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

[Lore]

Spoiler: Timeline of events

• 15/8: President, Paul Brasher resigns, replaced by Dave Barham who foreshadows external review
  • Votes for Brasher: Peter Allen, Simon Madden, Sean Wellman
    Sean Wellman

    Age

    50

    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

  41

  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

    46

    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

    38

    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

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Yep, which is why we should not be promoting anyone who professes to interfere with other people's personal business. I'm all for govt policy to keep us safe on the roads, and improve public health (anti-smoking and pandemic laws), I like govt to intervene to reduce the concentration of wealth and power and to stop capitalists from destroying the natural world. However, someone who thinks they are going to peek into the bedroom of consenting adults or force a woman to have a lifeform grow in her that she can safely remove then they GTFO.

If we're running a company that has little to no public profile, as long as he keeps his medieval views to himself then fine. In fact, in most normal jobs it wouldn't come up cause the press wouldn't be looking into things like that. Heck, even have your little prayer room! However, an AFL club is not a normal place. Sorry Andrew, I'm clearly on the side of Satan and am not impressed with your appointment.

He’s not professing to interfere with other people’s personal business.

 

[Dave]

What do you mean by promote?

Mostly the below.

Essendon broadens church by nabbing former banker

New Essendon chief executive Andrew Thorburn also holds a senior role at a church that preaches against gay sex and abortion.

www.theage.com.au

"It’s not clear where Thorburn stands personally on those issues, but his role as chairman of the church’s board requires him to advocate for the furthering of the church and its beliefs."


Saints first two sentences sum up my concerns, though I don't agree with the rest of it as I don't know how he feels about it, which is why I said: "if what is reported is true".

From the sounds of it his views are less extreme than what has been reported. Can only go on people's actions.

 

[faible]

It wouldn't be an issue if the Age and Hun weren't compelled to point it out. It's because they did that I (and probably majority of us here) even know he has a faith!

Oddly, the HUN went to great lengths not to point out how much of a religious nuff ScoMo was.

 

[TheGrizz]

The other big thing I can’t quite get my head around is how this happened… was he part of our “external review”? Was he part of the CEO search?

And then the next second he’s appointed CEO?

Was he privy to things in the external review? Confidential discussions with individuals at the club etc? And now he’s CEO?

It doesn’t seem right.

Seems like real jobs for the boys stuff. Barham came in preaching process… this is the complete opposite.

He said on SEN this morning that he was part of the external review and the board tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to apply for the CEO role. Said he went through the same process as the other candidates.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

I am by no means Christian or religious by any means, but I feel as though it's become far too normal for people to have a swing at somebody for their religious beliefs. When and why did it become virtuous to do so?

 

[faible]

Sure, we agree. But that needs a CEO who knows footy. I think we agree that’s the optimal model.

If you appoint a CEO who doesn’t know footy (which we have) then at least be honest about it and acknowledge that he isn’t responsible for footy outcomes and that he isn’t really a CEO. In this structure, Mahoney (supported by Scott) makes the decisions around core business.

I'm confused as to why being a past player means one is an expert on the business of footy, such that a highly capable and educated individual couldn't learn such things.

Sure, it's nice to have a past player who's also intelligent enough and capable of being the CEO. But the fundamental requirement of the job is competency at being a CEO, not being a footballer.

Is football such a strange and mysterious thing that we don't think someone of Thorburn's background could get his head around list and salary cap management plans?

The club SHOULD have a sophisticated list and salary cap management plan. The plan comes out of the footy department. The CEO should be able to review and endorse these crucial plans.

I'd be fairly confident that if the bloke could manage NAB's enormous list of assets and divisions that he could get his head around salary cap management without too much trouble.

 

[faible]

I am by no means Christian or religious by any means, but I feel as though it's become far too normal for people to have a swing at somebody for their religious beliefs. When and why did it become virtuous to do so?

I suspect it's a bit of a counter-reaction to people with religious beliefs in prominent positions trying to use them to meddle in other people's lives.

Refer ScoMo.

 

[Lore]

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I am by no means Christian or religious by any means, but I feel as though it's become far too normal for people to have a swing at somebody for their religious beliefs. When and why did it become virtuous to do so?

Since the removal of any nuance in any topic. Apparently there are only extreme left or right beliefs, you must choose one then hate everyone else because they all hold the same different beliefs to you in every area in life.

I'm no Christian, but know a lot of Christian people who do not shove their beliefs down others throat and while they might believe it's a sin to be gay or have an abortion, do not hate the people who go against what they believe or try to change them. Many of them are more inclusive than non-Christians. Believe it or not there are plenty of these people. They also go out of their way to help others a lot regardless of whether they're gay, straight or whatever things they've done.

 

[Mr Bultitude]

I am by no means Christian or religious by any means, but I feel as though it's become far too normal for people to have a swing at somebody for their religious beliefs. When and why did it become virtuous to do so?

Self righteousness is addictive.

In my experience people make an assumption that holding a belief and proscribing to any sex ethic attached to it means I actively want to hold others to it/judge those who don't

In any case it sounds like Thorburn has no intention to meddle.

 

[CBombers17]

I think the person I’d most like to hear from is CBombers17

Catastrophic decision IMO. All of it gives me me the shudders.

We are in a leadership doom loop.

 

[Lore]

Catastrophic decision IMO. All of it gives me me the shudders.

We are in a leadership doom loop.

Can you elaborate?

Like I think the key issues are the RC and the external review particularly, and possibly the football background he doesn’t have. The church thing has been done to death and resurrected at least three times.

 

[Nifft]

Catastrophic decision IMO. All of it gives me me the shudders.

We are in a leadership doom loop.

 

[MiguelM]

Since the removal of any nuance in any topic. Apparently there are only extreme left or right beliefs, you must choose one then hate everyone else because they all hold the same different beliefs to you in every area in life.

I'm no Christian, but know a lot of Christian people who do not shove their beliefs down others throat and while they might believe it's a sin to be gay or have an abortion, do not hate the people who go against what they believe or try to change them. Many of them are more inclusive than non-Christians. Believe it or not there are plenty of these people. They also go out of their way to help others a lot regardless of whether they're gay, straight or whatever things they've done.

Exactly.

It seems these days you can't be a moderate with left AND right views depending on the topic.

Everything becomes tribal and that is dangerous.

 

[Cemos]

I am by no means Christian or religious by any means, but I feel as though it's become far too normal for people to have a swing at somebody for their religious beliefs. When and why did it become virtuous to do so?

It's perfectly virtuous to take a swing at somebody whose belief system agrees with the suppression of basic human rights and autonomy.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

It's perfectly virtuous to take a swing at somebody whose belief system agrees with the suppression of basic human rights and autonomy.

I'm talking about in general. I don't know anything about the guy. But it seems as though the moment somebody goes to church, they're painted as an awful person, and for some reason that is okay. When in reality a lot of our modern day morals and beliefs come from Christianity/Catholicism.

 

[Nifft]

It's perfectly virtuous to take a swing at somebody whose belief system agrees with the suppression of basic human rights and autonomy.

So pretty much everyone who is religious then?

 

[MPMonkeys]

Couldn't care less unless he starts preaching at 1/2 time to the players.

As has been said publicly over the past week, its time Essendon became a FOOTBALL club that focused on football and none of this peripheral nonsense. If the appointment negatively impacts the performance of the team, then we have an issue - otherwise just let him do his job.

 

[CBombers17]

Can you elaborate?

Like I think the key issues are the RC and the external review particularly, and possibly the football background he doesn’t have. The church thing has been done to death and resurrected at least three times.

Aren't the RC issues enough to stay the **** away? Why do we have to have someone with that shitshow background in our most important position?

Because are being force-fed one of Barhams mates who IMO is a proven poor leadership choice and also comes with baggage (and possibly polarising personal beliefs) we don't need at the helm of our organisation - then there's the no football aspect.

This decision says a lot about who we are. And none of it is good.

 

[Saint]

So pretty much everyone who is religious then?

Not everyone who is religious. Just people who lead religious institutions.

I think he'll be a great CEO from a business perspective. But a good CEO needs to realise there will be optics attached to his leadership of an organisation which openly discriminates and encourages discrimination.

The one thing to be said about his time at NAB during the Royal Commission was that he never understood the optics of what was going on.

I hope he doesn't do the same at Essendon. He can either tell everyone in his church not to mention the discriminatory stuff, or he can leave the church or leave the Football Club. But having somebody who is the head of an openly homophobic organisation as the head of the football club is not tenable almost entirely because of the optics.

It's purely a quick optics management exercise, if it can't be handled quickly and easily by him and the club, then what hope do we have if a real scandal breaks?

 

[Nifft]

Aren't the RC issues enough to stay the * away? Why do we have to have someone with that shitshow background in our most important position?

Because are being force-fed one of Barhams mates who IMO is a proven poor leadership choice and also comes with baggage (and possibly polarising personal beliefs) we don't need at the helm of our organisation - then there's the no football aspect.

This decision says a lot about who we are. And none of it is good.

Some people were happy to be force fed one of Sheedy's mates who was involved in the saga shitshow...

 

[Nifft]

Not everyone who is religious. Just people who lead religious institutions.

I think he'll be a great CEO from a business perspective. But a good CEO needs to realise there will be optics attached to his leadership of an organisation which openly discriminates and encourages discrimination.

The one thing to be said about his time at NAB during the Royal Commission was that he never understood the optics of what was going on.

I hope he doesn't do the same at Essendon. He can either tell everyone in his church not to mention the discriminatory stuff, or he can leave the church or leave the Football Club. But having somebody who is the head of an openly homophobic organisation as the head of the football club is not tenable almost entirely because of the optics.

It's purely a quick optics management exercise, if it can't be handled quickly and easily by him and the club, then what hope do we have if a real scandal breaks?

So where is the cutoff point? What if you're a priest at a religious organisation? Or a volunteer?

I'm not religious by the way. And my Mum is gay and has been living with her partner for around 30 years. My ex wife and I also had an abortion so I am obviously pro choice.

However I believe we should be able to separate people's personal and professional lives as long as they're not breaking any laws. I wouldn't have a problem if Thornburn was leader of a Muslim or Buddhist church, but I'm sure there would be some similar beliefs in those organisations.

 

[Corleone]

That went a bit like his performance at the RC, when it was on his terms he was clear and concise, knowledgeable and affable.

I was clear he got flustered when they went "off script" on him and questioned his roles in his church.

His belief's mean nothing to me, but then again, he's not chairing an organisation that is denying my very existence so I understand why many would be appalled and offended at his appointment. To those people; I would say that as far as I'm aware though NAB had a very inclusive environment under his leadership (and continue to be so after he left) and I'm yet to hear of any accusations of bias or inappropriate behaviour.

 

[Vander18]

I'm confused as to why being a past player means one is an expert on the business of footy, such that a highly capable and educated individual couldn't learn such things.

Sure, it's nice to have a past player who's also intelligent enough and capable of being the CEO. But the fundamental requirement of the job is competency at being a CEO, not being a footballer.

Is football such a strange and mysterious thing that we don't think someone of Thorburn's background could get his head around list and salary cap management plans?



I'd be fairly confident that if the bloke could manage NAB's enormous list of assets and divisions that he could get his head around salary cap management without too much trouble.

So straightforward….yet we see regular examples of clubs mismanaging both these things. Collingwood and Gold Coast spring to mind just this year re salary cap. Our list management has been a laughing stock for years now.

It’s not about playing footy at all….it’s about experience in the footy industry. Swans and Geelong certainly seem to value this in their CEO’s. I note that the last two Swans CEO’s both ran the footy department before assuming the top job.

Expertise in core business is not a strange concept. Thorburn had decades of experience in banking before becoming a CEO. I would add that his INABILITY to govern NABS enormous list of assets and divisions was probably his downfall. Not really the point though - I’d defy anyone to really govern a big 4 bank.

None of this is to say he will categorically fail. I hope he does not. It’s just to say that my preferred candidate would possess both footy and commercial experience.

 

[jmoo wan]

Couldn't care less unless he starts preaching at 1/2 time to the players.

maybe he will...