Retired CEO: Craig Vozzo - steps down as CEO, ultimately retained as List & Recruiting Consultant

[boncer34]

I've had a former President of ours tell me we have the biggest fan boi (fan boi is my term tbf) board in the league.

Craig's battling hard.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Everyone actually understands the 8 year plan thing was though.. right?

That we in theory had a core young group who could play together for 8 years. Not that in 8 years we would be good.

The thing I worry about is that we will STOP being good in 8 years time.

We could currently be in the good part of the cycle.

 

[BuffDog]

We’ve failed to win the flag in 109 of the 125 seasons we’ve competed in the VFL/AFL. An abject culture of failure that Vozzo must try to correct.

 

[bombreys]

Everyone actually understands the 8 year plan thing was though.. right?

That we in theory had a core young group who could play together for 8 years. Not that in 8 years we would be good.

The thing I worry about is that we will STOP being good in 8 years time.

We could currently be in the good part of the cycle.

It’s still a bit of a weird comment. More than half the team from last night will have retired in 8 years.

 

[mike ross]

Give him a pair of boots!

 

[Zach Package]

So listening to him regarding the Windy Hill redevelopment, apparently there is a 3-4 million dollar government commitment for refurb and redevelopment.

You can't do a community sport club room for less than 3 million at the moment, so we're either not getting a lot at all or we are going to get spammed with 'donate to the flight plan' more than we already do.

 

[Squeaky]

So listening to him regarding the Windy Hill redevelopment, apparently there is a 3-4 million dollar government commitment for refurb and redevelopment.

You can't do a community sport club room for less than 3 million at the moment, so we're either not getting a lot at all or we are going to get spammed with 'donate to the flight plan' more than we already do.

Sipowicz! Great avatar!

 

[Calthorpe14]

So listening to him regarding the Windy Hill redevelopment, apparently there is a 3-4 million dollar government commitment for refurb and redevelopment.

You can't do a community sport club room for less than 3 million at the moment, so we're either not getting a lot at all or we are going to get spammed with 'donate to the flight plan' more than we already do.

There's an update? I'd assumed that this project got mothballed considering there's seemingly been no news about whether the Bowls, Cricket & Croquet club were moving to a new location

 

[Old Campaigner]

So listening to him regarding the Windy Hill redevelopment, apparently there is a 3-4 million dollar government commitment for refurb and redevelopment.

You can't do a community sport club room for less than 3 million at the moment, so we're either not getting a lot at all or we are going to get spammed with 'donate to the flight plan' more than we already do.

Have they said what the redevelopment will involve?

 

[Zach Package]

Have they said what the redevelopment will involve?

So I misheard him, he said AFL not gov (but same same really) and he didn’t specify, just said making it a high class venue to use as a hub for AFLW but also VFL and VFLW.

Like I said above, 3-4 million does you a medium quality suburban club room facility with a bar, social area and a couple of change rooms and showers.

Good of the AFL to chip in but a drop in a bucket type stuff, not sure it’s going to be wholesale changes unless other parties are chipping in.

 

[Old Campaigner]

presumably the AFL wouldn't throw cash at it unless it had a decent commitment from the club to contribute more

depending on the financial result this year maybe they've got the cash lying around, probably getting better margins at the bombershop now whatshisface isn't constantly discounting shit

 

[boncer34]

So I misheard him, he said AFL not gov (but same same really) and he didn’t specify, just said making it a high class venue to use as a hub for AFLW but also VFL and VFLW.

Like I said above, 3-4 million does you a medium quality suburban club room facility with a bar, social area and a couple of change rooms and showers.

Good of the AFL to chip in but a drop in a bucket type stuff, not sure it’s going to be wholesale changes unless other parties are chipping in.

Whoever is charging you for that club room has taken you for a ride.

 

[Zach Package]

Whoever is charging you for that club room has taken you for a ride.

The entire industry is taking the piss, perhaps in commercial you get a little bit of a haircut, but I wouldn’t have thought we’re getting a new grandstand and a big scoreboard or anything like that.

 

[Rick Ross]

Can they not tack on a mini stadium at the Hanger ?

 

[ant555]

So I misheard him, he said AFL not gov (but same same really) and he didn’t specify, just said making it a high class venue to use as a hub for AFLW but also VFL and VFLW.

Like I said above, 3-4 million does you a medium quality suburban club room facility with a bar, social area and a couple of change rooms and showers.

Good of the AFL to chip in but a drop in a bucket type stuff, not sure it’s going to be wholesale changes unless other parties are chipping in.

Maybe they can buy a half decent scoreboard to start with.

 

[yodellinhank]

Have they said what the redevelopment will involve?

A running track?

The entire industry is taking the piss, perhaps in commercial you get a little bit of a haircut, but I wouldn’t have thought we’re getting a new grandstand and a big scoreboard or anything like that.

Probably going to be a running track

 

[ant555]

4 million dollar face lift .

 

[I Remember Bluey]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/essendon-bombers-sign-deal-with-afl-to-redevelop-windy-hill-precinct-with-aflw-focus/news-story/d116d0c923444775e078ba5495e3c1aa

Essendon Bombers sign deal with AFL to redevelop Windy Hill precinct with AFLW focus​

It’s long been Essendon Football Club’s spiritual heartland. Now, a deal between the Bombers and the AFL will see Windy Hill redeveloped with a female first focus.


Essendon Football Club has revealed new plans to breathe life into its spiritual Windy Hill home.
The Bombers and AFL have signed a multimillion dollar funding agreement that will see the club’s historic home base undergo its first major renovation in more than 25 years.

In a move to lock in Windy Hill’s long-term future as an AFLW, VFL, VFLW and community facility, the club and AFL signed a one-off deal last week that will see redevelopment works completed over the next two years.
It will see change rooms, spectator facilities, new player bench and umpire areas undergo a much needed revamp.

The redevelopment will be completed over the next two years in a partnership between the Bombers and the AFL. Picture: Michael Klein

Essendon chief executive Craig Vozzo ruled out the AFL team returning to Windy Hill, recommitting the club’s men’s future to the high performance “Hangar” it has built near Melbourne Airport.
But, in an exclusive interview with the Herald Sun, he revealed up to $4 million would be spent as soon as possible making Windy Hill a premium destination for AFLW and a better precinct for community use.

“We’re really keen now to take the next steps in terms of the future of Windy Hill,’’ he said.
“It’s obviously been a critically important facility to the Essendon footy club in terms of all the great moments and history down there but also the wider Essendon community.’’

The Herald Sun in 2021 revealed $50 million plans by the previous Essendon administration to transform Windy Hill.
That masterplan would have seen a grandstand demolished, new community centre, synthetic running track, children’s playgrounds, light towers, new digital scoreboards and parklands built.

Historic plans for a revamp, since scrapped, would have seen a grandstand demolished and new digital scoreboards installed, among other upgrades. Picture: Vince Caligiuri
Those plans have been scrapped with Mr Vozzo declaring the club would continue upgrading Windy Hill but wanted to take realistic steps in the “short to medium term”.

“We need to be realistic on what we can deliver, remembering that our training and admin facility and base is at Tullamarine so from our point of view it’s the next iteration of what Windy Hill can be,’’ he said.

“And hopefully, once we finish this aspect, we will start planning the right way what the next iteration looks like.’’
Home and away team change rooms and wet areas, a new community change room, grandstand improvements and shade will be added in the first stage of works, to begin in the next four months.

The redevelopment is expected to propel Windy Hill toward becoming an AFLW and community facility. Picture: Martin Keep

Mr Vozzo said Essendon would “work with the various levels of government to take the next steps in the growth of Windy Hill as an AFLW and community facility’’ once the first stage of the revamp was done.
“This is the first step I think in probably 25 plus years of being able to deliver some substantial capital improvement to the facility,’’ he said.

“What we’ve been able to secure is a partnership now with the AFL which we’ve agreed upon last week, which will see us spend a significant amount of money down there improving various things.’’

Essendon attracted the biggest AFLW crowds in Victoria to Windy Hill this season, with 3373 fans on average.
More than 4300 fans packed Windy Hill for Essendon’s loss to North Melbourne on Sunday, an AFLW crowd record for the venue and the biggest Bombers crowd there since 1991.

“It means a lot to people and it’s got great scope to continue grow as an AFLW venue and also an industry venue,’’ he said.
“Hopefully we’re seeing more tier two and three football there apart from EDFL, perhaps Coates League might be another thing that can take place there as well for boys and girls.’’

​

 

[jmoo wan]

do the AFWL's team train at Windy Hill?

 

[DERO]

So listening to him regarding the Windy Hill redevelopment, apparently there is a 3-4 million dollar government commitment for refurb and redevelopment.

You can't do a community sport club room for less than 3 million at the moment, so we're either not getting a lot at all or we are going to get spammed with 'donate to the flight plan' more than we already do.

3-4 million will be handy and you could absolutely build a sports community centre for that provided there are no unions/ EBA’s involved.

 

[ant555]

Scoreboard that costs more than $300 would be a good place to start.

 

[ant555]

3-4 million will be handy and you could absolutely build a sports community centre for that provided there are no unions/ EBA’s involved.

And the materials are donated Maybe the Chinese can lend us some money under the belt and roads scheme

 

[Shanghaistu]

And the materials are donated Maybe the Chinese can lend us some money under the belt and roads scheme

I’m in Shanghai so I’ll see what I can do - they have a good track record of printing money and handing it out to corrupt incompetent organizations so I’d say we’re a chance

 

[Call Me Cake]

I don't know what would be made of more foam our Chinese built facilities or our players

 

[Squeaky]

I don't know what would be made of more foam our Chinese built facilities or our players

Zach Reid.