Brian Cunningham

[Hollypig]

According to Mark Aiston who`s in Melbourne for the boundry riders job, on the morning 5aa show, Cunningham has been appointed, & accepted the AFL post he applied for.
Will be announced next week.

 

[mic59]

If it's that definite how come only Mark Aiston is talking about it at the moment?

 

[blackdiamond]

Originally posted by mic59
If it's that definite how come only Mark Aiston is talking about it at the moment?

There has been a bit of talk about this, I think it may have even made the papers.

I would think we will hear more about it officially after Mondays Board Meeting.

 

[ThePowerFromPort.com]

This has come up at our site over the past couple of weeks and there were a few articles posted. Here's one of them. Since then the rumours have increased.

Port boss's dilemma
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
05sep03

PORT Adelaide chief executive Brian Cunningham in a fortnight will have to consider his future – whether to stay at Alberton or move to Melbourne to direct the AFL's football operations.

Cunningham is increasingly regarded as an ideal candidate to replace Andrew Demetriou, who at the end of the month will move out of the AFL football operations department to follow Wayne Jackson as AFL chief executive. But the long-standing Power boss, who led the Port Adelaide Football Club out of the SANFL to the AFL, says he has not applied for the job and is not considering the AFL's approaches.
"At this time," said Cunningham, referring to the tasks before him as Port aims to reach its first AFL grand final, "it is not an issue I wish to weigh up in public.

"I have not applied and I am not considering it at this time."

Applications for the AFL's No. 2 job closed on August 15 and are said not to have drawn any of the football club-based contenders who sought Jackson's job, in particular Geelong chief executive Brain Cook.

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett, who was linked to the job four months ago, also has chosen to stay in Perth with family reasons weighing heavily on his decision.

It is understood the AFL wants to make an appointment in the next fortnight, after Demetriou clears his agenda of finalising the 2004 AFL draw.

Cunningham and former Richmond ruckman and former AFL Players' Association president Brendon Gale are being touted as possible successors.

The AFL also has been said to have looked at the AFL Players' Association chief executive Rob Kerr, who succeeded Demetriou when he was head-hunted by the league.

The AFL may still look within by choosing commercial operations chief Ben Buckley to replace Demetriou amid a reshuffle of the league's administration.

Cunningham is in difficult circumstances now. Considering advancement in sporting administration – for a job which would pay as much as $350,000 – while managing Port when it needs his leadership most is not timely.

The AFL had hoped to start talking to Cunningham on Wednesday in Melbourne when the 16 clubs' chief executive officers were to have met, but the session with the league was cancelled.

 

[mic59]

Originally posted by Scott
There has been a bit of talk about this, I think it may have even made the papers.

I would think we will hear more about it officially after Mondays Board Meeting.

I may not have made myself clear. What I meant was not why is Mark Aiston the only one with the rumour, I meant why is he the only one talking about it as a done deal. I was aware of the earlier newspaper stories and rumours.

 

[RoosterWedgie]

Originally posted by mic59
I may not have made myself clear. What I meant was not why is Mark Aiston the only one with the rumour, I meant why is he the only one talking about it as a done deal. I was aware of the earlier newspaper stories and rumours.

It's probably not a done deal but close to it, Mark Aiston usually tells it like it is. I think this will be a big loss for Port and a huge gain for the AFL, I think Bucky will do a great job, in fact I wouldn't have had a problem if he jumped over Demetriou for the top job, well respected with great credentials.

 

[blackdiamond]

Maybe Bucky could steal back a few concessions the AFL have stolen from us since our inception.