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

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supportyourteam said:
Can Brad get an injecting regime going. More fun.
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As long as it’s common sense and the people being injected with it are the deep pocket members who think they own the joint
 
It’s genuinely at the point where Essendon should be a zoo exhibit.

Pay $10 to see the show, folks. $1 extra for a big bag of feed seeds to throw at us. And if you’re really inclined, $3 extra buys you a chance to give Essendon a tickle on the tummy too.

Brad must be wondering what the **** he’s done.

Every single idiot on that board needs to **** right off.
 

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Doss said:
It’s genuinely at the point where Essendon should be a zoo exhibit.

Pay $10 to see the show, folks. $1 extra for a big bag of feed seeds to throw at us. And if you’re really inclined, $3 extra buys you a chance to give Essendon a tickle on the tummy too.

Brad must be wondering what the * he’s done.

Every single idiot on that board needs to * right off.
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I reckon Sheeds would give away his tummy for a tickle for free.
 
Bunk Moreland said:
The problem is (as the article says) how much control supporters have. And supporters are nuffies.
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Which suggests we need to live within our means and tell them to go **** themselves instead
 
Mr Mojo Risin said:
I couldn't be any surer that all the leaks we're now seeing is the last ditch effort by the old guard to prevent the change that will come. The coteries, Sheedy, Dodoro and others are throwing everything they can now before Barham has a chance to act on the report.
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Yeah this is pretty much it. A final scattergun from Sheedy through his mouthpiece Slobbo.

This report is going to be damning and there's going to be nowhere to hide for a few people.

We are seeing the final death throws of a bloated self serving organisation that has hoarded their power for too long and their time is up.

I was against Brad Scott's appointment, but it's now clear to me that this appointment from Barham might just save our club from these fools. Yze would have been eaten alive and Hird might have galvanised the club, but the influence of Sheedy would have been too great.

Kevin needs to go. This makes me think back to when they made him an 'Immortal' or whatever it was at the 150th dinner, at first I thought it was just an empty platitude for an old man, but now I see it as an offering from Brasher to try and keep Sheedy in line by appealing to his vanity. Clearly it wasn't enough.
 

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The Prosecutor said:
Lets not lose sight of the fact that Sheedy is still a paid employee of this club.

He should be sacked from that role at the very least.
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Contractor
 
Corleone said:
Yeah this is pretty much it. A final scattergun from Sheedy through his mouthpiece Slobbo.

This report is going to be damning and there's going to be nowhere to hide for a few people.

We are seeing the final death throws of a bloated self serving organisation that has hoarded their power for too long and their time is up.

I was against Brad Scott's appointment, but it's now clear to me that this appointment from Barham might just save our club from these fools. Yze would have been eaten alive and Hird might have galvanised the club, but the influence of Sheedy would have been too great.

Kevin needs to go. This makes me think back to when they made him an 'Immortal' or whatever it was at the 150th dinner, at first I thought it was just an empty platitude for an old man, but now I see it as an offering from Brasher to try and keep Sheedy in line by appealing to his vanity. Clearly it wasn't enough.
Click to expand...
riley-reid-meme.jpg
 
yodellinhank said:
Sheedy should be applauded (if indeed he is the source). Exposing the truth about how the likes of XC ran this once great club into the ground.
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There is a world where we can both acknowledge that XC was a very poor CEO and that Sheedy is also a destructive relic who is an impediment to the club. He doesn't deserve any credit for this petulant, continued sniping from the shadows.
 
jmoo wan said:
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...s-story/e2f5c20eed6d4d887d39dc737f022c8e?amp#

Inside the Bombers’ blow-up: Mark Robinson and Scott Gullan reveal the behind the scenes chaos at Essendon​

Essendon is a national embarrassment. For the first time, Mark Robinson and Scott Gullan take you behind the scenes on the humiliating exits, quick kills, PR disasters and broken dreams.

Mark Robinson and Scott Gullan

8 min read
October 7, 2022 - 4:37PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...5c20eed6d4d887d39dc737f022c8e?amp#share-tools
Media-link

AFL: Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn has resigned after just one day in the job over controversial links to the church.
When Kevin Sheedy and his wife Geraldine boarded Lindsay Fox’s luxury boat in New York to celebrate the ol’ trucker’s 85th birthday last month, the Essendon coaching legend was in a festive mood.

Like everyone, he’d been looking forward to getting overseas again. But most of all he was content that the football club he loved was finally about to get its own ship in order.
Sheedy knew there was one final piece to the puzzle which required his touch and that would be taken care of when he finished mingling with 400 of Australia’s most rich and famous on the extravagant getaway.
Sheedy had the belief that he and the new president David Barham — a go-getter type for sure — would have the final say on who be the new coach of Essendon.
A six-member panel had been formed, which interestingly included his former arch enemy Robert Walls, to canvas a number of candidates, but in the end it would be Sheedy and Barham to make the ultimate call.
Or so he’d thought.
Kevin Sheedy shows his incredible passion for Essendon. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Kevin Sheedy shows his incredible passion for Essendon. Picture: George Salpigtidis
‘IT’S SO POLITICAL, IT’S UNBELIEVABLE’: HOW DONS GOT HERE
FOOTBALL clubs are unique but what they most resemble is a political party.
Factions dictate direction and at Essendon, it has long been the case where too much influence has been given to former legends or supporters with deep pockets and big mouths.
This year, and not for the first time, the Old Guard v the New Guard has faced off.
“It’s so political, it’s unbelievable,” said one former staff member, who’d come from another AFL club, of the goings on at the club’s Tullamarine headquarters.
“People have got to stop playing politics at that football club and actually just think about what they’re doing.”
The Essendonians is proudly the oldest coterie group in the AFL. They wield considerable power — or so they say — given they can alter the amount of money they donate to the club depending on how they view its operations.
So, if they don’t like someone or something (ie former coach Matthew Knights) then the administrators soon fall into line (ie hiring of James Hird).
The behind-the-scenes politics is at the heart of the latest mess.
Who would’ve thought the Bombers would find themselves in such a laugh-a-minute schmozzle so soon after the gut-wrenching and soul-destroying supplements scandal?
While understandably that horrible chapter in the club’s history has taken its toll, and probably still does, the botched number of resets in recent years is what continues to outrage the faithful.
The latest had its origin back to midway through the season – the Bombers won just two games from the opening 11 matches – when several powerbrokers, including Sheedy, concluded that Ben Rutten wasn’t the answer as senior coach.
Despite having got the Bombers into the finals in his first full season in the job following the departure of John Worsfold, the lack of a solid game plan and the disturbing regression by a number of players had Rutten clearly under pressure.
Even then, Sheedy had an inkling for Hird.
[PLAYERCARD]Ben Rutten[/PLAYERCARD] leaves Essendon HQ amid the drama. Picture: Tony Gough

Ben Rutten leaves Essendon HQ amid the drama. Picture: Tony Gough
The season swayed under the umbrella of a micky-mouse internal review, until the result of that review — namely to keep Rutten — produced a good old fashioned boardroom showdown.
In the pro Rutten camp were longstanding CEO Xavier Campbell and president Paul Brasher who’d also only been in the job for a year.
Across the table was Barham, who would ultimately take over the Essendon presidency after getting Sheedy’s backing.
In many respects, Barham was only president because of Sheedy. And Sheedy wanted Hird as coach. And Barham knew Sheedy wanted Hird as coach.
When the Bombers produced one of their worst performances of the season in round 22 at Marvel Stadium against Port Adelaide, losing by 84 points, Rutten was officially done.
Barham then made his move on Brasher, who in May had instigated the internal review of the underperforming football department. It was a quick kill. Brasher was forced into handing in his resignation as president the following day.
An external review into the entire operations of the club was launched immediately with former NAB boss and big-time Essendon fan Andrew Thorburn brought in to run it.
At the same time, Barham made his dash at coaching great Alastair Clarkson. His Hail Mary approach was too late and too unprofessional. And Clarkson agreed days later to join North Melbourne.
All the time, Rutten remained as the head coach.
It was humiliating for Rutten and unbecoming of a football club which, at its helm, had a man scrambling around like the Tassie Tiger cartoon character.
Barham kept Rutten hanging all week, forcing him to coach the final game of the season before knifing him the next day.
“You look at the way they treated Truck (Rutten), regardless if he can coach or not, you don’t treat people like that,” one former Essendon great said.
“If the president does that then anybody else at the club thinks they can do the same thing and get away with it. There’s your culture problem.”
Xavier Campbell and David Barham were barely communicating in the CEO’s final days at the club. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Xavier Campbell and David Barham were barely communicating in the CEO’s final days at the club. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui
Three days later, Campbell, who by this stage was barely communicating with Barham, fell on his sword. Then favourite son Simon Madden stepped down from the board and two other board members, Peter Allen and football director Sean Wellman, also signalled they would depart in the coming months.
It was brutal and badly handled.
The media giant Barham fumbled his first press conference, declaring the Bombers were after an experienced coach. It required football boss Josh Mahoney, who was leading the search for the new coach, to clarify Barham’s wishes days later when it became clear there weren’t any big fish desperate to get to Essendon.
One big fish who was becoming increasingly interested was Hird.
While his first stint in the top job at Essendon had ended horribly, and almost with his life, the club legend had put himself back into the football world as a part-time assistant helping his former teammate Mark McVeigh at the Giants.
Simply, he’d caught the bug again.
And Sheedy was quickly in his court, believing his premiership captain was exactly the man to pull his old club together again.
Hird believed it, too.
Further, it’s understood Hird and Barham had spoken several weeks previously and that Hird was assured he would be legitimately considered for the job.
No promises from Barham, but an assurance that he and Sheedy would be picking the coach.
So, Hird went for an interview.
And Sheedy went to New York.
The cunning old bugger’s plan was in train.
Already, whatever hope Barham had of landing Clarkson was scuppered when Sheedy suggested in a radio interview that Clarkson would be better suited at the Kangaroos.
In Sheedy’s mind, everything was in order.
Kevin Sheedy had a plan for James Hird’s return. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Kevin Sheedy had a plan for James Hird’s return. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
HOW THE LAY OF THE LAND CHANGED AT ESSENDON
WHAT happened in the 12 days Sheedy was at sea is a mystery.
When he disembarked in Montreal, the lay of the land at Essendon had changed dramatically.
Four candidates had been interviewed by the Bombers panel which included Walls, Hawthorn premiership star Jordan Lewis, netball legend Simone McKinnins, football manager Josh Mahoney, board member Dorothy Hisgrove and consultant Thorburn.
Hird had reportedly impressed but he never heard back from the panel.
His former teammate Dean Solomon and St Kilda assistant Brendon Lade also only had one interview, while Melbourne assistant Adem Yze, who’d just missed out on the GWS job, received a second interview.
He was now the favourite.
And Hird? Media folk were emphatically declaring he had no chance — was there a leak from Essendon? — which left Hird pondering if he had been lied to.
As Grand Final week kicked in, and while Sheedy was still overseas, Barham’s focus shifted to former North Melbourne coach Brad Scott.
Scott had refused to say if he was officially interested in the role because, as the AFL’s football operations manager, he believed it wasn’t appropriate to be a candidate until the season had been completed.
After watching his twin Chris win another premiership with Geelong, Scott put his hand up to be interviewed the following Thursday, and then he met the Essendon board which included Sheedy via Zoom.
The so-called plan of Barham and Sheedy selecting the coach, presumably after considering recommendations from the selection panel, was ditched, which blindsided Sheedy.
There was no vote between Scott and Hird and even Yze per se.
Instead, after just the one interview, Scott was the nomination and he was voted in as the new coach. Not unanimously mind you.
Sheedy, who was in California, was shocked and disappointed.
He called the Herald Sun, wanting the world to know he voted for Hird.
He was widely condemned for “breaking ranks’’, but such is the cost of loyalty.
For sure, the bond between a captain and his coach in the AFL is special, far beyond any player-coach relationship.
Brad Scott and David Barham at the announcement of the new coach. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Brad Scott and David Barham at the announcement of the new coach. Picture: Nicki Connolly
Think Chris Scott and Joel Selwood, Damien Hardwick and Trent Cotchin, Leigh Matthews and Michael Voss. There is a trust, respect and appreciation which is there for life.
A true example came with Luke Hodge’s statement in support of Clarkson at the height of the Hawthorn scandal. He wanted his ex-coach to know that he was in his corner.
That’s exactly what Sheedy felt when he publicly declared he’d voted for Hird. He didn’t want anyone to think he’d turned his back on his captain.
It blazed headlines on the very day Scott was at his first press conference.
If the footy world thought the Sheedy bomb was a PR disaster, the appointment of Thorburn as CEO made the club a national embarrassment.
It was announced just hours before Monday night’s Crichton Medal count, which allowed Thorburn to address the assembled players and supporters.
Twenty hours later he was gone.
Barham’s “comprehensive” process to appoint Thorburn failed to look into his links with church organisation, City on a Hill, whose website revealed its offensive views on abortion, homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
His resignation after Essendon asked him to choose between the church and the football club ignited a political debate which has gone around the country and is still raging today.
Indeed, the process of appointing Thorburn to the role had put some staff at the football club off-side.
Andrew Thorburn lasted one day as Essendon CEO.

Andrew Thorburn lasted one day as Essendon CEO.
He’d been in charge of the external review and as part of that review, he had spoken to dozens of staff, urging them to tell him everything as he was an impartial observer.
Thorburn also interviewed candidates for the vacant CEO job, canvassing their IP, before deciding he would put his hand up for the gig.
Talk about a conflict of interest.
Still, Barham gave him the job.
“That was never going to be a safe environment for the employees,” one club insider said.
“He ran the review, the staff were honest with him, he was saying, ‘I’m impartial, tell me all your secrets’. Then suddenly it was like, ‘Oh by the way now all those things you said, I remember them and I’m now your CEO’.”
The man left standing is Barham who has conceded there has been some missteps along the way.
How Barham survives this mess is now a matter of great discussion and among those powerful coterie groups, there will be a group of people who think they can do better.
For sure, a board challenge is not out of the question.
Sheedy, meanwhile, will support Scott to the hilt.
And Hird? He probably thinks he was strung along, and if that is the truth, he will never have anything to do with the Essendon Football Club again.
Click to expand...

It's an interesting article assuming the reader understands that's very likely to be Sheedy/Hird's side of the story.
 
www.theage.com.au

Ex-Essendon president has ‘no comment’ on board challenge

Essendon president Paul Little has declined to comment on whether he would back a challenge to the incumbent Essendon board after expressing disappointment with recent problems.
www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au
Former Essendon president Paul Little has declined to comment on whether he would back a challenge to the incumbent Essendon board after expressing disappointment in the club’s recent problems.
Little also said that he would tell the club if he was involved in a challenge to the board, led by new president David Barham.

“If I was doing anything – and I’m not saying I am – the first phone call I’d make would be to the club,” Little told The Age, when asked if he was backing a challenge following the embarrassment of the appointment and immediate resignation of chief executive Andrew Thorburn.
But Little gave a firm “no comment” when asked if he would back a challenge against Barham’s board.

Wealthy ex-Good Guys owner Andrew Muir and ex-player Andrew Welsh – the latter newly appointed to the board – are two of the seven-member Essendon board who are up for election in December.

The Age had contacted Little in response to suggestions by well-connected Essendon supporters that Little was interested in endorsing a board challenge. Little, a billionaire and one of Australia’s richest men, was chairman (president) of the Bombers from mid-2013 to the end of 2015, at the height of the ASADA saga that ultimately led to the 34 players being suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Little, whose former company Toll Holdings was a substantial club sponsor, is no longer a significant financial contributor to Essendon.
Barham joined the board as Little was handing over leadership to Lindsay Tanner, the former federal finance minister.

While Barham’s board has been criticised for the Thorburn appointment and resignation – the ex-NAB boss having decided to quit the Essendon job rather than give up the chairmanship of the City on a Hill church – two influential supporters contacted by The Age expressed the view that Essendon needed a period of stability and that Barham should continue to lead the club.
Thorburn’s exit has left Essendon’s board with the task of a fresh search for a chief executive and the implementing of a ground-breaking review of all club operations, which was done by Ernst and Young and Thorburn.
The review examined Essendon’s board, executive, administration, football department and culture and will make a series of recommendations to improve Essendon’s performance, following a lean spell that stretches back to Kevin Sheedy’s last years as coach.


Sheedy, who had criticised the board’s appointment of Brad Scott as senior coach – saying he had wanted the restoration of club legend James Hird – is viewed by some club insiders as unlikely to continue in his board role for long, having been brought in, in part, to appease fans in 2020.

The position of long-time recruiting boss Adrian Dodoro also is under threat as a result of the review, which has canvassed external as well as internal people to get a picture of where the Bombers are falling short.
About 30 people within the football department were interviewed, with one source saying there were talented and committed people within the department, however there were issues of alignment of roles and communication.

The source said resources were stretched with some staff expected to work across multiple roles, with both recognition and accountability lacking.
There would be an acknowledgment from the review that leaders within the football department needed to ensure communication happened across and down the organisation.

A former Essendon employee said turnover of staff has been high in 2022 as many people felt their commitment was taken for granted.
Click to expand...
 
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Old Campaigner said:
It's an interesting article assuming the reader understands that's very likely to be Sheedy/Hird's side of the story.
Click to expand...
Nothing Robbo says on anything related to this whole mess is going to be anything less than either their side of the story, or geared to benefit them.
 
jmoo wan said:
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...s-story/e2f5c20eed6d4d887d39dc737f022c8e?amp#

Inside the Bombers’ blow-up: Mark Robinson and Scott Gullan reveal the behind the scenes chaos at Essendon​

Essendon is a national embarrassment. For the first time, Mark Robinson and Scott Gullan take you behind the scenes on the humiliating exits, quick kills, PR disasters and broken dreams.

Mark Robinson and Scott Gullan

8 min read
October 7, 2022 - 4:37PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...5c20eed6d4d887d39dc737f022c8e?amp#share-tools
Media-link

AFL: Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn has resigned after just one day in the job over controversial links to the church.
When Kevin Sheedy and his wife Geraldine boarded Lindsay Fox’s luxury boat in New York to celebrate the ol’ trucker’s 85th birthday last month, the Essendon coaching legend was in a festive mood.

Like everyone, he’d been looking forward to getting overseas again. But most of all he was content that the football club he loved was finally about to get its own ship in order.
Sheedy knew there was one final piece to the puzzle which required his touch and that would be taken care of when he finished mingling with 400 of Australia’s most rich and famous on the extravagant getaway.
Sheedy had the belief that he and the new president David Barham — a go-getter type for sure — would have the final say on who be the new coach of Essendon.
A six-member panel had been formed, which interestingly included his former arch enemy Robert Walls, to canvas a number of candidates, but in the end it would be Sheedy and Barham to make the ultimate call.
Or so he’d thought.
Kevin Sheedy shows his incredible passion for Essendon. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Kevin Sheedy shows his incredible passion for Essendon. Picture: George Salpigtidis
‘IT’S SO POLITICAL, IT’S UNBELIEVABLE’: HOW DONS GOT HERE
FOOTBALL clubs are unique but what they most resemble is a political party.
Factions dictate direction and at Essendon, it has long been the case where too much influence has been given to former legends or supporters with deep pockets and big mouths.
This year, and not for the first time, the Old Guard v the New Guard has faced off.
“It’s so political, it’s unbelievable,” said one former staff member, who’d come from another AFL club, of the goings on at the club’s Tullamarine headquarters.
“People have got to stop playing politics at that football club and actually just think about what they’re doing.”
The Essendonians is proudly the oldest coterie group in the AFL. They wield considerable power — or so they say — given they can alter the amount of money they donate to the club depending on how they view its operations.
So, if they don’t like someone or something (ie former coach Matthew Knights) then the administrators soon fall into line (ie hiring of James Hird).
The behind-the-scenes politics is at the heart of the latest mess.
Who would’ve thought the Bombers would find themselves in such a laugh-a-minute schmozzle so soon after the gut-wrenching and soul-destroying supplements scandal?
While understandably that horrible chapter in the club’s history has taken its toll, and probably still does, the botched number of resets in recent years is what continues to outrage the faithful.
The latest had its origin back to midway through the season – the Bombers won just two games from the opening 11 matches – when several powerbrokers, including Sheedy, concluded that Ben Rutten wasn’t the answer as senior coach.
Despite having got the Bombers into the finals in his first full season in the job following the departure of John Worsfold, the lack of a solid game plan and the disturbing regression by a number of players had Rutten clearly under pressure.
Even then, Sheedy had an inkling for Hird.
Ben Rutten leaves Essendon HQ amid the drama. Picture: Tony Gough

Ben Rutten leaves Essendon HQ amid the drama. Picture: Tony Gough
The season swayed under the umbrella of a micky-mouse internal review, until the result of that review — namely to keep Rutten — produced a good old fashioned boardroom showdown.
In the pro Rutten camp were longstanding CEO Xavier Campbell and president Paul Brasher who’d also only been in the job for a year.
Across the table was Barham, who would ultimately take over the Essendon presidency after getting Sheedy’s backing.
In many respects, Barham was only president because of Sheedy. And Sheedy wanted Hird as coach. And Barham knew Sheedy wanted Hird as coach.
When the Bombers produced one of their worst performances of the season in round 22 at Marvel Stadium against Port Adelaide, losing by 84 points, Rutten was officially done.
Barham then made his move on Brasher, who in May had instigated the internal review of the underperforming football department. It was a quick kill. Brasher was forced into handing in his resignation as president the following day.
An external review into the entire operations of the club was launched immediately with former NAB boss and big-time Essendon fan Andrew Thorburn brought in to run it.
At the same time, Barham made his dash at coaching great Alastair Clarkson. His Hail Mary approach was too late and too unprofessional. And Clarkson agreed days later to join North Melbourne.
All the time, Rutten remained as the head coach.
It was humiliating for Rutten and unbecoming of a football club which, at its helm, had a man scrambling around like the Tassie Tiger cartoon character.
Barham kept Rutten hanging all week, forcing him to coach the final game of the season before knifing him the next day.
“You look at the way they treated Truck (Rutten), regardless if he can coach or not, you don’t treat people like that,” one former Essendon great said.
“If the president does that then anybody else at the club thinks they can do the same thing and get away with it. There’s your culture problem.”
Xavier Campbell and David Barham were barely communicating in the CEO’s final days at the club. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Xavier Campbell and David Barham were barely communicating in the CEO’s final days at the club. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui
Three days later, Campbell, who by this stage was barely communicating with Barham, fell on his sword. Then favourite son Simon Madden stepped down from the board and two other board members, Peter Allen and football director Sean Wellman, also signalled they would depart in the coming months.
It was brutal and badly handled.
The media giant Barham fumbled his first press conference, declaring the Bombers were after an experienced coach. It required football boss Josh Mahoney, who was leading the search for the new coach, to clarify Barham’s wishes days later when it became clear there weren’t any big fish desperate to get to Essendon.
One big fish who was becoming increasingly interested was Hird.
While his first stint in the top job at Essendon had ended horribly, and almost with his life, the club legend had put himself back into the football world as a part-time assistant helping his former teammate Mark McVeigh at the Giants.
Simply, he’d caught the bug again.
And Sheedy was quickly in his court, believing his premiership captain was exactly the man to pull his old club together again.
Hird believed it, too.
Further, it’s understood Hird and Barham had spoken several weeks previously and that Hird was assured he would be legitimately considered for the job.
No promises from Barham, but an assurance that he and Sheedy would be picking the coach.
So, Hird went for an interview.
And Sheedy went to New York.
The cunning old bugger’s plan was in train.
Already, whatever hope Barham had of landing Clarkson was scuppered when Sheedy suggested in a radio interview that Clarkson would be better suited at the Kangaroos.
In Sheedy’s mind, everything was in order.
Kevin Sheedy had a plan for James Hird’s return. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Kevin Sheedy had a plan for James Hird’s return. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
HOW THE LAY OF THE LAND CHANGED AT ESSENDON
WHAT happened in the 12 days Sheedy was at sea is a mystery.
When he disembarked in Montreal, the lay of the land at Essendon had changed dramatically.
Four candidates had been interviewed by the Bombers panel which included Walls, Hawthorn premiership star Jordan Lewis, netball legend Simone McKinnins, football manager Josh Mahoney, board member Dorothy Hisgrove and consultant Thorburn.
Hird had reportedly impressed but he never heard back from the panel.
His former teammate Dean Solomon and St Kilda assistant Brendon Lade also only had one interview, while Melbourne assistant Adem Yze, who’d just missed out on the GWS job, received a second interview.
He was now the favourite.
And Hird? Media folk were emphatically declaring he had no chance — was there a leak from Essendon? — which left Hird pondering if he had been lied to.
As Grand Final week kicked in, and while Sheedy was still overseas, Barham’s focus shifted to former North Melbourne coach Brad Scott.
Scott had refused to say if he was officially interested in the role because, as the AFL’s football operations manager, he believed it wasn’t appropriate to be a candidate until the season had been completed.
After watching his twin Chris win another premiership with Geelong, Scott put his hand up to be interviewed the following Thursday, and then he met the Essendon board which included Sheedy via Zoom.
The so-called plan of Barham and Sheedy selecting the coach, presumably after considering recommendations from the selection panel, was ditched, which blindsided Sheedy.
There was no vote between Scott and Hird and even Yze per se.
Instead, after just the one interview, Scott was the nomination and he was voted in as the new coach. Not unanimously mind you.
Sheedy, who was in California, was shocked and disappointed.
He called the Herald Sun, wanting the world to know he voted for Hird.
He was widely condemned for “breaking ranks’’, but such is the cost of loyalty.
For sure, the bond between a captain and his coach in the AFL is special, far beyond any player-coach relationship.
Brad Scott and David Barham at the announcement of the new coach. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Brad Scott and David Barham at the announcement of the new coach. Picture: Nicki Connolly
Think Chris Scott and Joel Selwood, Damien Hardwick and Trent Cotchin, Leigh Matthews and Michael Voss. There is a trust, respect and appreciation which is there for life.
A true example came with Luke Hodge’s statement in support of Clarkson at the height of the Hawthorn scandal. He wanted his ex-coach to know that he was in his corner.
That’s exactly what Sheedy felt when he publicly declared he’d voted for Hird. He didn’t want anyone to think he’d turned his back on his captain.
It blazed headlines on the very day Scott was at his first press conference.
If the footy world thought the Sheedy bomb was a PR disaster, the appointment of Thorburn as CEO made the club a national embarrassment.
It was announced just hours before Monday night’s Crichton Medal count, which allowed Thorburn to address the assembled players and supporters.
Twenty hours later he was gone.
Barham’s “comprehensive” process to appoint Thorburn failed to look into his links with church organisation, City on a Hill, whose website revealed its offensive views on abortion, homosexuality and same-sex marriage.
His resignation after Essendon asked him to choose between the church and the football club ignited a political debate which has gone around the country and is still raging today.
Indeed, the process of appointing Thorburn to the role had put some staff at the football club off-side.
Andrew Thorburn lasted one day as Essendon CEO.

Andrew Thorburn lasted one day as Essendon CEO.
He’d been in charge of the external review and as part of that review, he had spoken to dozens of staff, urging them to tell him everything as he was an impartial observer.
Thorburn also interviewed candidates for the vacant CEO job, canvassing their IP, before deciding he would put his hand up for the gig.
Talk about a conflict of interest.
Still, Barham gave him the job.
“That was never going to be a safe environment for the employees,” one club insider said.
“He ran the review, the staff were honest with him, he was saying, ‘I’m impartial, tell me all your secrets’. Then suddenly it was like, ‘Oh by the way now all those things you said, I remember them and I’m now your CEO’.”
The man left standing is Barham who has conceded there has been some missteps along the way.
How Barham survives this mess is now a matter of great discussion and among those powerful coterie groups, there will be a group of people who think they can do better.
For sure, a board challenge is not out of the question.
Sheedy, meanwhile, will support Scott to the hilt.
And Hird? He probably thinks he was strung along, and if that is the truth, he will never have anything to do with the Essendon Football Club again.
Click to expand...
Robbo really needs to get over hird.
It aint happening mate.
 

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