Yianni
Norm Smith Medallist
5. Demetriou's denials don't change the facts
Charles Happell writes:
Before we break for Christmas pudding, a glass of sherry and an afternoon snooze in the rocking chair, let’s get one thing straight: the Crikey story on Monday which revealed how the AFL was death-riding the Kangaroos was absolutely spot-on.
Don’t be fooled by the lame attempts at denial coming out of AFL HQ, or the frenzy of damage control being done by its army of spin doctors. AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou wants the Roos out of the picture so the League can seamlessly introduce a new team from the Gold Coast, if not by 2010 then some time soon afterwards. A major facility at Runaway Bay has been earmarked as the new club’s home. The Roos’ decision to spurn the AFL’s offer of relocation to the Gold Coast has, in Demetriou’s words, played right into the league’s hands.
Demetriou has called the Crikey story "complete rubbish"; AFL Players Association chief Brendon Gale thought it "absolute rubbish". At least the spin doctors have got them singing from the same page.
But they know, as well as I do, what was said in the Montague Park café in South Melbourne last Thursday and they know how damaging these revelations are now they are out in the public domain. Any AFL move now that obviously discriminates against the Roos will be seen through the prism of that discussion, and surely come under heavy scrutiny.
It’s amazing what falls out of a tree if you shake it hard enough. Soon after the Crikey story appeared, details emerged from a meeting Demetriou had with Kangaroos directors on October 31, the day the Herald Sun announced the Roos would refuse the League’s Gold Coast offer. Enraged at being snubbed, just when he though he had the deal over the line, Demetriou went into the meeting and tore strips off the Kangaroos’ directors for being incompetent – even worse than those at Melbourne, he said – and issued the veiled threat that the AFL’s financial support of the Roos was not inexhaustible. Some directors were shocked at the ferocity of the attack.
The Herald Sun, which has consistently applied intellectual rigour to the debate over the Kangaroos’ future, followed up the Crikey story and ran it on the back page on Tuesday – despite protestations from the AFL.
Gale said last week the Montague Park chat about the Kangaroos lasted five minutes; this week he had cut that back to just two minutes, and it occurred only as he and Demetriou were standing up to leave.
His role in this episode begs one or two questions. Here’s the union chief, the working-class hero and man of the people, who is in discussions with the boss man, the employer, about the imminent demise of one of Victoria’s 10 clubs. That’s potentially 40 or so of Gale’s union members without a job.
No-one suggested he has been complicit in this behind-the-scenes deathriding, because there is no suggestion he knew anything of Demetriou’s plans until being told about them on Thursday. Indeed, Gale said little in the café, just listened – perhaps with incredulity – as Demetriou brazenly outlined his vision.
But Gale is now most certainly aware of the AFL’s scheming. So the question is: what’s he planning to do about it? It’s great to have a cosy relationship with Demetriou but there comes a time when the red flags have to come out, heels have to be dug in and the workers protected. It would be a bad look indeed if the AFLPA stood by now – gormlessly – while the league went about its euthenasing of the Roos.
Christmas has come at a fortunate time for Demetriou, Gale, the league and its embattled phalanx of PR types. Everyone will take a holiday, this unseemly talk will die down, pre-season training camps will dominate the sports pages after January then the league can get on with its business next year.
But for the Roos’ chairman James Brayshaw and his new board of directors, somehow Christmas turkey this year will seem slightly chewier than normal.
Happell isn't backing down.
It's an interesting lone voice of dissent in an ocean of spin.
Discuss...
Charles Happell writes:
Before we break for Christmas pudding, a glass of sherry and an afternoon snooze in the rocking chair, let’s get one thing straight: the Crikey story on Monday which revealed how the AFL was death-riding the Kangaroos was absolutely spot-on.
Don’t be fooled by the lame attempts at denial coming out of AFL HQ, or the frenzy of damage control being done by its army of spin doctors. AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou wants the Roos out of the picture so the League can seamlessly introduce a new team from the Gold Coast, if not by 2010 then some time soon afterwards. A major facility at Runaway Bay has been earmarked as the new club’s home. The Roos’ decision to spurn the AFL’s offer of relocation to the Gold Coast has, in Demetriou’s words, played right into the league’s hands.
Demetriou has called the Crikey story "complete rubbish"; AFL Players Association chief Brendon Gale thought it "absolute rubbish". At least the spin doctors have got them singing from the same page.
But they know, as well as I do, what was said in the Montague Park café in South Melbourne last Thursday and they know how damaging these revelations are now they are out in the public domain. Any AFL move now that obviously discriminates against the Roos will be seen through the prism of that discussion, and surely come under heavy scrutiny.
It’s amazing what falls out of a tree if you shake it hard enough. Soon after the Crikey story appeared, details emerged from a meeting Demetriou had with Kangaroos directors on October 31, the day the Herald Sun announced the Roos would refuse the League’s Gold Coast offer. Enraged at being snubbed, just when he though he had the deal over the line, Demetriou went into the meeting and tore strips off the Kangaroos’ directors for being incompetent – even worse than those at Melbourne, he said – and issued the veiled threat that the AFL’s financial support of the Roos was not inexhaustible. Some directors were shocked at the ferocity of the attack.
The Herald Sun, which has consistently applied intellectual rigour to the debate over the Kangaroos’ future, followed up the Crikey story and ran it on the back page on Tuesday – despite protestations from the AFL.
Gale said last week the Montague Park chat about the Kangaroos lasted five minutes; this week he had cut that back to just two minutes, and it occurred only as he and Demetriou were standing up to leave.
His role in this episode begs one or two questions. Here’s the union chief, the working-class hero and man of the people, who is in discussions with the boss man, the employer, about the imminent demise of one of Victoria’s 10 clubs. That’s potentially 40 or so of Gale’s union members without a job.
No-one suggested he has been complicit in this behind-the-scenes deathriding, because there is no suggestion he knew anything of Demetriou’s plans until being told about them on Thursday. Indeed, Gale said little in the café, just listened – perhaps with incredulity – as Demetriou brazenly outlined his vision.
But Gale is now most certainly aware of the AFL’s scheming. So the question is: what’s he planning to do about it? It’s great to have a cosy relationship with Demetriou but there comes a time when the red flags have to come out, heels have to be dug in and the workers protected. It would be a bad look indeed if the AFLPA stood by now – gormlessly – while the league went about its euthenasing of the Roos.
Christmas has come at a fortunate time for Demetriou, Gale, the league and its embattled phalanx of PR types. Everyone will take a holiday, this unseemly talk will die down, pre-season training camps will dominate the sports pages after January then the league can get on with its business next year.
But for the Roos’ chairman James Brayshaw and his new board of directors, somehow Christmas turkey this year will seem slightly chewier than normal.
Happell isn't backing down.
It's an interesting lone voice of dissent in an ocean of spin.
Discuss...
