Club Mgmt. Board of Directors as led by President Dave Barham

[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

    49

    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

  40

  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

    46

    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

    38

    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

 

[madrigal]

How hard is it to say homophobia is wrong?

How hard is it to say 'i don't have a right to decide whether a woman can keep her baby or not'?

So sexual attraction is not a choice, but sexual revulsion is?

 

[andleanback]

I thought he was on the review panel, not the CEO panel

Listen to his interview on sen

 

[westking]

If only they were the only people with those views but they are not.

Yep. The other type are the uneducated. That’s a massive issue in the states.

 

[nipst@r]

Whilst a embarrassing 24 hours I actually like Barham.

Make tough decisions and not afraid to have strong conversations. Those against direction of board all bar Sheedy left, ceo had the option of role at church or ess. We move on.

Will make mistakes but we need a strong figurehead who will make tough calls.

Ultimately Brad scott better placed to take us forward than Rutten, a united board better than divided and I am sure the ceo whoever it is will be able to unite as well.

Might be what the club needs and gives me hope that the president will stand up to dodo, sheeds and the coterie groups when needed.

I even liked putting himself forward to get grilled by the players.

It's not a popular take but this demonstrates leadership to me rather than Messiah complexes or blaming it on AFL or ASADA.

Seems to be decisiveness, accountability and tough conversations. Strangely what I look for in leader so I can wear some poor choices and bumps along the way which are inevitable.

 

[Gabe251]

So sexual attraction is not a choice, but sexual revulsion is?

I don't see how this is related to my statement but I'll bite.

No, you should not feel this way about queer people. Homophobia is a choice.

 

[citizen-erased]

Whilst a embarrassing 24 hours I actually like Barham.

Make tough decisions and not afraid to have strong conversations. Those against direction of board all bar Sheedy left, ceo had the option of role at church or ess. We move on.

Will make mistakes but we need a strong figurehead who will make tough calls.

Ultimately Brad scott better placed to take us forward than Rutten, a united board better than divided and I am sure the ceo whoever it is will be able to unite as well.

Might be what the club needs and gives me hope that the president will stand up to dodo, sheeds and the coterie groups when needed.

I even liked putting himself forward to get grilled by the players.

It's not a popular take but this demonstrates leadership to me rather than Messiah complexes or blaming it on AFL or ASADA.

Seems to be decisiveness, accountability and tough conversations. Strangely what I look for in leader so I can wear some poor choices and bumps along the way which are inevitable.

Fail fast.
Its not a bad approach but you cant keep doing it.

His month hasnt been great.
Scott and the process are ticks.

Not much else

 

[madrigal]

I don't see how this is related to my statement but I'll bite.

No, you should not feel this way about queer people. Homophobia is a choice.

Phobias aren't a choice. You can treat people decently regardless.

 

[tandino]

Late to the party here but 100% agree. Nobody can expect to hold a senior position of an organisation (let alone the CEO) and publicly hold views (let alone simultaneously be the chairman of an organisation that espouses views) diametrically opposed to that organisation.

Let’s be clear: he wasn’t forced to resign because he’s a Christian - he was forced to resign because of the clear conflict of values of organisations that he led. So any ‘whatabouts’ referring to followers of Islam or any other religion are misguided.

I don't know if the whatabouts can be dismissed that easily. The first paragraph seems to contradict the second.

If his views as a Christian are diametrically opposed to the organisation, and "he can't expect to hold a senior position at an organisation" then it sets a standard where others can be judged against accordingly.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

This is like 'he can call them an n word in his own time as long as he treats em right'.

Queer people already cop enough s**t, they don't need to be wondering if their boss secretly thinks they're an abomination.

he said he supports people of different sexual orientation.

you are disregarding what he said and misconstruing something else, because he didn’t say the exact words you want him too.

whatever it is what it is.

 

[Eleven 38]

Fail fast.
Its not a bad approach but you cant keep doing it.

His month hasnt been great.
Scott and the process are ticks.

Not much else

You have to think you learn extra quickly from your mistakes when they are so public,

 

[nipst@r]

Fail fast.
Its not a bad approach but you cant keep doing it.

His month hasnt been great.
Scott and the process are ticks.

Not much else

We have been average for twenty years. Tough and fast decisions are needed.

We lack leaders across the board so he is a leader at the very least. A good leader/decision maker well time will tell but obvious to me he has leadership qualities at least.

Leadership isn't making the right decisions every time. Also agree he wouldn't want to many more embarrassing moments but mistakes are going to happen when trying to fundamentally change how we have operated for a while.

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Goodbye sweet prince.

 

[westking]

All these bozo’s tell the same ol’ story.

‘I remember watching the Bombers at Windy Hill in the 70’s’.

Quickly followed by bulkshit like…

‘I want to implement this and open up communication that. My background is superior to everyone else just look at how wealthy I am’.

 

[citizen-erased]

We have been average for twenty years. Tough and fast decisions are needed.

We lack leaders across the board so he is a leader at the very least. A good leader/decision maker well time will tell but obvious to me he has leadership qualities at least.

Leadership isn't making the right decisions every time. Also agree he wouldn't want to many more embarrassing moments but mistakes are going to happen when trying to fundamentally change how we have operated for a while.

Or at least spread em out.

Not sure when his tenure is up. Im hoping he's just commandeering until a decent board ticket is set up by someone (cough linda dessau) and takes over

 

[Inspecta Gadget]

Let Sheeds do it since he's so ******* good at everything

 

[fairbump_playon]

Are we going to start screening potential draftees on their personal/religious views now?

No way.. options & diversity is essential for employees... just as living the core company values is essential for leaders.

Any club has personality and values whether it wants to or not. In our case we have a womens team with lots of LGBTQ players.

I agree with the club statement. The CEO and the Chair are two positions that must be held by people who embody what we stand for as a club.

I actually feel like Thorburn's record actually indicates that he did embody that. Everything in his actions says yes except for his refusal in his statement to indicate that he doesn't agree with the hardline anti-homosexual stance of the church. He said he disagrees with some aspects of the church's position but was ambiguous about which.

Aside from the commercial pummelling it would leave us open to, I picture a gay player with an issue they want addressed. The CEO's door should be open to everyone. How confident would you feel to seek help from a guy who thinks you're disgusting and will burn in hell?

I'm not saying that's what Thorburn believes - but by not stating otherwise he really was immediately cooked. You can worry about cancel culture and optics but this is a commercial decision and the right one.

How about that due diligence though hey.

 

[madrigal]

It is not just Thorburn, Essendon obviously has a widespread issue with homophobia with zero openly gay players on the list.

 

[P Money]

I’ve said before I’m not sure if Barham is a buffoon throwing his weight around randomly or a smart operator - well now I’m sure.

For all the reasons raised on here, he reeks of incompetency. But worse, for me, is that nothing in his actions so far - from the way he hung Rutten out to dry to the circumnavigating of proper process to hire his mate who we all knew had questionable ethics from the banking royal commission and also turned out to be the chairman of a religious organisation spouting horrible views and values - make me think he is a good person.

That might sound a little silly but if I’m going to passionately support a football club, the least I expect is for it to be filled and led by good people.

Barham has fallen at every hurdle in his short tenure and in my opinion he needs to go before he does more damage to the club.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Bombermania]

It is not just Thorburn, Essendon obviously has a widespread issue with homophobia with zero openly gay players on the list.

There is one openly gay player on the AFLW list and one on the VFLW list.

 

[westking]

Brasher appoints a coach without due process, tolerated Campbells spin, appointed Sheedy to the board.

Now here comes Barhem. Sacks a coach chasing Clarkson. Fails. Appoints a mate called Thornburn to the CEO position which lasts an entire 24 hours.

Lmfao.

 

[madrigal]

There is one openly gay player on the AFLW list and one on the VFLW list.

So why is the AFL club so unwelcoming to homosexuals?

 

[jmoo wan]

My last post. Some really need to read it carefully and the actually read what they are posting.
There is room in this world for people to have their own views and even for people to express them.

i read it and that’s all great and all,and yeah people can have room to have their own views and express them, but don’t cry foul when people disagree with your views and call you out on them as being anachronistic and stupid.

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

Wonder how EY would be feeling having their brand dragged into it

I think EY would pull the pin fairly quickly if there was any reputational damage - we'll find out soon enough.

 

[Maddogm]

29 hours

 

[mike14]

Ignoring what's actually occurred, I'd love to know whether the club had anything prepared if and when Thorburn's role at NAB and the RC findings came up.
How were we planning on playing that one?