Members urged to have their say

[Skeeta Olly]

So you have hand picked the easy question to answer and if we want the answers to the others we have to leave this site, sign up to facebook and ask them again.

No thanks.

Agreed.

Hard questions should be easy to answer because they are the one relevant to the topic at hand. To come on a public forum and state " I'm happy to answer any questions" is a great privilege you have geiven to us, but to answer the irrelevant questions on the forum and refer to your facebook page as the answer sheet is not the ideal way of answering them, and not teh righ way to go about things in my opinion.

I'm sure you have answers to Merv's questions, which seem to be hard hitting, but insightful, but i believe it would be much appreciated if the answers were posted on this thread.

 

[Rachael Hankinson]

So, Rachel, what do you think are the three biggest issues facing the club, and why do you think you are better equipped to handle these than those you are standing against?

.


I'll try again so that anyone without a Facebook account can see my response.....

Firstly, I am not about to be critical of board members, they give their time up in an honorary capacity to do what is asked of them by the members, I believe though there are times change is required and without elections that won’t happen.

My response and not in any particular order:

Governance:
The Club needs to be extremely well governed as all businesses, footy clubs included, will be effected by the downturn in the economy. I believe I bring strong governance principles to the board through my own commercial life experiences.

Stadium:
How do we meet our members needs, is Telstra Dome (soon to be Etihad Stadium) the right venue for the future.

There are economical scales that will be debated to make the right decision, I believe my experience as an accountant will assist.

Membership:
Whilst our membership is strong, we should have the largest membership of all Victorian Clubs. Research suggests there are some 1 Million people that support the EFC, we have just over 41,000 members, I would like to think that we can bridge that gap. How, hard work and being creative, I can assist that.



I have set up a Facebook page and a Facebook group. For those wanting anymore information please take a look at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=37566677251

 

[Rachael Hankinson]

Rachael are you a Horsburgh backer?

I have met Ray, he seems to have his heart and head in the right place, whether Ray is the right person as President is not for me to say.

I stand independently so that makes me a fence sitter, and doesn’t directly answer your question, however what I would ask is, where is the succession plan?



I have set up a Facebook page and a Facebook group. For those wanting anymore information please take a look at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/gr...id=37566677251

 

[Rachael Hankinson]

Rachael i also have a few questions.

Have you ever sat on a board before?

Is your current business a publicly listed company?

Have you ever had a personal or professional relationship with any of the current board members or candidates?

Could you please advise what you bring to the board other than your accounting background and enthusiasm?

(I ask this question as we currently have several current board members who have more financial qualifications than yourself as well as experience at board level on successful publicly listed companies with large market capitalizations)

Have you ever had a football involvement at any level?


Thank you

Have you ever sat on a board before? Yes.

Is your current business a publicly listed company? No, can you tell me what relevance this has?

Have you ever had a personal or professional relationship with any of the current board members or candidates? I have had some business dealings, about 15 years ago, with one of the current board members.

Could you please advise what you bring to the board other than your accounting background and enthusiasm? I wouldn’t discount accounting and enthusiasm for a start. But also;

- Strategic Planning
- Governance
- Youth

(I ask this question as we currently have several current board members who have more financial qualifications than yourself as well as experience at board level on successful publicly listed companies with large market capitalizations) and that is one of the main reasons I am standing, there needs to be a mix of people, skills, age, personality and gender.

Have you ever had a football involvement at any level? No, is that essential, I don’t believe it is, this is a business first, that happens to be a Football Club.

 

[Rachael Hankinson]

Rachael, jam or cinnamon doughnuts?

Secondly, I notice on the information it says that you have been a member for five years. As I have been a member of the club for around 20 years, I find this interesting that you would consider running for the board in such time.

Iced actually.

If only I had been a 20 year member like yourself, however, I don’t believe there is any relevance on how long you may have been financial. I have supported the club all my life, probably like you, and I am prepared to put myself forward for election and do what I can as a director, and you?

 

[Rachael Hankinson]

So you have hand picked the easy question to answer and if we want the answers to the others we have to leave this site, sign up to facebook and ask them again.

No thanks.

How cynical and wrong

I thought, rather than doubling up on answers here and other forums, that I'd direct answers to the really good questions, that other people would also be interested in, to my Facebook page.

Having said that, I've considered your comment, accordingly I'll now post the full answer to each question here, and to my Facebook Group at http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=9490&uid=37566677251#/group.php?gid=37566677251&ref=mf.

Thanks for the insight

 

[Ben the Gooner]

and that is one of the main reasons I am standing, there needs to be a mix of people, skills, age, personality and gender.

Without passing judgement on your credentials, I'd rather my board be the best people for the job rather than diverse. If the best candidates are all 55 year old males, or 30 year old females or whatever, than that's who I want. Diversity for diversity's sake is not going to bring the club forward.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Have you ever had a football involvement at any level? No, is that essential, I don’t believe it is, this is a business first, that happens to be a Football Club.

Wrong answer, its a footy club you need to have a strong passion for the club and its performance on and off the field.

The whole problem is that board members are losing touch with the average supporter, and they are the lifeblood of any club.

We want our club to be successful on the field, everything else comes a distant second.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Wrong answer, its a footy club you need to have a strong passion for the club and its performance on and off the field.

I missed that.

It's a football team first, and a business second.

I couldn't care less how stable we are if we're not performing on the field.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Rachael, what would you say it is about Essendon that makes it better than every other club?

 

[stander]

I.

This is particularly important in today’s economic environment. Essendon, along with many other clubs, has felt the financial impact as a result of the downturn in the economy. The value of our investments has fallen significantly this year.

Rachael, I have had a look at your facebook and you, and with all due respect, I'd love to be discussing EFC opposite you in the boardroom.

I note your comments about the investments falling in value, can you fill us in on which ones these are?

Having mentioned the investments, I assume you have a strategy earmarked for their recovery. What might that be?

All the best

s

 

[Merv]

Have you ever sat on a board before? Yes.

Is your current business a publicly listed company? No, can you tell me what relevance this has?

Have you ever had a personal or professional relationship with any of the current board members or candidates? I have had some business dealings, about 15 years ago, with one of the current board members.

Could you please advise what you bring to the board other than your accounting background and enthusiasm? I wouldn’t discount accounting and enthusiasm for a start. But also;

- Strategic Planning
- Governance
- Youth

(I ask this question as we currently have several current board members who have more financial qualifications than yourself as well as experience at board level on successful publicly listed companies with large market capitalizations) and that is one of the main reasons I am standing, there needs to be a mix of people, skills, age, personality and gender.

Have you ever had a football involvement at any level? No, is that essential, I don’t believe it is, this is a business first, that happens to be a Football Club.

Is your current business a publicly listed company? No, can you tell me what relevance this has?

The relevance is that if it is a publicly listed company i can check out certain areas of interest to me and possibly validate any answers you may give.

I'm not going to get into a debate with you here nor am i going to try to put your answers under the microscope on this public forum so i thank you for your time.

 

[Longy413]

Wrong answer, its a footy club you need to have a strong passion for the club and its performance on and off the field.

No one gives up their time to nominate for a board position (these people don't get paid) if they aren't passionate about the club.

But lets remember, blind passion can affect judgement and objective decision making.

The whole problem is that board members are losing touch with the average supporter, and they are the lifeblood of any club.

I reckon the average football supporter has lost touch with what it takes to run a successful football club. I reckon most have no idea at all.

We want our club to be successful on the field, everything else comes a distant second.

That doesn't happen just by drafting the right players, there is a strong correlation between off field success leading to onfield success.

Hawthorn and Geelong are great examples of this.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Thanks for the reply Longy, i like to think what you said is spot on and i mostly agreed with every answer you provided.

Although i think you will find that most average supporters know how the footy club is run and what they want. They want success on the field. The off field strengths have been built up over time and will keep our club financial viable and strong for a long time to come.

Now for the on field part.

 

[GoDons]

Without passing judgement on your credentials, I'd rather my board be the best people for the job rather than diverse. If the best candidates are all 55 year old males, or 30 year old females or whatever, than that's who I want. Diversity for diversity's sake is not going to bring the club forward.

Diversity for diversity's sake won't bring the club forward, but don't discount the potential advantages that a well-credentialled diverse individual could bring to the club. This is not the type of situation where there is a clear 'best person' for the job, there is no one qualification that makes anyone clearly better than anyone else.


Rachael, I'm just wondering if you could outline the 'governance principles' you bring. Perhaps an example from your commercial life experiences.

On top of that, you say you will bring strategic planning skills to the board, obviously you will be applying those when looking at the membership issue, so quite simply, how do you plan to confront that issue? Where is the club falling down in marketing to its supporters?

 

[B-Bomber]

Where do you think Essendon is going to finish on the ladder in 2009?

Who is your early favorite for next years premiership?

Who's your favorite player for Essendon? From another club?

Which team do you enjoy seeing Essendon beat the most?

Thanks!

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Diversity for diversity's sake won't bring the club forward, but don't discount the potential advantages that a well-credentialled diverse individual could bring to the club. This is not the type of situation where there is a clear 'best person' for the job, there is no one qualification that makes anyone clearly better than anyone else.

Diversity among accountants/lawyers etc. is good. I meant diversity among women/men and old/young etc.

If the best people for the job are all male, then get them in. If not, then great.

 

[GoDons]

Diversity among accountants/lawyers etc. is good. I meant diversity among women/men and old/young etc.

If the best people for the job are all male, then get them in. If not, then great.

Diversity comes in all shapes and sizes. Occupational diversity is obviously very relevant here, but different perspectives can still be gained from adding women, younger people and just people that break the mould.

It is something Rachel would bring to the board, whether it's a massive calling card is another thing.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Diversity comes in all shapes and sizes. Occupational diversity is obviously very relevant here, but different perspectives can still be gained from adding women, younger people and just people that break the mould.

It is something Rachel would bring to the board, whether it's a massive calling card is another thing.

I don't like the idea of putting women on the board simply because they're women. If they are more qualified than the rest, fantastic, get them on there. But arguing gender diversity or age diversity as a reason to vote for someone is not for me.

EDIT: Just realised the double entendre of that first sentence. I don't mean that women are unqualified because they're women. I do mean that the fact that women are women should not be their only qualification.

 

[GoDons]

I don't like the idea of putting women on the board simply because they're women. If they are more qualified than the rest, fantastic, get them on there. But arguing gender diversity or age diversity as a reason to vote for someone is not for me.

Largely, I agree with you.

A board situation is a bit different though. It's less clear cut as to who is the most qualified. You want the best group of people to take the club forward, and finding a balance amongst those people is important. At the end of the day, women are different to men, society's conformity to stereotypes dictates that, and young people are different to older people given the different environments and norms that they've grown up with.

Age and gender are both factors that diversify people.

Personally, I think the balance those factors bring to groups and institutions is minor, I'm with you. However, it is valid to lay claim to bring diversity to a board should you be of the opposite sex and/or of a lower age.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

True. I think that Rachael's qualifications take it past being an issue solely of diversity, so the point is moot.

 

[mantis]

Wrong answer, its a footy club you need to have a strong passion for the club and its performance on and off the field.

The whole problem is that board members are losing touch with the average supporter, and they are the lifeblood of any club.

We want our club to be successful on the field, everything else comes a distant second.

Spot on, the reason I want Horsburgh gone.

Rachael may be OK in time, but she is new to the club & I doubt knows the real passion that supporters have. At least Bev Knight's been a long time supporter & loves her footy.

 

[made from beer]

Spot on, the reason I want Horsburgh gone.

Rachael may be OK in time, but she is knew to the club & I doubt knows the real passion that supporters have. At least Bev Knight's been a long time supporter & loves her footy.

did you not read the part where rachael explained she's barracked for essendon since she was a kid?

I have supported the club all my life, probably like you, and I am prepared to put myself forward for election and do what I can as a director, and you?

 

[Jesse Custer]

did you not read the part where rachael explained she's barracked for essendon since she was a kid?

So have millions of supporters, is it passion or a football side to follow ?

Mantis knows what she is talking about i can assure you.

 

[mantis]

did you not read the part where rachael explained she's barracked for essendon since she was a kid?

I was going by the pamphlet that came with the ballot paper, in it she says that she has been a member for 5 years, why didn't she mention that in there, seems strange that she left that off her blurb, unless..............