- Joined
- Nov 6, 2003
- Posts
- 64,867
- Likes
- 56,580
- Location
- Baghdad
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
- Other Teams
- West Adelaide, Baghdad Bombers
Thread starter
#1
Saints walk out the door
09 June 2007 Herald-Sun
Daryl Timms
THE revolving door at St Kilda continued spinning yesterday when two senior staff members departed the club.
Chief operating officer James Van Beek and the team's training services coach Shaun McMahon both left.
The departures follow the public lashing given to former coach Grant Thomas by St Kilda president Rod Butterss this week.
Comedian Steve Bedwell also revealed on Thursday he wanted to form a ticket to challenge the Butterss board.
Speculation was rife this week that Butterss is concerned that Thomas could gain a senior appointment with Bill Express, a major club sponsor.
It's been denied that one of Butterss' companies, of which fellow St Kilda director Glen Casey is also a director, wants to heavily invest in Bill Express.
The club's communications manager Georgie Fidge also left the Saints yesterday after giving her notice several weeks ago.
But St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser said last night there was nothing sinister associated with yesterday's departures.
He said Van Beek had simply accepted a more senior and highly paid position with another company, while McMahon wanted to return home to South Australia with his wife and new baby.
"James has been offered a job as chief financial officer for a public-listed company, so he has basically been head-hunted out of us," Fraser said.
"It's a terrific opportunity for him and he'll be based in Europe for a few months, so it's a pretty sexy role."
Fraser said McMahon's departure had nothing to do with the team's run of soft tissue injuries.
"That's not really a Shaun issue," Fraser said.
"He is an Adelaide boy and has just had a new baby and his wife wanted to move back to Adelaide.
"It's been a family thing and he's been great for us."
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou warned Bedwell about issuing a challenge to the Butterss board.
"The same situation happened last year when a couple of people raised their heads about challenging Frank Costa (Geelong president)," Demetriou said on 3AW.
"The St Kilda football club, regardless of what people might think or might write, is a very well run football club, very sound at board level."
Demetriou said the current board took over when the club had a significant debt.
"They're returning $1 million dollar profits, they've gone close in finals," he said.
"And yes there are some issues to do with the former coach, but people who think they can come up and challenge and do a better job than Rod Butterss and his board should think carefully."
09 June 2007 Herald-Sun
Daryl Timms
THE revolving door at St Kilda continued spinning yesterday when two senior staff members departed the club.
Chief operating officer James Van Beek and the team's training services coach Shaun McMahon both left.
The departures follow the public lashing given to former coach Grant Thomas by St Kilda president Rod Butterss this week.
Comedian Steve Bedwell also revealed on Thursday he wanted to form a ticket to challenge the Butterss board.
Speculation was rife this week that Butterss is concerned that Thomas could gain a senior appointment with Bill Express, a major club sponsor.
It's been denied that one of Butterss' companies, of which fellow St Kilda director Glen Casey is also a director, wants to heavily invest in Bill Express.
The club's communications manager Georgie Fidge also left the Saints yesterday after giving her notice several weeks ago.
But St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser said last night there was nothing sinister associated with yesterday's departures.
He said Van Beek had simply accepted a more senior and highly paid position with another company, while McMahon wanted to return home to South Australia with his wife and new baby.
"James has been offered a job as chief financial officer for a public-listed company, so he has basically been head-hunted out of us," Fraser said.
"It's a terrific opportunity for him and he'll be based in Europe for a few months, so it's a pretty sexy role."
Fraser said McMahon's departure had nothing to do with the team's run of soft tissue injuries.
"That's not really a Shaun issue," Fraser said.
"He is an Adelaide boy and has just had a new baby and his wife wanted to move back to Adelaide.
"It's been a family thing and he's been great for us."
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou warned Bedwell about issuing a challenge to the Butterss board.
"The same situation happened last year when a couple of people raised their heads about challenging Frank Costa (Geelong president)," Demetriou said on 3AW.
"The St Kilda football club, regardless of what people might think or might write, is a very well run football club, very sound at board level."
Demetriou said the current board took over when the club had a significant debt.
"They're returning $1 million dollar profits, they've gone close in finals," he said.
"And yes there are some issues to do with the former coach, but people who think they can come up and challenge and do a better job than Rod Butterss and his board should think carefully."
Garbage about returning for family reasons ......new baby .....they would have been expecting then when they moved across .....more likely to have stopped them shifting in the first place
