News Newbold Resigns to become an AFL Commissioner, Richard Garvey acting President

[Ned Ryerson]

It was less than a year later when I undoubtedly became Hawthorn, always. My wife passed away and the club organised for the players to wear black armbands at the next game I attended. This meant so much to me and I was so overwhelmed. In this moment I realised that Hawthorn was more than a business and football team - they were family.

There is a famous Hawthorn quote; "If you embrace Hawthorn, Hawthorn will embrace you" and this has been my experience.

This is from Garvey's email. The man is, quite clearly, a monster who must be cut down immediately...

 

[KAMSTAR HFC]

I hate Essendon as much as any Hawk here but in this day and age of football club administration I think you have to leave those feelings behind. Plus he was only a supporter, he was never there in any capacity which is an important difference. There is no genuine reason to doubt Garvey will be an excellent president, but the good thing is we get to see him in action before voting at the next AGM.

 

[Brishawk]

I'm not overly fussed that he's a scummer, the decisions these people make should be pretty dispassionate, but his letter to the members certainly didn't endear him to me either:

'Firstly I need to disclose that I was not always a Hawks fan. Although this is not the normal pathway to being a club president, I do believe this has made my journey and love of Hawthorn even more absolute'

Now obviously he's a little bit sensitive and on the back foot about his previous allegiance, which is understandable and it's as it should be, and let's be honest most people only ever support one club in their life and don't take very seriously those that haven't.

But that bolded bit is actually offensive, it's offensive for two reasons, firstly he's saying that the fact that he used to support our most hated foe makes his love of Hawthorn even more absolute, more absolute than what? More absolute than if he'd grown up barracking for Hawthorn from the age of two? It is an insult to imply that somehow because he's changed teams that his support now is more absolute than that of all the people that have just simply supported the club all the way through.

It's also offensive because it's such a stupid and illogical thing to say, it's a political style statement that you could only make and expect to get it through to the keeper, if you believe that all the minions reading it are your intellectual inferiors and thus too stupid to call you out on such bollocks.

The best he could have done is make a slightly humorous reference to it and go on to say that he's grown to love the club through association but don't throw this disingenuous rubbish in there.

Sometimes those who know the darkness best come to love the light even more than those who have never known anything else.

 

[Agent Smith]

Agent Smith, I want to believe.

I've heard you've made multiple pre-sales at New, Bold & Rough. Now you just need to make the missus believe...

 

[Dewnior]

is this owner of Harvey Norman?

Close, that's G Harvey

 

[Brishawk]

Garvey has served on the club's board and will now be its president. I hope everyone who questions the man can say they have done as much for the club as him...

 

[Dewnior]

Conspiracy theory #3 - Newbold didn't agree with the board's plans and direction for Dingley

Conspiracy theory #4 - Garvey did a Buckley

 

[Gralin]

I read his letter as working at the club, experiencing how it is first hand, what they've done for him and each other in times of need has in turn made him a true supporter of hawthorn, not just someone who says they are because they work there

 

[Steven Tyler]

Oh good lord. People are honestly just looking for any excuse to lay the slippers in because this bloke used to support the Scum.

If you read the full email - the context of the message was - I was employed by the club on a professional level, but the way the club has treated me has made my love of the club resolute. He wasn't trying to win a pissing contest of who loves the club more - that's something the commentariat on forums like this indulge in.

It was a nice story - and as a bitter, cynical bastard I didn't read anything untoward in it.

Jason Dunstall should be stripped of his Team of the Century selection : he was a mad keen Carlton supporter
Dermie loved Phil Carman and Collingwood

What the hell is going on at Hawthorn?

 

[Agent Smith]

Maybe the whole Essendon* connection had Newbold and Garvey think about transition and consider the negative feedback from supporters who simply look at the scum thing and nothing else. If so... surprise, surprise, looks like they were right to be concerned.

What better way to water that down than to have Garvey lead the club for the year so supporters can actually vote on how well a job he's done, rather than any connection to past allegiances?

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Jason Dunstall should be stripped of his Team of the Century selection : he was a mad keen Carlton supporter
Dermie loved Phil Carman and Collingwood

What the hell is going on at Hawthorn?

Funnily enough if we had a team consisting of Hawks fans as kids then I think it would be Gibson, Fitzpatrick and possibly Spangher. Might be one or two others in there. Funny that people are more than happy for players to abandon their loyalty to clubs they and possibly their families have have long supported but the concept of someone hired in a professional capacity at the club growing to love the club due to its culture and the way it treats people is met with suspicion and derision.

 

[Great 2008]

See, I'm seeing this opposite. (of course )
Had the president's position come up for the AGM, then undoubtedly not only is there the contention over who should take over - with many shrill voices and placards associated....but the most important shtick they would have run on would have been the potential move to Dingley. Undoubtedly, there would have been a candidate who ran strongly against the move, and created quite a bit of division among Hawk supporters.

Hardly seamless.

This process however allows the soft touch of time to smooth away our memories of any contention, and just go with whatever our very successful board wants us to.
That's the epitome of seamless.

Yep we play the new look Carlton in a few weeks. I have moved on already.

 

[Great 2008]

I hate Essendon as much as any Hawk here but in this day and age of football club administration I think you have to leave those feelings behind. Plus he was only a supporter, he was never there in any capacity which is an important difference. There is no genuine reason to doubt Garvey will be an excellent president, but the good thing is we get to see him in action before voting at the next AGM.

Gets Clarko re-signed nice and quickly and he will become a fav automatically.

 

[Silent Hawk]

I have to admit the timing is a bit strange but in Hawthorn we trust...

Given that the Dingley move is a major reason behind Newbold stepping down and allowing one president to oversee the whole transition from start to finish, without any change in presidency, does make sense to me... my only query is why didn't the change happen 2 months earlier at the AGM, not now? That is the only thing that is making me question the timing.

 

[MrPremiership]

Can't believe people have written Garvey off due to what team he used to support.

Maybe its the same people who questioned Lovell because he likes Justin Beiber.

Maybe they would be upset at those who don't have their eggs scrambled. Or put sugar in their coffee.

 

[MinerBoy]

I had a couple of queries with the club in 'the Kennett years'.
Always got a reply, usually from Kennetts email address.
If you want to Question Fox, think back to the arrogant prick we had before him. Had zero time for supporters/members.
The day he left & went to Essendon I told my mate ' it's a match made in heaven'

To be fair to Robson I once emailed the club about an issue I had concerns over and 5 minutes later I was talking to the man on the phone. He called me.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Read the email. Liked it.

No idea what all the gnashing of teeth is about, nor the supposed 'offensiveness'.

Garvey sounds like a straight up and down sort of guy, who knows our club very well and who has felt a very close connection with the admin over a number of years....I couldn't give a stuff who he supported prior to being at the club, because just like Clarko, the assistants, Fagan, Fox, Evans and plenty before them he's now a Hawthorn man.

 

[Paul Kersey]

People are actually serious in the criticism of him being an Essendon supporter? This is professional sport, not old boy football.

 

[Paul Kersey]

To be fair to Robson I once emailed the club about an issue I had concerns over and 5 minutes later I was talking to the man on the phone. He called me.

Used to enjoy emailing Jeff - the replies were always circulated in the office. He would have had the time as he wasn't on the tools. I have emailed Fox on matters and he has done the right thing by delegating it to the person responsible to deal with. Nothing worse than dealing with people who have to get a response from 'the boss' and take offence otherwise.

 

[Davo23]

I don't get the hate. Hawks players grew up barracking for other clubs, some played for other clubs.
Clarko, Fagan and others have worked at other clubs.
So prior to having direct contact with Hawthorn Garvey supported another club, well he's a Hawks man now.

Jack Gunston's Dad, Ray, was not only a long serving Essendon committee man, he was interim CEO during the drugs saga.

Also, when Luke Hodge was drafted, he said every member of his family were Richmond supporters, including several uncles.

I suppose they're converted now!

 

[Dixie Flatline]

I have no issue with the fact that Garvey supported a rival club before he became involved with Hawthorn. It happens all the time.

I just question the timing of this hand-over to Garvey, even if it is on an interim basis. We had an AGM in December. Newbold could have signalled that he did not seek reelection and that he and the board endorsed Garvey as his replacement as club President. That would have given other members of the club the opportunity to stand up for election opposing Garvey and would have given Garvey (plus Newbold and the rest of the board) the opportunity to put forward his case for election, as opposed to the spin-heavy letter members received last night.

This handover doesn't sit straight with me.

 

[LuvMyHawks]

Didn't Fox support Geelong, before coming to us? That's life,something we all have to get used to
.
Even IF there was an undercurrent for his resignation, we may never find out why! I hope we never do!!

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Didn't Fox support Geelong, before coming to us? That's life,something we all have to get used to
.
Even IF there was an undercurrent for his resignation, we may never find out why! I hope we never do!!

Fox worked at Geelong as deputy CEO before Kennett hired him to replace Robson. I don't know if Fox ever supported Geelong, though.

 

[BaliHawk]

Ultimately;

- The President heads the board
- The board I'd comprised of executive and non-executive directors
- The CEO usually sits on the board
- The CEO carries out the wishes of the board, and reports to the board. The CEO manages the managers who functionally run the business via their KPIs which should reflect the wishes of the board.
- The President speaks on behalf of the board in relation to board matters

So, Garvey assumes this role - nothing changes in terms of the board, and the CEO continues to carry out their wishes.

Very different if the President has lost the confidence of the board, or for that matter the CEO has lost the confidence of the board - that's when the red flags go up.

Perfectly put - the one grey area that we lay trust is that Garvey is the right man for the Presidency. We trust that there has been adequate due diligence and that the right person was 'in the house' to make this change. 'Generally' the President has been what we would all describe as a 'Hawthorn' person, given his relatively short time as a board member and belonging to the EFC before the question remains does he fit the mould of what we as members expect. There are many 'Hawthorn' people on the board right now, Bruce Stevenson comes to mind and would have though he would make a good Prez. anyway - time will tell I guess.

 

[BaliHawk]

Fox worked at Geelong as deputy CEO before Kennett hired him to replace Robson. I don't know if Fox ever supported Geelong, though.

Definitely a Cat's fan and he's a paid employee, can support whoever he likes IMO as long s he does the job he's being paid to do. As for the Prez - the scope is very different.