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

[Lore]

Tom Morris, 9 News via Fox Sports:

“A major board challenge is imminent at Essendon. In the wake of an off-season of turmoil, key powerbrokers - including at least one former player - are preparing a movement which would oust David Barham as president, and other directors too,” he said on Nine News.

“I’ve spoken to one of the key powerbrokers tonight, who says this is not coterie-driven, and it’s just a manner of when and not if the challenge takes place.

“There’s a view the club has been left rudderless and the Barham era has left a legacy of division, instability, player drainage and lost opportunity from this group of people.”

‘Rudderless’ Bombers facing more off-field chaos as club boss set to be challenged

‘Rudderless’ Bombers facing more off-field chaos as club boss set to be challenged

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Lore]

Spoiler: Timeline of events

• 15/8/2022: 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

 

[ant555]

Thread continued from Part 1: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...m-barham-addressing-merrett-etc-12-9.1326484/

Seriously though, what happened?

Solly and Paul Weston looking to get on the board . Paul Weston has Barham in his sights and in his words we need premiership experience on the board. He is clearly one of Mark Robinsons disciples. Story written by Robbo is in todays HS.



Barham, who is seeking a presidential extension, would be rolled if two of Solomon, Weston and Green won the majority of members’ votes.

If that happened, Solomon’s former teammate and current vice-president Andrew Welsh would likely be courted to become president.

My agenda is our culture, leadership and development.

This is about regaining our identity.

My commitment is, if I’m appointed to the board, I will be not be seeking another term unless we’ve won a final in the three years, because if we haven’t I’ve made no impact at all. If I can’t do it in three years I shouldn’t be there.


“There’s no premiership experience on our board or in our coaching staffother than our senior coach,’’ he said.“To me, a good functioning board has balance. We are a football club, we’ve got excellent people for finance, governance, for business, but we haven’t got any premiership experience.’’

Good one Paul.
Guess the Premierships at West Coast when Vozzo was there do not count. Or the fact that our list manager who did not play in the GF was at the Eagles in 2006 and played in two finals. Gia was a coach at the Dogs when they won a flag. Tapping won a GF with Sandy Dragons as a coach and worked in the Lions rebuild. Rath was at the Hawks during their premiership era. There is plenty of premiership experience there. Maybe it is you want "Essendon" premiership experience.
We had Simon Madden and Sean Wellman on the board until two years ago. We had a premiership winning coach. We had two football managers who played a serious role in building a premiership winning list. The last lot of "Essendon" boys managed to bring the club to its knees.


To me Weston has clearly been talking to Robbo and Sheedy since Hugh Mitchells funeral. You can bet that with Hird doing his thing at Port Melbourne the plan will be get Scott out at the end of next year and fill the club with Sheedy's old boys.

Typical Essendon.

 

[ant555]

If they wet the bed again I am done. I will go back and watch a bit of local footy and more under 18 stuff and watching the NRL. What really sucks is the Sheedy mafia has also moved into Port Melbourne who I have also followed for 40 odd years so that is not an option either. Guess a couple more weekends in Sydney to see the Panthers will happen.

 

[Yoda_]

Stability is the best thing and that should mean we give Barham, Scott & Co. clear air, im all for it

 

[Vindicater]

If they wet the bed again I am done. I will go back and watch a bit of local footy and more under 18 stuff and watching the NRL. What really sucks is the Sheedy mafia has also moved into Port Melbourne who I have also followed for 40 odd years so that is not an option either. Guess a couple more weekends in Sydney to see the Panthers will happen.

Yep. If Sheedy and crew get back in I'll be watching the Flagstaff Falcons and Sturt Double blues alot more than Essendon next year.

 

[Phone]

People seem to forget that Hird led this club through the darkest chapter in its history.

led, caused - it's the same

 

[thepokey]

Oh yeah I forgot we need more premiership experience in the boardroom. A guy who won flags in the 80s on the board will help heaps given how footy is exactly the same then as it is now.

Seriously, I'd love to sit these guys down and really press them on what they mean by half this stuff because as soon as you start poking holes in their buzz phrases is completely falls apart.

 

[Nifft]

Seriously though, what happened?

 

[fairbump_playon]

Honestly some of the stuff in that Slobbo article borders on parody. We need to be "feared and respected". The same stamping the foot tantrum stuff we've had for decades. What do they want to do, start swaggering about and acting tough? Demanding people take us seriously? It's the sort of Eric Cartman bully-brained stuff that you expect from an 11 year old watching too many loopy dark web videos, not a serious, modern day football club.

The thing that earns respect is premierships. The thing that makes you feared is being hard to play against and even harder to beat. There are no magic shortcuts or quick fixes to get there. It takes diligent work from every person in the club, coach to bootstrapper, captain to rookie. Looking for quick fixes is what put us in the wilderness since 2000.

Perhaps most damning on that front was the promise to be a one term director as "if we've not won a premiership in 3 years" he's not done his job. What a joke. As if all you need to win a premiership is a sufficiently loud and brash board member. Anyone who votes for this bozo has genuine rocks in their head.

We should ask the players to play four quarters

 

[ghostdog]

Welsh
Solomon
Weston

...opening the door for Hird.
I fear this and don't respect it.

 

[Lore]

So put him on the board and in 3 years we’ll win a final or he’ll quit?

 

[Vindicater]

So put him on the board and in 3 years we’ll win a final or he’ll quit?

It is emotive rubbish to placate the nuffies.

 

[DERO]

If they wet the bed again I am done. I will go back and watch a bit of local footy and more under 18 stuff and watching the NRL. What really sucks is the Sheedy mafia has also moved into Port Melbourne who I have also followed for 40 odd years so that is not an option either. Guess a couple more weekends in Sydney to see the Panthers will happen.

Just in time for Tassie. They’d want to be really careful I reckon.

 

[Lore]

Welsh
Solomon
Weston

...opening the door for Hird.
I fear this and don't respect it.

Is Welsh actually a problem?

In Barham’s interview the other day he was talking about staying president for 2 years and then preparing to handover the presidency to whomever the board elected, which he said would probably be Welsh because Welsh is currently the VP.

According to the sticky timeline Welsh is an appointed director (not elected), and was appointed by Barham’s administration to replace the ones that quit after the spill.

 

[Lore]

I thought I saw somewhere that the board endorsed Barham and perhaps Solomon or something but now I can’t find it…?

 

[DapperDon]

Let me blow up the club and in 3 years if I haven't won a final I'll blow it up again.

Vote Essington!

 

[DERO]

Dean Solomon the bloke who has failed to land another coaching gig since white-anting the process at GC?

 

[fairbump_playon]

So put him on the board and in 3 years we’ll win a final or he’ll quit?

Noting that if we do win a final in that time, he believes it will be he alone who has delivered it

What a nob

 

[jdBombers3598]

Welsh
Solomon
Weston

...opening the door for Hird.
I fear this and don't respect it.

Hird, Sheedy and Dudoro will all be let back in. I really hope no one votes for this guy.

David Barham might have done some reckless things in the last 2 years but he's helped get rid of the bad eggs. I wasn't a fan early on, especially after that first press conference, but I'd vote for him if I was a member

 

[Old Campaigner]

Dean Solomon the bloke who has failed to land another coaching gig since white-anting the process at GC?

He’s been focusing all his effort and attention towards white anting the process at Essendon and is too busy for a coaching gig

 

[yodellinhank]

Stability is the best thing and that should mean we give Barham, Scott & Co. clear air, im all for it

People say they want stability. Well then get Sheeds and Dodo back, doesn't get more stable than life members and immortals with decades of experience remaining at the club in some capacity.

 

[rumply]

Well this is all going swimmingly!

 

[Yoda_]

People say they want stability. Well then get Sheeds and Dodo back, doesn't get more stable than life members and immortals with decades of experience remaining at the club in some capacity.

stability in the change of direction. What Barham has done seems to be changing the tact in which those you mentioned tried for 20 years and had very little, if any success with


I for one am backing Barham. Even if it doesn't bring ultimate success, releasing the stranglehold those from a previous history have on this club can only be a good thing

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Hird, Sheedy and Dudoro will all be let back in. I really hope no one votes for this guy.

Two major hurdles:

- Regular people just don’t vote. Even at the height of the saga, when the club was burning, we had a tiny voter turnout. People just don’t know and don’t pay any attention. It’s what allows the coteries to get their candidates elected - they just ensure their members all vote

- The Sheedy crew have Robbo in the pocket and he will ensure their candidates get all the airtime they need to publicise themselves and criticise the others.

Hopefully Weston is viewed more widely as a goose, just like he is here, but who knows. And who knows if people will vote - generally they don’t.

 

[Kong]

Wasn't Solomon an assistant coach since retiring?

What qualifications does he have to be on a board? Serious question.