Simon Lethlean appointed to the role of Head of Football

[Saint Watto]

Probably plenty of clubs who quietly wanted him.

Spot on there Aussie from what I've seen in the media.

 

[mr bagcroft]

In all seriousness I think one of the issues we've had to date is that beyond Richo we haven't had anyone really driving the football dept. There's no real sharp edge to it.

I don't think we've have anyone that can challenge Richo or question why certain things are happening or to assist him with having some counter views. Which is a horrible thing for Richo. Not only for his performance day to day but also his development.

Since 2013 we've pretty much been rolling along trying to stabilise the club and rebuild it.

Cox I don't think was in a position or had the background or experience to really challenge and drive Richo and by extension the football dept. His job in his own words was really to assist Richo as being the conduit to the board.

I think this appointment changes all of that. Its the line in the sand. We are a stable club now. We have a growing membership base. We've filled out the sponsorship. We are turning over a profit. On field we are now challenging clubs and are on the cusp of finals. We've turned the corner and it's now about having a really sharp focus on driving the football dept into a high performance environment.

Simon can help us with that.

Besides Richo? Bloke is just a expressionless puppet. He has ALL the cliches, knows em backwards and trots em out every oppotunity. Never has such a hack earned such a large salary for...being a hack!

 

[StCicatriz]

Besides Richo? Bloke is just a expressionless puppet. He has ALL the cliches, knows em backwards and trots em out every oppotunity. Never has such a hack earned such a large salary for...being a hack!

Welcome back mate. Good to have you back. And I mean that genuinely

 

[Saint Watto]

In all seriousness I think one of the issues we've had to date is that beyond Richo we haven't had anyone really driving the football dept. There's no real sharp edge to it.

Great post there StCicatriz.......you nailed it IMO.

I think that we have got to this point of the rebuild of the whole club where we've had to have a look at what is still needed and what has to be tuned up.

Just quietly.....I think that is exactly what is happening.

I also think Ameet's departure and what his portfolio was has given us the perfect opportunity for this to happen

 

[Diehard Saint]

Besides the affair.

He was highly rated at admin level at the AFL. Happy with this.

While married.
Luckily we only recruit people of good character, hey?

 

[stavro#4]

Spot on there Aussie from what I've seen in the media.

Interest from each of the clubs who filled a key post in the post season. Harder to sell to members for them due to their current public issues which makes a potential appointment like this harder to make.

Politics in business.

 

[stavro#4]

While married.
Luckily we only recruit people of good character, hey?

You would be hard pressed to find an organization that has never had these types of issues. Jason gram used to bang anything with legs regardless of age. Yet was nearly immortalized as a stkilda great.

Lastly an affair involves two people. If he didn't have such a public profile would it have e been front page of the sun?

 

[TheBalls]

I have an honest question borne out of ignorance of the situation as I haven't read much of the stuff about his situation.

Was the affair that precipitated his removal from AFL House a relationship between two consenting adults that was inappropriate because the two people were work colleagues, or was there something more sinister involved?

She fell on to his sword so he had to.

For me the word ‘junior’ member of staff is added to exacerbate the whole thing.

Although I’m not sure if in corporate world that’s seen as abusing power like a teacher and a legal age, consenting student.

I’ve actually nothing to add here but just wanted to drop in the sword pun, should have left it there really.

 

[Diehard Saint]

Lastly an affair involves two people. If he didn't have such a public profile would it have e been front page of the sun?

Yes, but it was.
And provides plenty of opportunity for more scrutiny of our club that as you know already has issues that journos are ready to trot out again and again after any minor indiscretion (remember the blow up of the Carlisle / Murphy thing? )

Just putting us out in the firing line again.

 

[SaintSteele9]

The novelty of the cheap laughs/jokes around this will wear off pretty quickly, and from there we have a highly-rated professional who was quite likely the absolute best available for the role. I think SL will be a successful appointment for us.

 

[cooperrules]

Sex pest

 

[Cornish]

If hes the best guy for the job then get him, i don't give a slither of shit about what hes been shagging, that's his business.

All this holier than thou blabber some people come out with, get a grip.

 

[StCicatriz]

While married.
Luckily we only recruit people of good character, hey?

if that rule was applied across the board then geelong would never have hired brian cook. i can tell you of a situation that occurred during his time at west coast, prior to moving to geelong. where a current marque player at the club had to confront an employ to tell them that "i think brian might be ****ing your missus". employee ended up divorced and brian ran away with his wife.

do you think geelong regret that decision. hell no. he's been instrumental in turning them around from a debt ridden basket case with a massive premiership drought into a club that essentially has its own stadium, the best stadia return bar none, 3 flags, well respected club with far reaching influence

the reality is:
- yes simon did the wrong thing
- it was consensual
- it happens in every workplace
- yes he was reprimanded for it by losing his job
- he's effectively been demoted from AFL Football Boss to a Football Boss at a club, not a power club either

i mean what did people expect. did they think Simon would be unemployed for the rest of his life as punishment? is that what we are talking about here? he takes responsibility for what he did, he's copped his whack. do we expect him to be blacklisted for the rest of his life? what about providing for himself and his family?

 

[Smoke_Me_AKipper]

You would be hard pressed to find an organization that has never had these types of issues. Jason gram used to bang anything with legs regardless of age. Yet was nearly immortalized as a stkilda great.

Lastly an affair involves two people. If he didn't have such a public profile would it have e been front page of the sun?

It was a consenting affair at the end of the day. Yes he did it whilst married but we are not privy to all the ins and outs of Lethleans private life. Geez some people are judging without any facts. Give me a break

How about Jamie Cox who got done for poaching in the cricket arena? Lots of negative stuff involving him since he joined the club? Bit OTT here don't you think?

 

[Gershwin]

Excellent appointment.
Got all the qualifications and experience required for the job and his past indiscretion will only make him keener to do well.

 

[CursingFijian]

Been there done that. Married my second office romance. Living in bliss. Life is good, and society hasn't been sucked down the rabbit hole.

I would bet my bottom dollar that 5/10 people, including posters here, have been in an office romance at least once in their lives. I recall reading somewhere that the statistics show that about 16% of people who date a co-worker go on to marry them and lead happy fruitful lives. In fact I think 'met at work' is like the fourth most common way to meet a life partner (just behind 'through friends', 'at a bar', and 'online').


The fact that it was an affair is the issue, as well as the desire for employee's at the pointy end of the management structure to be squeaky clean, so as not to undermine their ability to manage. As long as he is not a repeat offender, and comes with the right skills to execute the job to a very high level, then there is no reason to eliminate him from our considerations.

Welcome aboard Simon Lethlean!

 

[The Jack]

Caro will be mortified. She might make a comeback to write about this and our Culcha.

 

[StCicatriz]

good interview

 

[sunny3193]

This is one time where the “process” had better be at arm’s length AND followed.

The man has experience at AFL House level only.
He was #2.
After his error, there were four club CEO positions available.
A club CEO is at least one level lower on the hierarchy.
He didn’t get any of these gigs.
Now he’s got the gig as Football General Manager, one further rung down the ladder.
Check out his CV on the website.
He is overqualified for this position.
Way overqualified.
What good is his knowledge of broadcasting negotiations going to be for us?
How good is his knowledge of club administration and list management?
Given he’s been in the AFL HO bubble, probably at best, the same as Cox’s.
So why do we need his other skills set?

Dumb for him to accept it.
Really dumb.
He would have been better off looking for an equivalent position in another industry.

Dumber for us to sign him.

The only logical explanation is that this is succession planning, Finnis is shortly off to HO.

And on that basis, and only that basis, the appointment is defensible.

 

[StCicatriz]

i recommend everyone watches that presser

interesting he mentioned that we are growing our football footprint, from sandringham, to NOW FRANKSTON!

 

[BrutThough]

Brilliant get - you don't get to be 2nd in command at the AFL if you aren't great at what you do.

 

[StCicatriz]

in that presser matt also said we are on the cusp of a good etihad stadium deal

 

[Sainter93]

He was basically 2IC at the AFL right?

 

[VDS66]

It was a consenting affair at the end of the day. Yes he did it whilst married but we are not privy to all the ins and outs of Lethleans private life. Geez some people are judging without any facts. Give me a break

How about Jamie Cox who got done for poaching in the cricket arena? Lots of negative stuff involving him since he joined the club? Bit OTT here don't you think?

Yes, the idiots are out in full force today.

 

[Dard Ball Get]

Yes, the idiots are out in full force today.

Next thread, “Does our club have a problem appointing adulterers?”