Collingwood board meltdown gameday thread

sprockets

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Could be the last opportunity for members to influence an AFL club in this way. It’s something of an anachronism from the days when the clubs were non-profits.

They still are NFP’s? At least Collingwood still is, and pretty sure Richmond is too given their 2016 EGM shenanigans.

Collingwood will be sure to truncate member influence via legislation, and perhaps any other clubs where it’s still possible will follow suit.

What kind of legislation?

The governing legislation is the Corporations Act 2001.

Probably the only way to prevent this kind of thing happening again would be to privatize the club, and I just can’t see the members ever allowing that to happen …

… unless some crazy Jeff Bezos type came along with a sack of cash big enough to build a ‘boutique’ 120,000 seat stadium. Even then, it probably wouldn’t go through.
 
This whole club seems to have something against voting. Eddie was proud the board never voted, the current board is doing everything they can to prevent a vote and the challenger wants to gain power without having a vote.

Can you list how many times you’ve seen a vote at an AFL footy club?
 
Looking forward to seeing that happen at the end of this year then.....

Yeah, it’ll be interesting.

Ed is claiming it’ll happen and it’ll vindicate Collingwood’s strategy last off-season.

Let’s see
 

Ron The Bear

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What kind of legislation?

The governing legislation is the Corporations Act 2001.

Probably the only way to prevent this kind of thing happening again would be to privatize the club, and I just can’t see the members ever allowing that to happen …

… unless some crazy Jeff Bezos type came along with a sack of cash big enough to build a ‘boutique’ 120,000 seat stadium. Even then, it probably wouldn’t go through.

Changing the constitution. Richmond did it quietly in the wake of the 2017 premiership, to make a repeat of the 2016 board challenge more difficult. Carlton for example keeps its members at arm's length, they are virtually powerless. Their AFL club members don't even get a vote.

Not sure the Collingwood situation could arise at Adelaide or West Coast, either.
 
Changing the constitution. Richmond did it quietly in the wake of the 2017 premiership, to make a repeat of the 2016 board challenge more difficult.

Shame that they saw the 2016 board challenge as a bad thing …

… it might have seemed annoying snd embarrassing at the time, but I’m sure nobody ever complains these days about it hurting the club?

Carlton for example keeps its members at arm's length, they are virtually powerless. Their AFL club members don't even get a vote.

Ah, that explains a lot. I’ve found it astounding how Carlton supporters have put up with poor results over the last two decades without any board spills.

Not sure the Collingwood situation could arise at Adelaide or West Coast, either.

Adelaide should have turfed their board after the Kurt Tippett scandal (maybe they did? Dunno), and maybe also the off-season camp scandal.
 

Ron The Bear

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Shame that they saw the 2016 board challenge as a bad thing …

… it might have seemed annoying snd embarrassing at the time, but I’m sure nobody ever complains these days about it hurting the club?

I was all for it. 2016 was unacceptable. Didn't necessarily want the coach sacked at any cost, but wanted a shake-up.
 
I was all for it. 2016 was unacceptable. Didn't necessarily want the coach sacked at any cost, but wanted a shake-up.

You didn’t trust Richmond’s voting members to make the right call?
 
Why is McGuire so worried about ASIC?

I thought he would welcome them in.

My read: He wants Jeff Browne on the coach selection panel. All the other stuff is just bluster around the narrative of trying to get Jeff Browne on the coach selection panel.
 
Oct 3, 2013
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Not sure the Collingwood situation could arise at Adelaide or West Coast, either.
West Coast is owned by the Western Australian Football Commission (WAFC). The board is appointed by the Commission.

Adelaide members can only elect two board members to the club as I think they're an AFL-controlled club.

Collingwood like all the other Victorian clubs are member owned clubs. However, there's subtle differences between the clubs on how they elect the board and how many of them can be elected by the members themselves.
 

Not a mere cat

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West Coast is owned by the Western Australian Football Commission (WAFC). The board is appointed by the Commission.

Adelaide members can only elect two board members to the club as I think they're an AFL-controlled club.

Collingwood like all the other Victorian clubs are member owned clubs. However, there's subtle differences between the clubs on how they elect the board and how many of them can be elected by the members themselves.

Thanks Ponsford Magpie for some facts and context to the ‘discussion’
 

Ron The Bear

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You didn’t trust Richmond’s voting members to make the right call?

I wouldn't trust myself to make the right call, I'm too far away from what's going on. Hence my statement that it's an anachronism for supporters to have the influence over a multi-million dollar business that is being wielded at Collingwood.

Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be a middle ground; supporters have either too much or too little influence.
 
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Ron The Bear

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Adelaide members can only elect two board members to the club as I think they're an AFL-controlled club.

Collingwood like all the other Victorian clubs are member owned clubs. However, there's subtle differences between the clubs on how they elect the board and how many of them can be elected by the members themselves.

Yeah, they control it by tightening the criteria concerning who can run for the board, thus making it difficult for "outsiders" to get a seat.
 
A bid to force a spill of the Collingwood board has landed in the Victorian Supreme Court.

In a dramatic escalation of the Magpies’ board fight, former club solicitor Francis Galbally has lodged a Supreme Court application aimed at expediting the staging of an extraordinary general meeting.

Galbally’s lawyers are seeking orders for Collingwood to hand over a copy of the club’s register of members, needed to validate the signatures of thousands of supporters gathered to trigger a spill of the Mark Korda-led board.

A hearing before a judge of the Supreme Court could be held within weeks.

 
Oct 12, 2008
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It’s almost like the club’s long-term board planning consisting of “Lifetime Eddie Dictatorship” has meant things have gone off the rails a bit with his departure.

Not sure Eddie can throw too many stones regarding the situation. Succession planning is a thing.

It's a lot like when Stalin died
 

Billys Back

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I've voted many many times in North board elections.
I assume that would be to re-elect board members. If so that is fair enough.

An existing board should decide on bringing on new board members. Not club members. That is prudent and is why it happens in the corporate world. Makes little sense to have shareholders or club members to decide who should be a board member when they are not in a position to understand how the board can work effectively or the complimentary skillset required.

Collingwood's biggest issue was having a President for over 10 years. Good governance suggests a president should have a maximum term. Otherwise, particularly when it comes to a member based club, you have a situation whereby he/she treats it like it's theirs. Eddie got himself involved in areas of the club a president should not have.
 
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