Markfs' Board of Directors Watch

[Markfs]

By coincidence, I got this email today...... perhaps someone can pass it on to our vice president in case his Trust wants to make a donation. Thank Alex!!

ps. notice there's a tax deduction involved....( my apologies to sideswipe for ignoring his executive order about referring to tax)

Dear Mark,

Our ability to provide medical assistance in countries like Syria, Nigeria and South Sudan relies on the generous support of Field Partners like you.

As the end of June approaches, many of our supporters take this opportunity to make an extra tax-deductible gift towards our work.

If you make a donation by Friday 30 June, you’ll be able to claim it as a deduction in this year’s tax return.

 

[Markfs]

You remind me of a Pharisee.

i have no idea what to make of that.. but i'm happy that i'm stimulating your brain cells.

 

[Markfs]

The question that the Collingwood Board has to answer and get right is in bold type below. Sitting around and drinking expensive wine is going to do nothing to assist the people on the board in their choice. External consultants will be used to diffuse the blame, should things go wrong in the future. In the final analysis it will be Eddie who will be sifting through the wreckage.... the rest of em will fly off to other "challenges" in the next few years. In some respects, this article could go in the buckley thread and get lost, but its a reasonable attempt to assess the lay of the land as it is right now. Who knows, there might be a board member reading this right now, sipping on his or her chardonnay and looking for a laugh. If they read it, at least they will get an insight into the question that Eddie will answer for them later this year.....



Is Nathan Buckley still the right man to lead Collingwood?
JON RALPH, Herald Sun
July 1, 2017 5:00pm

AS the six board members that remain at Collingwood today endorsed 2009’s “Kirribilli agreement”, one thought might have eased that heavy burden.

They had just agreed upon a stunning handover that saw Mick Malthouse ceding power to Nathan Buckley within two seasons.

And yet as the football world digested the extraordinary pact, this was the cold confirm – they would never have to make a decision so hard or challenging again in the name of Collingwood.

A month short of eight years on from that fateful day, here we are again.

Collingwood’s board faces a decision even more delicate than that succession plan, which many forget was signed with Malthouse’s blessing.

At year’s end they will have to decide whether to fire or rehire Nathan Buckley.

Buckley has never been a better coach, more in tune with his players and the demands of his list. He is finally reaching his peak.

Nathan Buckley has five wins in 2017. Picture: Getty Images
As he has shown so effortlessly in recent media appearances, he is witty, eloquent, profound when he needs to be and a jokey smart-arse when the moment demands.

There is only one problem.

His football teams just don’t win very much.

The bare numbers stripped of context and valid excuses make for unpleasant reading.

Five wins from 13 games this year, seven of the past 20, 16 of the past 46 games since Round 13, 2015.

In all, five and a half seasons where the win-loss record has dropped every year without fail.

In the words of every Collingwood supporter bemoaned as they left the MCG after Port Adelaide “bullied” the Pies last week, “we just aren’t good enough”.

Former Hawthorn president Ian Dicker, the man who literally saved the Hawks, says judging a favourite son is the worst task in football.

In 2004 he moved on beloved former player and senior coach Peter Schwab.

For all of Buckley’s statements about making finals or being sacked, chief executive Gary Pert has been more circumspect.

Latterly keeping a lower public profile, Pert made it clear Buckley had not wanted for anything.

“He would say he is one of the best supported and resourced coaches in the competition,” he said.

Make of that what you want.

A less generous interpretation is that Buckley has been given the support he wants, the lieutenants such as Brenton Sanderson, the players such as Daniel Wells and Chris Mayne.

And if he can’t make finals with them, then the decision becomes cut and dried.

Back in the good old days where power clubs ruled the competition, this decision would have been so much easier.

Eddie McGuire just went and lured Mick Malthouse away from West Coast mid-contract.

Then he presented him in a fancy car along with, as Travis Cloke would say, plenty of smoke and shadow behind the mirrors.

But this time around, with Paul Roos saying he is unavailable and Alastair Clarkson adamant he isn’t leaving Hawthorn, the decision must be made on Buckley alone rather than weighing him up against an available coach.

AFL Coaches Association boss Mark Brayshaw said the Pies have treated Buckley with respect throughout a challenging year.

He is adamant even if Buckley eventually leaves Collingwood he is not done as a senior coach.

Pleasingly for Brayshaw, despite the media’s obsession, Collingwood’s board will not be rushed into a premature mid-season decision.

“I think the board is entitled to take the time.

“It’s a very important appointment and Collingwood are doing a very thorough and meticulous job and good on them,’’ he said.

“I think Geoff Walsh’s appointment has been really important for Nathan. He is that highly regarded person every coach needs and I am sure Nathan has enjoyed working with Geoff.”

Nathan Buckley is getting better as a coach but the Pies aren’t winning enough games. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
The succession plan was orchestrated by Pert and McGuire, which shines extra attention on their positions if Buckley goes.

But presidents moving on with the coach is a rare event. Much of the commentary around Buckley’s position has been that they should keep him because no other option appeals.

But just last month seven of the AFL’s Level Four coaching group graduated – Melbourne’s Simon Goodwin joined John Barker (Carlton), Stuart Dew (Sydney), Robert Harvey (Collingwood), Adam Kingsley (St Kilda), Simon Lloyd (Geelong) and Matthew Nicks (Port Adelaide).

It is described by one of its mentors Neale Daniher as a finishing school that rounds out their coaching CV.

Barker and Dew just need a chance given exceptional resumes, while Brett Ratten, Michael Voss and Matthew Knights lead the contenders wanting a second crack.

Would Voss, ironically a sacked coach at the club that made him a legend, appeal to the Pies if Buckley goes?

He has the presence and marketing appeal, he is the midfield manager of in-form Port Adelaide and he clearly wants to step into the ring again.

Brayshaw says clubs should consider older candidates as well as those who have tried and failed before.

Brayshaw makes no comment about Buckley’s job safety but says in general the pipeline of coaches being readied for senior jobs is elite.

“You are infinitely better prepared (the second time). The experiences they have are priceless,” he said.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire instigated the coaching succession plan. Picture: George Salpigtidis
In a recent interviews Buckley has screamed of a coach who was finally working it out after six years in the job.

“I’m pretty aware of what I need to do to do my job well and then it is up to others to assess if that is what the club needs going forward,” Buckley told SEN on Friday night.

“There’s nothing in the charter that says Collingwood has to play finals every year because it’s a pretty tough competition.

“I reckon, personally, that we’ve shown much better signs this year than 12 months ago and that we need to frank that over the next eight or nine weeks.”

But lose today against Hawthorn and the scrutiny begins again. Buckley is an honourable man and a good bloke.

But in the past week, above all, we and Bachar Houli have found the good bloke factor in football counts for very little.

BRETT RATTEN (Hawthorn)

READY for another crack after five mostly excellent years at Carlton and with the knowledge of Hawthorn’s system and IP as an assistant under Alastair Clarkson.

“Never say never,’’ he said of another opportunity recently.

“I’ve gone through a lot in my last couple of years personally (Ratten’s son Cooper died in a car accident in 2015). It would have to be the right fit.”

Brett Ratten. Picture: Getty Images
JOHN BARKER (Carlton)

MADE a great fist of 14 games as caretaker at Carlton, ran a close second to Chris Fagan for the Lions gig, and is said to have a huge admirer in Mark Evans, who pushed him for the Lions job when at the AFL.

Said last year he was “in a place right now to seriously look at any senior coaching opportunities that presented”.

STUART DEW (Sydney)

SYDNEY’S senior assistant coach has been ready to go for years but with a wife and family in Sydney has preferred to stay with the Swans.

Just pipped by Phil Walsh as Adelaide coach and considered as Paul Roos’ successor as early as 2013, he is waiting for the right opportunity.

“What I have learnt in these scenarios is that they will have preferred candidates and with my experience and where I’m at, I’m very happy doing what I am doing,” he said last year.

PAUL ROOS (ex-Sydney and Melbourne)

HAS consistently said he will not entertain coaching offers despite close friendship with former team-mate and Pies CEO Gary Pert. Jetting out to Hawaii immediately after the season and while many think he will coach again, surely won’t be next year.

“On the back of what happened last time when I came back to coach Melbourne, people are going to speculate, but we will be away from October to December every year travelling,” he said recently.

“That precludes you from doing anything in footy on a full-time basis. That is as clear as I can be.”

Paul Roos. Picture: Getty Images
MICHAEL VOSS (Port Adelaide)

THE Brisbane legend coached the Lions into their last finals campaign and is again hot given his role as the Power’s midfield manager.

Just the kind of strong figure with marketing appeal to accept the task of coaching a big club like Collingwood.

“I’m never one to shy away from a big task.

“I still think that (desire) obviously burns deep for me, and whether another opportunity exists there or not, that’ll play out,’’ he said last month.

ALASTAIR CLARKSON (Hawthorn)

IS contracted until 2019, has said he is staying the course and Hawthorn won’t let him go. But if Buckley went, Collingwood would have to ask.

The Pies don’t want the best available, they want the best. For the same reason, the Pies might ask Brad Scott about his intentions.

Alastair Clarkson. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
OTHERS TO CONSIDER

ADAM KINGSLEY (St Kilda)

HIGHLY rated but low profile, he is seen as a coach-in-waiting but lacks the profile the Pies might desire.

SCOTT BURNS, BRENTON SANDERSON and ROBERT HARVEY (Collingwood)

ALL three are assistants at Collingwood but presumably if the Pies moved on Buckley they would look outside the club for a replacement.

MATTHEW KNIGHTS (Geelong)

SINCE his sacking by Essendon has enhanced his reputation at Geelong where the stars like Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood love him.

Still hurt perception-wise by his sacking and attack-only emphasis, but would be better second time around.

SIMON LLOYD (Geelong)

THE Cats’ director of coaching won rave reviews in his time at Fremantle and is a sleeper for senior roles. Was the Pies’ head of development and psychologist 2005-2009.



HOW THE MAGPIES BOARD WILL RATE NATHAN BUCKLEY
THE PLAYERS

They are a big tick for Buckley, and you couldn’t always say that.

Scott Pendlebury delivered the latest ringing endorsement this week, saying sacking him would cut short the club’s momentum when on the verge of something special.

Ruckman Brodie Grundy, about to sign a new deal this year, will do so hoping Buckley remains in charge.

Players once felt Buckley was too footy-focused, with a long line of departing players at odds with him.

But there is no doubt he has the players after addressing his weaknesses and delegating more.

THE GAME PLAN

What is Nathan Buckley’s game plan?

Game plans will always evolve over seasons but his has changed more than most.

Loosely, it is frenzied attack on the ball, quick ball movement, a multi-faceted forward line.

But he does not have a brand that stands out like Clarkson’s movement by foot or Beveridge’s midfield blitzkrieg.

Last year the back six played zone defence, then a more successful one on one.

This year the Pies ball movement was turgid as they attempted to defend first before a rapid and successful overhaul.

His positional changes - Jeremy Howe back, Taylor Adams to half forward - have been more successful than the actual methodology.

THE LIST BUILD

Buckley’s detractors will wonder how much time a coach is given but it ignores the early mandate he was given to weed out the ratbags.

It cost the club two seasons (the only finals-bound ones) but since then he can’t complain he hasn’t secured the players he wanted.

Those inclusions have included Adam Treloar, Jeremy Howe, Taylor Adams, Jesse White, Daniel Wells, James Aish, Travis Varcoe, Levi Greenwood, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Chris Mayne.

It is hard to suggest this club is slowly building through the draft when so much has been given for players in their prime.

Tony Shaw says the issue is the kind of player, adamant the Pies should have gone after a star key forward rather than spend cash on Wells and Mayne.

WINS

Buckley has coached 127 games for 66 wins and 61 losses in a career of ever-diminishing returns.

At a time when he wants to be building his side has won seven of its past 20 games.

The trend is worrying - 17 wins in 2012, then 14, 11, 10, 9 and this year’s five from 13 games.

If Collingwood is in the business of winning premierships, the Pies aren’t very close to a flag.

The million dollar question is whether someone else is better equipped to get them there faster.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Actually it does give Holgate a chance to do something constructive in her business life, rather than selling pills to people who dont need them.

It's going to be interesting to see how Holgate goes at Australia Post.

It's a business that's been in long term decline. Their business strategy under their previous CEO seem to be to turn their prime retail real estate holdings into a network of $2 shops. Totally daft (and short sighted) behavior. And he got massively overpaid for it.

It'll be interesting to see if Holgate can make better lemonade of the lemon that is Australia Post. It shouldn't be too difficult, it ain't rocket science. She's CEO of Australia's largest logistics company, at the dawn of the era of online retail shopping.

If she can pull that off then we can consider ourself fortunate to have her on our board.

 

[Markfs]

It's going to be interesting to see how Holgate goes at Australia Post.

It's a business that's been in long term decline. Their business strategy under their previous CEO seem to be to turn their prime retail real estate holdings into a network of $2 shops. Totally daft (and short sighted) behavior. And he got massively overpaid for it.

It'll be interesting to see if Holgate can make better lemonade of the lemon that is Australia Post. It shouldn't be too difficult, it ain't rocket science. She's CEO of Australia's largest logistics company, at the dawn of the era of online retail shopping.

If she can pull that off then we can consider ourself fortunate to have her on our board.

I would consider ourselves fortunate if they make the right decision about the coach. I couldn't care less what else she does. I saw her announcement on the net.... evidently she's passionate about mail..... I saw some statement somewhere that she was passionate about pills..... and in the CV for the Collingwood site, she's passionate about the Pies....... so much passion for so many things. I wonder if she was passionate about stacking the dishwater tonight.... but of course, she would have eaten out.... passion for food...


with her and aussie post and alex and his new found passion as a newspaperman, and the liquidator korda doing his job..... they all seem so busy don't they. I just hope they can make the meetings.

on a serious note, they probably expect eddie and pert to make the decision about the coach for them..... but i'm not going to let these people get away so easy.

 

[Vicky Park]

Collingwood’s board faces a decision even more delicate than that succession plan, which many forget was signed with Malthouse’s blessing.

Just one sentence extracted from that article. The word 'delicate' stood out for me.

There's nothing delicate about the decision our board has to make. The immediate future of our club is not about saving face or trying to avoid hurting feelings or denting egos. The decision should more likely be swift and brutal and then we move on.

 

[76woodenspooners]

... and the liquidator korda doing his job.....

Mark Korda is an Administrator, not a Liquidator. It's kinda like mistakenly calling an 'Emergency Room Doctor' a 'Funeral Director'. Yeah, OK, they both deal with people who aren't too well, so they are kinda the same thing and I'm just being a bit pedantic

 

[Markfs]

Mark Korda is an Administrator, not a Liquidator. It's kinda like mistakenly calling an 'Emergency Room Doctor' a 'Funeral Director'. Yeah, OK, they both deal with people who aren't too well, so they are kinda the same thing and I'm just being a bit pedantic

It's not that I dont appreciate your contribution but this isnt a courtroom. Forensically analysing each sentence is not something that I engage in when I'm writing this stuff. I tend to look at the overall picture and the years that I've been posting here, I have seen precious little spoken about the board. To me, the board is the body that takes the rap for bad decisions.

I know the corporate world likes to put the blame on lower management so that they can take their christmas bonuses and somehow escape scrutiny. This is the same as putting all the blame on buckley. As far as I'm concerned, the main problem in this whole scenario is the lack of foresight in the original decision. I'm not talking about events that couldnt be predicted. I'm talking about the fact that Mick Malthouse was never going to take a paid retirement in the backroom.

Most of the same people are still there. I dont trust their judgement. I dont even think that most of them are engaged in it...... in fact, I dont think that most of them care.... well they care only because they trumpet their involvement in the board in their corporate life... and if the club fails, then its hard for them to trumpet failure. I dont like or dislike Alex Waislitz. I dont admire him for making money. To me, makiing money is not a ticket to get on the collingwood board.

The football team has had questions of leadership put to it for a number of years, especially after some of the senior players retired or were moved on. To me, it is bleeding obvious that the board is far worse when it comes to leadership. I ask myself how the players can get their house in order when they see the club run by this mob. I could go on but I need to do something constructive today.

The point of my last post was that holgate waislitz and korda seem busily engaged in their money making activities. I have no problem with that. Let them resign and go off and make their millions. I'd be happy if the club gave them a few awards at the end of the year and make a big deal out of them. We could rename the best bootstuders prize after Alex Waislitz. I'm sure that will appeal to him.

 

[Markfs]

Just one sentence extracted from that article. The word 'delicate' stood out for me.

There's nothing delicate about the decision our board has to make. The immediate future of our club is not about saving face or trying to avoid hurting feelings or denting egos. The decision should more likely be swift and brutal and then we move on.

well just because ralph uses that word doesnt mean that the board has to approach it that way. it worries me more that they have got a bloke who wants to be on the board, doing an "investigation" as a dress rehearsal to probably getting on the board. I'd like to know the chances of him saying anything negative about the current board or the effects of previous board decisions. Of course, he hasnt even been charged with looking at that area.

I dont know about you but I get the feeling that the people in charge, including eddie, are more focused on their business decisions. When Eddie questioned about whether he should go on last year, he shouldnt be looking at his sons for guidance, he should be asking someone who can give him some independent advice about what it takes to be an AFL president. The whole "my sons told me to go on" thing makes me squirm....

 

[ThePhantom777]

I like Dew, think he'd be good.

 

[Markfs]

Dew...

“What I have learnt in these scenarios is that they will have preferred candidates and with my experience and where I’m at, I’m very happy doing what I am doing,” he said last year.

You wonder if he was replying to a question about the collingwood position or whether it just generally - probably the latter.

Someone in another thread listed the coaches that hadnt reached finals for four or five years and he was making the point that buckley had to go. I had a look at the list he put together and i dont think any of the clubs were successful after that coach was given the flick. I say that because if the industry thinks it is mostly window dressing to let buckley go, and if there are still systemic problems there like there was melbourne, brisbane, then a coach like dew will probably stick where he is and hope to get the job after horse goes....

brett ratten would only know that too well. he was coaching ok but the carlton board wanted to do a bit of window dressing and get mick in.... but they were kidding themselves that they were ready for a premiership ( Mick of course talked it up to keep his job ) and it wasnt until they had fallen to rock bottom that they admitted where they were at. ..mick was heavily reliant on greg swann to support him thru the time when he was going to do the renovation. Mick is probably a bad case because i'm still not sure if he started to believe his own publicity and even thought he could raise a bunch of plodders to the top. Anyway, my point is that a coach with a future isnt going to throw his future away if he thinks that there are systemic problems which the board is overlooking.... and the key example is Derek Hine and the type of player that he is recruiting.

One word about Derek Hine and how he impacts on a new coach. Hine is to collingwood as steven hocking is the geelong or chris fagan was to hawthorn. In contrast with the other two, hine has a profile far beyond what is either necessary or desirable. Since the time that the Pies started throwing away draft picks for cameron wood, Hine's impact has been patchy, but that's not my point. I understood that when Rodney Eade took over in the director's role, that Hine was shifted around so that wasnt accountable to Eade. I can only assume that he felt it beneath him. People in the know can correct me here but that was my feeling. It reminds me of the situation at melbourne before roos. The lines of accountability were a mess. Roos went in because he had AFL support and was given big bickies. He wouldnt do that if the situation was like that at the Pies.

 

[Vicky Park]

When Eddie questioned about whether he should go on last year, he shouldnt be looking at his sons for guidance, he should be asking someone who can give him some independent advice about what it takes to be an AFL president. The whole "my sons told me to go on" thing makes me squirm....

I posted about this last year, when Eddie made the statement. At best, he was insensitive to the implication that the future of our club was dependent on the views of two privileged Toorak teenagers. I'm sure they are nice boys, and I'm sure (I hope) Eddie wasn't serious. Still, it was an ill-judged thing to say. Made a lot of supporters angry.

 

[Markfs]

I posted about this last year, when Eddie made the statement. At best, he was insensitive to the implication that the future of our club was dependent on the views of two privileged Toorak teenagers. I'm sure they are nice boys, and I'm sure (I hope) Eddie wasn't serious. Still, it was an ill-judged thing to say. Made a lot of supporters angry.

exactly, it smells a bit like what a north korean leader would say after a hard day at the office......"i didnt really think what the people wanted, but my boys said that i should go on".

it also makes me think that it was some sort of mutual pact between his boys and himself that he was irreplaceable....


on another front brereton has been talking.............

Brereton believes that the Magpies board need to demand the out-of-contract Buckley show some promising signs for the club’s future in the final two months of the home-and-away season.


“If I’m on the Collingwood board, I’d be listening to what his plans are, I’d be looking him in the eye and I’d be saying ‘I want you to fight your way through this and I want you to show us that you can get something,” he said.

This guy says that he was an ex magpie supporter. He hangs around the club and has free drinks.... surely he does. And yet he doesnt say a word about the likelihood of that last sentence eventuating. I dont think there is one person on that board who is likely to be able to look buckley in the eye in relation to footy matters except for Eddie and Pert...

Of course, you can look at it another way. You can look at it as Brereton the ex magpie supporter, saying that he wished he was on the board because he knows that the current mob on there are either too gutless or too uninformed or too busy with other things, to care. Maybe it's a job application......