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

 

[Howard Moon]

This

Hmmm sounds terribly similar to the John Worsfold era

Maybe we didn’t do as much learning as he suggested

A little! But not sure Worsfold had much shaking up back of house, he was more an extension of them

 

[brutus76]

I want Clarko because the Killing Fields from the top down should have happened years ago.

Let the bodies hit the floor. Let the blood run free and the red and black actually stand for something.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

I was happy to give Rutten more time if we were respectable in our last few games.

The last half of the GWS game and the debacle of Sunday has swayed my thinking completely.

Yeah i was on the keep Rutten ship but have jumped overboard on to the Clarkson Loveboat ...full ship ahoy!

 

[WindyHillWarrior]

What a s*show this f**** club actually is. Coterie group members need to stfu.

They’re the cancer.

The boys club off field are the virus.

The selfish players are the malnutrition.

We’re one unhealthy club.

 

[BrunoV]

Well, someone's going to look very silly shortly - either Watson or Jones.

I noticed that in his doorstop Campbell said that HE hadn't met with Clarkson.

Either way, if AC wanted the North job to the exclusion of all others he would have it.

Whether the board officially met with him yesterday isn't particularly relevant.

I take my lead here from Whatley. He spent a lot of time at some lunch with AC who was guest speaker (I think GW was MC).

That then became the start of the PR push for a job. GW had it on the record that salary demands were bullshit. He was also big on Clarksons reinforced team first ethos.

He's been saying Clarkson has liked the look of Essendon, that AC has held the view for a while now (i.e. 2 to 3 months it has been one of those known industry secrets).

Robbo was measured all day and then got everything factually correct. He and GW say it will likely happen this week.

I dont think I can say I've been excited about anything Essendon related for a long, long time.

I understand the risks. Clarkson would not be my first preference, I would prefer Lyon or Hird (100% on Hird, not a joke). They don't come as the messiah which removes some of the pressure but they are leaders who get buy in. BUT it's Clarkson.

He's driven almost all of the tactical evolution in the game. His teams are so much better than the sum of their parts. You can't achieve that without tactical nous and the ability to motivate.

The club has to manage expectations and give him the time to build something. Our advantage is that much of the work has been done.

The next gen spine will all be year 3 or older next year. The likes of Perkins, Caldwell and Hobbs should be able to take over the midfield.

There is a lot to work with. It has to be developed, there isn't really an alternative. This removes most of the risk that follows the appointment of a coach like Clarkson.

 

[Nicholas61]

I feel like Clarko isn't going to win us a flag - but perhaps a flag isnt the metric to measure him by. If he sets some kind of standards, makes a mess back of house and sets the ball rolling on standards and culture and a stiffened team structure, maybe hes done his job for the next guy.

plus we all know a flag isnt our holy grail, its winning a final so we can shut that stupid count up clock off

one will do.

If he stops the easy transition for the opposition he will have done a mighty job

 

[HirdsTheWord]

I feel like Clarko isn't going to win us a flag - but perhaps a flag isnt the metric to measure him by. If he sets some kind of standards, makes a mess back of house and sets the ball rolling on standards and culture and a stiffened team structure, maybe hes done his job for the next guy.

plus we all know a flag isnt our holy grail, its winning a final so we can shut that stupid count up clock off

one will do.

idc about a flag

win a final first - that should be the aim

 

[Squeaky]

Tim Watson saying 100% wrong that’s we spoke to Clarko and his manager yesterday.

Semantics possibly? - I read from that that someone spoke to Clarko's reps - not Clarko himself.

 

[Ati Tude]

+ no trades done because the place is a catastrophe, and we take some dude named Viojo-Rainbow with our first pick.

Let me guess - Viojo isn't a big bodied midfielder...

 

[Chambo]

I’ve seen very few people outright say they don’t want Clarkson.

The guy is obviously - very, very obviously - a great coach.

What many are saying though, is if the club thinks that changing head coach alone will fix all that ails us, they’re very delusional.

Massive difference.

There are quite a few on here and on socials that don't want Clarkson...Agree that changing the head coach alone doesn't mean everything else changes, but I believe Clarkson coming in will be given the opportunity to shake things up and the external review will aid this...While the club has completely stuffed this process up and the optics look terrible, in the end it is the right thing for the club.

 

[Chambo]

There's also the thing about dynasty coaches rarely repeating elsewhere, way more cases of a fail next club

But every now and then a barassi presents, is he it?

Malthouse was successful at two clubs after his first job, albeit no GF success at the Dogs. I thinK Malthouse going to the Pies is a better example than people using his Carlton experience as the example to use...BUT I think Clarko is vastly different than Malthouse, he was past it and took the Carltank job for all the wrong reasons.

 

[Chambo]

One this I can say with certainty is that I am really excited for what is to come is Clarkson is appointed. I didn't like the Worsfold appointment, hated the extension even more and the club completely baffled me with the succession plan and I have remained vanilla about the club since 2017 onwards...in fact 2016 I really enjoyed being a supporter of this club and I look forward to getting that excitement back.

There is no way Clarkson will let the opposition run free and move the ball from our F50 with such ease and all you have to do is look at the lists he won flags with to know that he values a champion team over a team of champions. Would there have been many other coaches that would've let Buddy walk?

 

[SydneyBomber]

Let me guess - Viojo isn't a big bodied midfielder...

182 cm speedy flanker that will no doubt fill out (and magically grow in height) into a contested beast workhorse.
Oh just needs to work on his (right foot) kicking a bit before he becomes one of essendons trademark next great white hope.
All for the bargain basement price of 2x 2nd rounders, what a steal!
Or something...

 

[JayJ20]

There are quite a few on here and on socials that don't want Clarkson...Agree that changing the head coach alone doesn't mean everything else changes, but I believe Clarkson coming in will be given the opportunity to shake things up and the external review will aid this...While the club has completely stuffed this process up and the optics look terrible, in the end it is the right thing for the club.

I outright didn’t want Clarkson not because he is a bad coach, but because that’s exactly what we do and have done for the last 15 years. It gives into this idea that the coach is the problem and not the list/management. And I also don’t believe we have enough evidence that Rutten can’t take this team to success. I suspect most anti-Clarkson people have a similar opinion.

Now I’m of the opinion that signing Clarkson will be the least embarrassing outcome for the club given how they handled themselves in the past 24 hours.

 

[thebigboy]

Understand all the positive pro-Clarkson talk, but why do we trust this playing group? They seem to have completely quit on Rutten, a chunk of them quit on Worsfold. Getting Clarkson would be a great start (provided Mahoney, Campbell & Dodoro also go) but this is a playing group that willingly gives up on its coach on 2 occasions - a lot of them need to be held equally responsible & shown the door.

 

[yodellinhank]

Semantics possibly? - I read from that that someone spoke to Clarko's reps - not Clarko himself.

I read that this was all sorted ages ago, so why the need to meet yesterday? Wouldn't make sense.

 

[Dave]

Caro:

Mahoney and Rutten relationship is toxic

Rutten and Dodoro relationship is toxic

Huh

The first one seems more problematic given Mahoney was brought in to fix the footy dept.

 

[SydneyBomber]

Getting Clarkson would be a great start (provided Mahoney, Campbell & Dodoro also go) but this is a playing group that willingly gives up on its coach on 2 occasions - a lot of them need to be held equally responsible & shown the door.

Big difference is clarkson would have the authority/gravitas/ruthlessness to drop those players to the vfl (and then show them the door).
Worsfold couldn't due to saga-itis, Truck apparently didn't have buy-in.
If nothing else, if clarkson rids the joint of the soft underbelly (dare I say 'cruisy knackers...?'), it will be a success regardless of finals/flags etc

 

[MiguelM]

Understand all the positive pro-Clarkson talk, but why do we trust this playing group? They seem to have completely quit on Rutten, a chunk of them quit on Worsfold. Getting Clarkson would be a great start (provided Mahoney, Campbell & Dodoro also go) but this is a playing group that willingly gives up on its coach on 2 occasions - a lot of them need to be held equally responsible & shown the door.

Worsfold was always an interim coach & players haven't bought in on whatever Rutten is selling.

If Clarko comes in at least he will shake the place up a bit. He wasn't afraid to trade players at the Hawks, regardless of reputation.

Will be a few nervous players, including the captain.

Thing is, if we don't get Clarkson now, how the hell are we going to entice players to come our way?

 

[kelvin_sheedy]

Reckon we'll see Rutten gone by end of today and maybe one or two other heads.

I welcome our new angry midget messiah.

 

[thebigboy]

Big difference is clarkson would have the authority/gravitas/ruthlessness to drop those players to the vfl (and then show them the door).
Worsfold couldn't due to saga-itis, Truck apparently didn't have buy-in.
If nothing else, if clarkson rids the joint of the soft underbelly (dare I say 'cruisy knackers...?'), it will be a success regardless of finals/flags etc

Worsfold was always an interim coach & players haven't bought in on whatever Rutten is selling.

If Clarko comes in at least he will shake the place up a bit. He wasn't afraid to trade players at the Hawks, regardless of reputation.

Will be a few nervous players, including the captain.

Thing is, if we don't get Clarkson now, how the hell are we going to entice players to come our way?

To me, both of these are as mandatory as Clarko (or any new coach) being able to bring in his own guys off-field. In no way, shape or form can there not be a somewhat of a cleaning of house within the playing group as well.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

From Age article today...

"....Bombers skipper Dyson Heppell backed the coach but sources have indicated Rutten does not enjoy the full support of players to continue as coach."

Rutten arrives at Bombers HQ as decision on his future looms

A decision could be made on the future of Essendon coach Ben Rutten today after a new club president was installed on Monday with the coach arriving at the club on Tuesday morning.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Old Campaigner]

Understand all the positive pro-Clarkson talk, but why do we trust this playing group? They seem to have completely quit on Rutten, a chunk of them quit on Worsfold. Getting Clarkson would be a great start (provided Mahoney, Campbell & Dodoro also go) but this is a playing group that willingly gives up on its coach on 2 occasions - a lot of them need to be held equally responsible & shown the door.

Clarkson would presumably have the runs on the board to give any players who refuse to buy in the flick.

 

[Dave]

You slightly misheard, it was Mahoney and Dodoro with the toxic relationship, along with Rutten/Dodoro.

That gives me some hope that Fidel might get the arse this time.

 

[yodellinhank]

The first one seems more problematic given Mahoney was brought in to fix the footy dept.

I thought RFK was supposed to be in charge of toxic relationships?