago by the Herald Sun?

Yeah, I have no idea. Just repeating the info.

 

[andleanback]

Well they didn't even wait for the review, so clearly Barham had him in the crosshairs while he was publicly backing him. Gotta say this is not the type of guy I'd necessarily like to work for, but may be the type of person the club needs right now. Definitely seems to have a ruthless streak. Not sold on his ability to turn the culture of the club around though which by all accounts is sorely needed.

Xavier didn’t wait for the review.

 

[Lore]

Xavier didn’t wait for the review.

Given the way Truck was handled he probably doesn’t want his reputation tarnished with that sort of callous mishandling of the situation (we know he’s not ruthless like that when he has to let people go).

I find it interesting that all of these people won’t be part of the club on Saturday though — the club’s first AFLW game is that feather in the cap sort of thing that is just completely overshadowed now.

 

[carloss]

Brasher should be next, he backed Rutten and Campbell.