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

 

[TheGrizz]

Another former player, but one with good footy admin experience. Wouldn't mind it.

 

[Zach Package]

Another former player, but one with good footy admin experience. Wouldn't mind it.

And a genuinely good person to boot

 

[Beerfish]

Lock up the sausage rolls though.

 

[ghostdog]

Was Rioli a very vocal person as a player?

 

[VelvetSledge]

Was Rioli a very vocal person as a player?

My memory of him as a player is vague at best, but not from what I recall

 

[DERO]

Michael Long would be another great option.

 

[Lore]

Michael Long would be another great option.

Longy was the obvious option to me, given the whole thing with The Long Walk (which I think is technically part of Essendon anyway?) and then he's got his foundation and things like that, so experience with both the executive in a non-profit org and would have been in reasonably close contact with the club.

I had no idea Dean was president of the Tiwi Bombers though, which makes him similarly credentialed.

I guess the main consideration for either of them is whether they'd be local enough to attend board meetings – assuming it isn't all on zoom. I think Longy is in the NT most of the year isn't he? Probably Dean is too if he's president of the Tiwi Bombers.

 

[The Donners]

Michael Long would be another great option.

All in good time.

 

[TheGrizz]

Longy was the obvious option to me, given the whole thing with The Long Walk (which I think is technically part of Essendon anyway?) and then he's got his foundation and things like that, so experience with both the executive in a non-profit org and would have been in reasonably close contact with the club.

I had no idea Dean was president of the Tiwi Bombers though, which makes him similarly credentialed.

I guess the main consideration for either of them is whether they'd be local enough to attend board meetings – assuming it isn't all on zoom. I think Longy is in the NT most of the year isn't he? Probably Dean is too if he's president of the Tiwi Bombers.

Looking at Riolis LinkedIn, he seems to have a heap of board and corporate advisory experience outside of football and for non profits as well.

Being based in the Tiwi would be a massive benefit though, with it being a part of the NGA for us and our association with the Tiwi bombers.

 

[Lore]

Looking at Riolis LinkedIn, he seems to have a heap of board and corporate advisory experience outside of football and for non profits as well.

Being based in the Tiwi would be a massive benefit though, with it being a part of the NGA for us and our association with the Tiwi bombers.

It would mean he'd have some pretty on-the-ground insight into how well our Tiwi academy type programs are going. Not just superficial go there once a year and hand out twenty footballs and go home again.

It's harder for the people on the ground to bullshit you if you're there and can see the impact you're making (or not) with your own eyes

 

[yodellinhank]

Bring him in.

 

[Zach Package]

Looking at Riolis LinkedIn, he seems to have a heap of board and corporate advisory experience outside of football and for non profits as well.

Being based in the Tiwi would be a massive benefit though, with it being a part of the NGA for us and our association with the Tiwi bombers.

A hyper neglected aspect to be sure, quite possibly the most neglected aspect

 

[windyhill]

Was Rioli a very vocal person as a player?

Didn’t
have to be, actions spoke louder.

 

[yodellinhank]

Didn’t
have to be, actions spoke louder.

I think he actually did a bit of traffic direction in 2003 or 4 when he played more behind the ball and was probably our second best player in the games he played.

 

[Stopher]

My memory of him as a player is vague at best, but not from what I recall

When he was fit and going, he was smooth as silk. Could seriously play.

 

[Godzke]

As long as the indigenous board member is an ex-player, then I'm fine with it.

Last thing we need is a token board member who knows sweet F all about footy.

 

[windyhill]

When he was fit and going, he was smooth as silk. Could seriously play.

He was magnificent. His body let him down. I hate talking about one particular game, but that ‘99 prelim, the football we played in the third quarter was as good as it gets. Dean Rioli orchestrated that quarter.

 

[SydneyBomber]

Lock up the sausage rolls turtles though.

EFA, although there's probably not too many wandering around the hangar...

Deano used to comeback from the off-season pretty heavy from eating too many turtles up in the tiwis!

 

[Don Won]

EFA, although there's probably not too many wandering around the hangar...

Deano used to comeback from the off-season pretty heavy from eating too many turtles up in the tiwis!

I always saw that suggestion as a trope for being undisciplined over summer rather than a fact

 

[DERO]

He was magnificent. His body let him down. I hate talking about one particular game, but that ‘99 prelim, the football we played in the third quarter was as good as it gets. Dean Rioli orchestrated that quarter.

I don't think we saw him consistently produce to his full capabilities. I wonder how good he could have been if he had a better run with injuries and got himself into peak fitness.

 

[Kong]

Rioli would have been our second best player during the Hird era if he was fit, IMO.

 

[naraku]

I say this with a straight face and total belief: Dean Rioli

Dean Rioli

Age

47

Ht

180cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.5

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

18.4

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

5.8

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

2.0

4star

would of won a Brownlow medal if his body didn't fail him.

The only bitter moment of GF '00 was Dean in tears because he missed the win with shot hammies.

 

[frodos gardener]

The man who seemed to have the ball on his personal string

 

[Happyskeret]

Absolute Rolls Royce when he was at his best.

 

[thebigboy]

I say this with a straight face and total belief: Dean Rioli would of won a Brownlow medal if his body didn't fail him.

The only bitter moment of GF '00 was Dean in tears because he missed the win with shot hammies.

As gifted as any player over that period.
Always thought at the time, his talent & Mark Bolton athleticism & build and he’d be an all-time great.