Toast Graham Wright

[LuckyLee]

I don’t really get all the angst. Wright was exactly the right guy at the right time and played a key role in helping us win a flag as an administrator to go with the flag he helped us to win as a player in 1990. Thanks GW for all that you’ve done.

It was a mistake on Jeff Brown’s part to twist GW’s arm into staying on the books this year. But that’s on Brown, not Wright.

TBH, I feel there’s more reason to doubt Brown’s judgment and contribution so far, than Wright’s.


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[rand corp]

Crucial in helping us engineer a premiership in his role. I don't care about all the 'who said what to whom stuff'. He has had plenty of time to think about it, and is now clear in his mind that he wants to go. Thanks Wrighty for all that you've done for us both on-and-off the field, good luck for the future, well done.

 

[BEEG]

Guessing his attempted resignation would have included a decent handover period. Not sure what you would have had him do otherwise?

He resigned and had plans to go away, even if we said yes how was he going to do a handover?

 

[sr36]

exactly, Leppa is a good line coach but we have no idea how he would go at list management, could drag anyone off the street with same level of no experience.

He's been a head coach where he would have worked with recruiters and been part of list and recruitment panels. He has been part of our recruitment and list panels. He's really not just some bloke off the street.

 

[Apples]

I must say I'm disappointed to hear this. Wright was a steady, experienced influence that served us well. Perhaps he was never going to return. Maybe the 'sabbatical' was to calm the farm after a Premiershsip. We don't know the story yet; perhaps we will soon. The Club will have to make a statement and I certainly hope Wright does. Our Club has probably known the lie of the land and has a plan ready to implement. Or at least, I hope this is the case.

 

[Scodog10]

I'm going to assume that he actually had some involvement this year; emails, meetings, etc.

A lot of people just assuming he took pay with sun on his back for 6 months.

I’m going to be a little more circumspect and assume he was consulted on in a more limited capacity probably to the extent of the monthly list management meeting.

I don’t have an issue with it so long as it was made clear this wasn’t a sabbatical a fair way out and we’ve been working towards this outcome. I expect that to be the case with Leppistch stepping into the list management space, but we need to avoid a repeat scenario of a novice sitting in on negotiations as we had with Guy and Hine being spread to thin as he was post Gubby.

I would hope that if we weren’t previously knocking on the door of Jason McCartney or Danny Daly we’re now at least pounding. McCartney in particular has done an exceptional job with the spare parts picks the Giants have worked with of late. Hogan, Bedford, Peatling and Buckley have essentially cost them nothing and will play major roles in a premiership push over the next month. I have faith in Leppa delivering the list management side of things as was the intent with Troy Selwood, but I’m not sure on the overarching role of the GM of footy as well.

 

[larrikan]

Geez the negativity on here about Wright and a situation you all have NFI about is bizarre.

Not only do you experts know how to select an AFL team but you now are experts on management decisions.

Wright come in and managed a sinking ship. He come in when the board was a shambles and the team and coach failing. I cannot imagine the stress and micromanaging that was required. He oversaw a new senior coach and mentored many.

He facilitated change and oversaw a flag that we all enjoyed.

He has spent his working life in the AFL and reached a well rewarded pinnacle last year. He was entitled to a holiday with his family. The circumstances of this are rumour. You all have no idea of the situation other than media click bait from the Collingwood haters. The situation may have even changed with a better job offer when he returned.

A lot of you here treat our club differently than your own values in life.

Let’s Celebrate what this man oversaw at the club and the change for the better.

It’s just a role and we will go after the best possible replacement. Move on.

Why are you fuelling the fire with this constant negativity directed at the club?

Well done Wrighty.


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[WalterBlaknWhte]

Geez the negativity on here about Wright and a situation you all have NFI about is bizarre.

Not only do you experts know how to select an AFL team but you now are experts on management decisions.

Wright come in and managed a sinking ship. He come in when the board was a shambles and the team and coach failing. I cannot imagine the stress and micromanaging that was required. He oversaw a new senior coach and mentored many.

He facilitated change and oversaw a flag that we all enjoyed.

He has spent his working life in the AFL and reached a well rewarded pinnacle last year. He was entitled to a holiday with his family. The circumstances of this are rumour. You all have no idea of the situation other than media click bait from the Collingwood haters. The situation may have even changed with a better job offer when he returned.

A lot of you here treat our club differently than your own values in life.

Let’s Celebrate what this man oversaw at the club and the change for the better.

It’s just a role and we will go after the best possible replacement. Move on.

Why are you fuelling the fire with this constant negativity directed at the club?

Well done Wrighty.


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Great post

It’s Monday - time to work on our careers and not be nuffies

 

[sideswipe]

He resigned and had plans to go away, even if we said yes how was he going to do a handover?

His sabbatical beginning in March was announced back in December. That's a decent period of time. Am guessing if his resignation was accepted back in December, it would have involved a "handover" during that time. That's how.

 

[Scodog10]

His sabbatical beginning in March was announced back in December. That's a decent period of time. Am guessing if his resignation was accepted back in December, it would have involved a "handover" during that time. That's how.

I’m with you here 100% on this being a distinct possibility, but I’ll take a slightly different approach with far softer language to Beeg and suggest that as an organisation with $80m+ in revenue pa and 110,000 “shareholders” it was questionable form from the club to not communicate the above. In the real world withholding that level of information would have ramifications.

As a club we’ve come a long way under Browne in terms of communicating with members, but this could have been handled differently to letting it out as soon as the seasons officially done on field.

 

[Kappa]

What an absolute shit show.

To put the entire football department under huge pressure being a man down so Wright could return, then he doesn't even return. What a waste of a year, Bolton Leppitch ect would rightfully be extremely pissed

 

[Scodog10]

Something akin to continuous disclosure obligations? Get both of your hands back on the desk Sco.

Not quite. GW’s role is in the top 5 most important at the club alongside the president, football director, CEO and coach. An element of disclosure for the members rather than the guessing game (which I think you might have nailed) and controlled release of information for such an important role is where my expectation resides. You’d rather be a mushroom which is 100% fine

 

[Kes1984]

We need someone with good credentials to takeover since we'll have a war chest of salary cap space in a year or two when the mass retirements happen.

 

[unplugged]

Do we know if he's going to guide us through any of the upcoming off season? Or is he effectively gone already?

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

Not quite. GW’s role is in the top 5 most important at the club alongside the president, football director, CEO and coach. An element of disclosure for the members rather than the guessing game (which I think you might have nailed) and controlled release of information for such an important role is where my expectation resides. You’d rather be a mushroom which is 100% fine

Supporters aren’t owed continuous disclosure on career options being considered by execs or footballers

If you sit on corporate boards, c-level execs often have confidential conversations with you as they contemplate what next

Nothing is served by a public running commentary

It would merely give you less options to retain high quality people as they would confide in others outside the board

 

[NMBB]

We need a whole lot more flags - simples really - get it done please someone with good credentials to takeover since we'll have a war chest of salary cap space in a year or two when the mass retirements happen.

EFA

 

[Jafo]

Is Luke Ball available?

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

It's official.

Collingwood FC Update – Graham Wright

The Collingwood Football Club advises Executive General Manager of Football Graham Wright will not be returning to Collingwood following his sabbatical in the US and Europe, instead deciding to explore new opportunities.

www.collingwoodfc.com.au

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Do we know if he's going to guide us through any of the upcoming off season? Or is he effectively gone already?

From the club statement, it sounds like it's effective immediately.

 

[Jafo]

We need someone with good credentials to takeover since we'll have a war chest of salary cap space in a year or two when the mass retirements happen.

Isn’t the soft cap for coaching dept different than players cap?

 

[Kes1984]

Isn’t the soft cap for coaching dept different than players cap?

yes, but that's nothing to do with what I posted.

We need a good list manager to manage our playing list when we have a lot of salary cap space freed up - between Grundy and Treloar deals and the retirements of all the vetrans

I didn't reference anything about the soft cap.

 

[AmericanMustard]

Don’t they usually say the 3 most important people in your footy club are your coach, GM of footy and CEO?

If we walk in an untested guy into a GM/list management role it’s just complete negligence on behalf of the organisation. Especially a guy who hasn’t even been working in that space for a decade but arrived 2 years ago as an assistant coach.

Leppitsch may well be the best person for the job but it would be crazy to not scour the market. Not surprising from the current regime though I guess

 

[Jafo]

yes, but that's nothing to do with what I posted.

We need a good list manager to manage our playing list when we have a lot of salary cap space freed up - between Grundy and Treloar deals and the retirements of all the vetrans

I didn't reference anything about the soft cap.

Sorry. Just linked the war chest/salary cap space opening up in a couple of years with retirements happening part along with someone coming in (re relating to soft cap).

Get what you were saying now though

 

[Axl the great]

What an absolute shit show.

To put the entire football department under huge pressure being a man down so Wright could return, then he doesn't even return. What a waste of a year, Bolton Leppitch ect would rightfully be extremely pissed

100%! I cannot fathom how people are so forgiving.
You allow a major leader in the business to just take off for the year,
Destabilising the whole coaching hierarchy, and it’s ok?
How many other professional organisations would this happen in?

 

[Scodog10]

Supporters aren’t owed continuous disclosure on career options being considered by execs or footballers

If you sit on corporate boards, c-level execs often have confidential conversations with you as they contemplate what next

Nothing is served by a public running commentary

It would merely give you less options to retain high quality people as they would confide in others outside the board

I agree it’s not owed. My point rather is that it should be front of mind in the uniquely passionate industry that is AFL which has the added complexity of now being big business. Hell 1-250 people in this country was a member of the Collingwood football club this year. That’s huge!

We aren’t actually suggesting that open and honest conversations with the members about the future of our head of football is going to limit our ability to retain say McRae or Kelly are we? Especially when McRae constantly preaches the important place we hold within the club?

The curveball to it is of course if the anonymity was requested by GW in which case I’m fully supportive of the club keeping quiet and would shift my queries over to GW who no doubt has a role lined up with the Tasmanian franchise.