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

 

[ghostdog]

Also not being told about the rationale of appointing a 'First Nations Director' to the board. Is that specific because there is a perceived problem specific to working with Aboriginal people? Why can't there simply be a board member, or two or three etc., who are Aboriginal? Why does the person need a title? Does the Aboriginal person to be appointed not know they are Aboriginal? Sounds like puffy 'we're not Hawthorn' rubbish. Just appoint them to the board and do the work.

 

[Dave]

"The areas of coaching, physical performance, player development plus list management and recruitment have lacked unity and a shared vision that is embraced by all."

Damning.

 

[Dave]

Interesting the review mentions trading standards. Have been told some of the fitness issues are related to a lack of precision in recovery and the basics which was why Murphy mentioned the players needing to learn how to train at the level.

A few not ticking all the boxes .

Sounds like we need a supple.....oh never mind.

 

[Stopher]

I'm reading about strengthening indigenous ties AND improving fitness standards as part of this review.

Then I read that Tippa may be returning. The last pic I saw of him, 'elite fitness' didn't exactly spring to mind. Maybe he feels he's got unfinished business and is more motivated than ever. Maybe.

Tippa was the best thing to do with the club since the players were banned and it's not even close. An inspirational bloke who realised his dream.

I just really hope he isn't being used as a bit of a PR stunt. Hopefully Scott will work out where he's really at in terms of a genuine comeback to AFL and the right decision will be made.

Am I being overly cynical here? Quite possibly. But if you're not at least a bit cynical of this club by now, you haven't really been paying attention.

 

[yodellinhank]

Sounds like we need a supple.....oh never mind.

Maybe Brendan McCartney knows a guy?

 

[faible]

I'm reading about strengthening indigenous ties AND improving fitness standards as part of this review.

Then I read that Tippa may be returning. The last pic I saw of him, 'elite fitness' didn't exactly spring to mind. Maybe he feels he's got unfinished business and is more motivated than ever. Maybe.

Tippa was the best thing to do with the club since the players were banned and it's not even close. An inspirational bloke who realised his dream.

I just really hope he isn't being used as a bit of a PR stunt. Hopefully Scott will work out where he's really at in terms of a genuine comeback to AFL and the right decision will be made.

Am I being overly cynical here? Quite possibly. But if you're not at least a bit cynical of this club by now, you haven't really been paying attention.

I think the two things are distinct.

We've had a strong tradition of Indigenous champions; Long & Wanganeen are two of our most loved players of all-time. AMT a more recent one. But we've had limited recent connection beyond a handful of players (most of whom haven't really lasted). Certainly nothing like we had when we had Long on the list who then created the Long Walk that we've been a supporter of.

Clearly he's not a naturally fit guy, he has to work hard to be in shape to do what he does and to work hard you need the motivation.

Aside from that though, he's an incredible story of a guy who put in the hard work to come through a difficult childhood and make it to the AFL. He brought immense joy to Essendon supporters in a time when there was little joy to be found in football.

IF he has the motivation to be in shape, he's one of the best small forwards in the league and a loved member of the EFC community. No one who's not closely connected to AMT really knows where he's at, but I suspect a lot has changed for him over the last 6 months if he's considering coming back.

 

[eth-dog]

Also not being told about the rationale of appointing a 'First Nations Director' to the board. Is that specific because there is a perceived problem specific to working with Aboriginal people? Why can't there simply be a board member, or two or three etc., who are Aboriginal? Why does the person need a title? Does the Aboriginal person to be appointed not know they are Aboriginal? Sounds like puffy 'we're not Hawthorn' rubbish. Just appoint them to the board and do the work.

It may be something that we're putting in place so something like that can't happen at Essendon.

 

[Howard Moon]

The best part of the review is probably that it took E&Y and a bunch of money to tell them what every fan could have told them if asked.

 

[andleanback]

So, Dave Barham's lot refused to align with the Prez, coach etc., then his own external review finds there is disunity and no shared vision.

Players unfit. No joke? After the 2014 elimination final Drew Petrie said something along the lines of 'we knew we were fit enough to come over the top.'

The absence of any comment on Dodoro's mismanagement of the list in the summary of findings is extraordinary. Why is he being protected? The trade period is over. We can draft without him.

The G rated version of the review isn't good enough. If they don't want leaks they need to release the full findings.

At least there is acknowledgement that the findings of previous reviews will be looked at re: governance, but how finance could have trumped governance at all after the drugs saga is beyond belief. For the explanation to be casually ignored and buried is just f****** typical.

No barham refused to sit around any longer and watch the club wallow in mediocrity.

 

[frodos gardener]

The best part of the review is probably that it took E&Y and a bunch of money to tell them what every fan could have told them if asked.

Not that I think it’s a great reason, but the ER’s value isn’t in discovering what the club should already know; it’s about getting the club to wake up and change and doing it publicly and seemingly legitimately so that there’s no choice but to confront it.

You can have an IR and ER find the same things but get very different outcomes because of the way the approaches place pressure on an org.

Again, it shouldn’t work this way, but it does.

 

[Lore]

"The areas of coaching, physical performance, player development plus list management and recruitment have lacked unity and a shared vision that is embraced by all."

Damning.

Bit directly after that omits a particular name in apportioning responsibility for the unity of those areas in future too.

 

[yodellinhank]

Bit directly after that omits a particular name in apportioning responsibility for the unity of those areas in future too.

As per SEN

"The review is also clear in its recommendation of the need for stronger alignment of the core functions within the football department. The areas of coaching, physical performance, player development plus list management and recruitment have lacked unity and a shared vision that is embraced by all,” Barham stated.

The president added this was a priority for Scott and head of football Josh Mahoney over the off-season.

Essendon releases findings from external review

The club's external review - which was commissioned seven weeks ago - is now complete.

www.sen.com.au

 

[Lore]

As per SEN

Essendon releases findings from external review

The club's external review - which was commissioned seven weeks ago - is now complete.

www.sen.com.au

I mean it’s in the actual letter too but yeah.

Dodoro’s area is part of the problem, but not the solution. And given his relative leadership position as a general manager he should be named there if he’s expected to be part of it.

 

[yodellinhank]

I mean it’s in the actual letter too but yeah.

Dodoro’s area is part of the problem, but not the solution. And given his relative leadership position as a general manager he should be named there if he’s expected to be part of it.

That may be the findings of your review.

 

[thebigboy]

I still remember the eSports was the tipping point, half of us in here we're like enough is enough! The other half we're like you have no idea how huge this is, we are diversified blah blah.

We are a football club.

100%,

Feel like the venture into eSports would have been okay if it wasn't for the fact that we've been ass on the field for 15+ years and clearly were under-allocating resources to the football program

 

[Lore]

That may be the findings of your review.

Just reading between the lines. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop

 

[yodellinhank]

Just reading between the lines. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop

I'm not sure why they included Scott TBH. Whether the coaching, recruiting & list management, high performance etc. are all on the same page is basically the footy manager's job IMO.

 

[westking]

I will only believe anything when/if it happens. And until then the club is simply talking words like they have done so many times before. I hope things do change for the better at this club and Im one to give therm time, but I am truthfully expecting the usual rubbish.

 

[Bombermania]

I know it's chicken and egg but maybe it's still saga recovery insofar as we lost so much money the club were hellbent on paying off the debt and righting the ship again financially... So we became about money rather than football? Then you had the oh s**t, we can't push these guys too far we just put them through a saga and they might sue us..

I know people will say it's been like this since pre saga and it probably caused the saga but I'm just working in increments, plus the saga to me is like the BC/AD moment, coulda been, shoulda been ground zero but who knew it could get worse not better

That would explain it but it doesn't explain the approach to player development and list management, it doesn't explain Shiel's comment about attitudes to training.

 

[Lore]

I'm not sure why they included Scott TBH. Whether the coaching, recruiting & list management, high performance etc. are all on the same page is basically the footy manager's job IMO.

It’s been the senior coach’s responsibility since one was hung for it in 2014

 

[Squeaky]

The best part of the review is probably that it took E&Y and a bunch of money to tell them what every fan could have told them if asked.

Spot on!

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Not that I think it’s a great reason, but the ER’s value isn’t in discovering what the club should already know; it’s about getting the club to wake up and change and doing it publicly and seemingly legitimately so that there’s no choice but to confront it.

You can have an IR and ER find the same things but get very different outcomes because of the way the approaches place pressure on an org.

Again, it shouldn’t work this way, but it does.

In my experience exec members always hire external consultants to add an air of legitimacy to their own proposals when canvassing it with the rest of the exec team/board.

 

[Lore]

In my experience exec members always hire external consultants to add an air of legitimacy to their own proposals when canvassing it with the rest of the exec team/board.

They rarely find things they aren't looking for.

But once you have this air of legitimacy out in the public, the members (or shareholders) expect the findings to be actioned and will hold those in power accountable to the standards they've set for themselves insofar as they are able. It becomes an impetus for change, maybe even real change.

 

[NAB777]

Elite runners do something around 80% of their running at very low, easy intensity so they can recover for their harder work. Things like our players learning how to recover appropriately can be massive for the cumulative fitness they build.

This is true.

AFL players need to compromise somewhat, as elite runners do massive volumes in that 80%, but making sure you can do your hard work HARD...is crucial.

At least we aren't going on high altitude camps anymore.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

They rarely find things they aren't looking for.

But once you have this air of legitimacy out in the public, the members (or shareholders) expect the findings to be actioned and will hold those in power accountable to the standards they've set for themselves insofar as they are able. It becomes an impetus for change, maybe even real change.

Yeah thats a fair point re publicly announcing it meaning they have to follow through.