Opinion Stephen Silvagni

[windows1]

Silvagni's unnecessary departure a bad look for Blues

It is broadly agreed within Carlton that Stephen Silvagni did a fine job in reconstructing the club's playing list over the course of his time as list manager.

www.theage.com.au

Terrific article. Well said Jake.

 

[ChrisKaias]

Earlier you stated that SOS overstepped - that’s not an opinion, that’s you endeavouring to represent the truth.

regards,

OR

That wasn't the post you replied to and that isn't what I said.

What I said was that his 'influence seemingly went way beyond his stated role' because of who he is (and his friendship with MLG). I stand by that and it doesn't reflect on SOS negatively as such, he is an incredibly influential figure at the club.

I then said 'jury is out on Liddle. But what he's shown me is what an enormous backbone he has to take on SOS at Carlton where he felt that SOS was overstepping.' I didn't say SOS was overstepping, just that I think Liddle felt that way. I think it's a pretty fair inference to draw really, whether it's actually the case that SOS did or not. It also doesn't matter in the context of what I was saying, which is about Liddle having some backbone to take on such a high-profile figure (for whatever reason).

 

[Neese]

So who is going to take on Liddle when he over steps?

 

[Michael Jezz]

Yes but

Last time Richmond had a real political stoush (2016) it ended up fairly well for them the following year

YES but Richmond kept their talented admin in place not turf it out the door

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

So who is going to take on Liddle when he over steps?

Jack.

 

[Michael Jezz]

What do you all want the media release to say?

It could have given Liddle's side of the story and listed some things negative to SOS. Instead it focused on something that SOS could not help, is a legitimate issue, and one that by all reports Liddle was concerned by.

Of course it's not the full story, and nobody thinks it is and the club doesn't expect people will think it is. But is it really the place to say 'he was a difficult personality who didn't play well with others yada yada'? Best to try and leave it on a good note.

Many of you won't like to hear this but the cult of SOS I'm witnessing really isn't that unlike the cult of Hird (and no, I'm not comparing the two, just the way they are revered by fans and can do no wrong). My biggest wish is that we never, ever have a club legend in a role like that again.

That media release is urinating on the membership's head and calling it precipitation

 

[Bob Neil]

Pardon an outsider joining the conversation but surely the conflict of interest issue doesn’t ring true.

Anyone who has done business knows that the whole point about ‘managing’ conflicts of interest is to avoid them in the first place.

The conflict has been going on for years - surely it doesn’t become unmanageable now all of a sudden.

Just sounds like a smokescreen - and a pretty thin one - for a clash of egos that has now reached its conclusion.

Your club has clearly done a lot right in recent years so disappointing to see an own goal like this threatening that progress.

 

[LouderNowBlue]

What a shit show. Amateurish stuff. I’d expect this crap from a local basketball club run by parents not a bunch of ‘professionals’.

This is good for no one.

Not Teague.
Not Jack or Ben.
Not Cain or Mark.
Not our players.
Not our supporters.

I’m just so sad that after so much promise this is now where we sit.

What happens if we start the season poorly again?

Pitchforks and burning torches.

They are all to blame. I hope they are sitting up wide awake thinking about what they did to get us here. Hurting like we are.Every single one of them reading the pain from our members. From both sides of the fight.

**** You.

 

[BlueJet]

Pardon an outsider joining the conversation but surely the conflict of interest issue doesn’t ring true.

Anyone who has done business knows that the whole point about ‘managing’ conflicts of interest is to avoid them in the first place.

The conflict has been going on for years - surely it doesn’t become unmanageable now all of a sudden.

Just sounds like a smokescreen - and a pretty thin one - for a clash of egos that has now reached its conclusion.

Your club has clearly done a lot right in recent years so disappointing to see an own goal like this threatening that progress.

I think that you'd be on the money, it's an attempt to control the prevailing narrative that Sos' departure came as a result of two key stakeholders inability to find a suitable middle ground or work around to flashpoints between them.

 

[berisha]

Totally baffled by the decision to put out the statement they did. They essentially blame Jack and Ben for being on the list for the sacking of their dad. I mean Jack has been a yoyo most of his career thus far and Ben hasn't even played a game - nor looked like he would anytime soon. Can't say I've ever given it a second thought really.

SOS deserves better imo, he's done a fantastic job rebuilding the list and frankly Liddle should stick to running the club, not courting overrated players like Ellis.

Very bizarre handling of the situation.

 

[mario bortallotto]

regarding media release club statement ... im getting same feeling as the Aussie cricket boards PR/managements team Sh#t show in south africa . yer yer totally different scene, smaller scale but same wtf moment. Who ticks this sh#t off ??

 

[Neese]

regarding media release club statement ... im getting same feeling as the Aussie cricket boards PR/managements team Sh#t show in south africa . yer yer totaly different scene smaller scale but same wtf moment. who ticks this shit off ??

No name on it but reeks of Liddle

 

[Stamos]

We agree on that. The situation has been handled poorly (though I don't add the statement to that). As to why - well, only those behind the scenes truly know and we're only hearing one side at the moment. I've never been a MLG fan and he's not giving me a huge reason to start now.

The Niall article is completely spot on, particularly the last part regarding unity. I'm not quite sure the way to achieve unity is to now sack half the football department, is it?

Don’t need to sack half the football department. Or any of the football department, likely.

But the CEO has to go. We won’t achieve unity and success with somebody who is at least partly responsible for this situation being in charge.

 

[mikeythemoocow]

If SOS left as a result of Liddle interfering in list management then we are in for more pain. Dont bark if you've got a dog. Dont recruit if you have a recruiting department. People are employed for a reason, let them do their job. If you have done you job right by putting the right people in place everything will work, but micro managing is so so damaging. I really hope that this isn't the case cause we have been waiting so long for some success, but I am very worried that the on field will be brough down by boardroom pettiness.

if the next best candidate to take over is bloody Bruce Doull I'm all for that too.

I would love that, you though SOS was tough to negotiate with, then we wheel out the Flying Doormat. Dodo would shit.

 

[WalshYouLegend]

While I don’t agree with the way SOS was disrespected and not allowed to leave on his own terms and timing (likely end of 2020), I can understand, for the good of the club, ultimately there needed to be a change to address the conflict of interest with his sons playing and that limiting his role and involvement. I personally just wish that change could have come end of next year in an amicable way. I will really miss SOS’s masterful handling of list management and it is very unfortunate that a positive thing (his sons successfully making our list) had to inevitably conflict with SOS being part of Team Carlton. A huge loss and I thank you SOS for the wonderful and amazing work you have done to rebuild Carlton to a potent force again. you mate. Pure legend.

 

[Wickzki]

Here's something that sticks in my mind.

Whenever the club spoke about drafting both Jack and Ben Silvagni into the club it was said that Stephen played absolutely no role in the decision pertaining to them.

Now that Stephen is leaving the club the club have made it quite clear one of the pertinent issues was with Jack and Ben being at the football club.

If it smells like bullshit...

 

[windows1]

Here's something that sticks in my mind.

Whenever the club spoke about drafting both Jack and Ben Silvagni into the club it was said that Stephen played absolutely no role in the decision pertaining to them.

Now that Stephen is leaving the club the club have made it quite clear one of the pertinent issues was with Jack and Ben being at the football club.

If it smells like bullshit...

It’s bullshit isn’t it? Like what decision is REALLY imminent on either? Their PAY?

Like neither is being delisted in the next 5 years. No chance. Guaranteed. Jack at worst is a terrific depth option and can play multiple roles. Ben at worst is a backup key position player. Both are EASILY worthy of spots on 44 player lists. Easily.

For years. So what, just got to work out what to PAY them Cain?

Call me back. I dare ya.

 

[footyfan1978]

To some degree. Swann got the trade done talking young Kennedy into going to Eagles despite the kid not wanting to go at the time. Not a strategy but heavy hitter just getting a deal done....
Over a dozen years on, you expect to be more professional and have experts for this area, rather than people making it up as they go along that not their role.

2015 We finally appoint a GM of List Management and Strategy. A title that made me excited to finally think the club has really woken up to modern times of draft and salary cap era.
Fast forward 2019 and the Ellis saga..... FARKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!

Liddle inviting Ellis to tour the club behind sos’s back is unforgivable. Very unprofessional. I’m shocked that liddle would do something like that as I really had the impression he was very very professional in the way he went about it. I was very impressed by what he has been able to deliver in the short time he has been at the club.

Exactly how I felt. He had not really done anything to raise my eyebrows until I realised there was stuff around our apparent interest in Ellis that did not add up to me around trade weeks. I can only hope Liddle has fully owned his mistake and won't make such mistakes again ( I can forgive if he regrets it in house) but my confidence in him is not the same. But I am finally thankful the club has made an official comment on SOS leaving his role even if it leaves out the tension created over Ellis saga. It is better than nothing that had for a good 3 days of stupid media crap but nothing from our own club. PR staff have written it to be based on SOS removing himself from anything to do with his own sons contracts. Most will buy the whole thing which I can understand if plenty do.

Why do you think touring Ellis is such a big deal?

I'm talking about the whole saga of Liddle apparently thinking it was ok to indicate to Ellis we would love him at Carlton without actually checking with SOS whether a player like Ellis and his salary is what fits our strategy right now. That a massive no no for mine, especially when Ellis would be nothing we should be going out of way to pay for when roles he plays are really what we already got players developing to play.

It was such a big deal as I heard two audios in trade period that conflicted with each other. So media are asking SOS at one point about Ellis and he showed little interest which was good in one way at time, as it confirmed my view of he does not fit what we needed. But later on finding out the reason they are asking is because someone else at club had made contact with Ellis and they got wind of it. Stupid situation created because of Liddle meddling in things he should not have. This is when media talk was about too many chiefs started doing media circles. Around same time on breakfast show Ellis own manager is being questioned as if he was getting ****ed around by Carlton. Very annoying if you are SOS to have this little fire to put out that you had no doing in. Basically the player manager said last contact from Carlton communicated Ellis was not a priority for Carlton. I'm betting that was SOS most polite way he could communicate he had no interest in paying for Ellis to be on our books.

It's ****ing stupid Liddle created that mess.

Now having said all that, we do not really know what went on internally after that. Did Liddle regret his mistake and openly apologise for creating this stupid mess and learn a lesson? We do not really know. So the level of internal tension after this is hard to know unless on inside. If he has, I can forgive him for owning a mistake there. Not sure I can forgive him if it costs us changing strategy on list management in coming years and **** up great work SOS had done to this point.

What was clear was Liddle was not sitting with the TEAM on draft day. Everyone else like Judd, Lloyd and current coach was but not Liddle. It made me think not all totally cleared up to SOS liking with Liddle.

As we know tonight, SOS contract not renewed to continue what he started and the reasons given are interesting in terms of mentioning nothing about this and it be all about SOS son's, of which one has been there for four years. Weird timing for it to be now a major issue for Liddle that was not before...

 

[KnobHead]

That wasn't the post you replied to and that isn't what I said.

What I said was that his 'influence seemingly went way beyond his stated role' because of who he is (and his friendship with MLG). I stand by that and it doesn't reflect on SOS negatively as such, he is an incredibly influential figure at the club.

I then said 'jury is out on Liddle. But what he's shown me is what an enormous backbone he has to take on SOS at Carlton where he felt that SOS was overstepping.' I didn't say SOS was overstepping, just that I think Liddle felt that way. I think it's a pretty fair inference to draw really, whether it's actually the case that SOS did or not. It also doesn't matter in the context of what I was saying, which is about Liddle having some backbone to take on such a high-profile figure (for whatever reason).

Love the posts you did during the Essendon saga, but I don’t quite get this.

For mine, a CEO that acts on an employee that they feel is overstepping the mark does not show a CEO with backbone. Rather, it shows it’s the CEO that’s overstepped the mark. Also shows stupidity.

Acting on a feeling is a dumb way to run a business, particularly when dealing with an employee that’s turned a very poor list into one with great potential.

Sounds to me like we’ve got a CEO who’s developing a massive ego.



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[FRUMPY]

Here's something that sticks in my mind.

Whenever the club spoke about drafting both Jack and Ben Silvagni into the club it was said that Stephen played absolutely no role in the decision pertaining to them.

Now that Stephen is leaving the club the club have made it quite clear one of the pertinent issues was with Jack and Ben being at the football club.

If it smells like bullshit...

The sun article I just read mentioned jack and Ben at the end and their playing careers. It mentioned Ben as being a work in progress but one club enquired about him during the trade period. Maybe some wanted to trade him and SOS said no?

Sent from my CPH1879 using Tapatalk

 

[AlecDuncan]

What did I want the media release to say? Well, I didn’t want it to be a tone-deaf, weasel, post-facto justification instead of giving members an honest account of what and how things went wrong. After all, it’s supposed to be for our consumption and all it’s done is aggrieve us even more.

Can I have odds on this year’s AGM not being held before July next year?

 

[DamianBis]

I can't believe there are seriously people in here complaining we got Liddle and let Simon Lethlean go to the aints.

When it was suggested he was in the running it was almost 100% of people who didn't want him.. and now because st Kilda aren't as much of a basketcase for 6 months we want to rewrite history as if we should have known Lethlean was the right choice

On CPH1831 using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[DangerousD]

I'm talking about the whole saga of Liddle apparently thinking it was ok to indicate to Ellis we would love him at Carlton without actually checking with SOS whether a player like Ellis and his salary is what fits our strategy right now. That a massive no no for mine, especially when Ellis would be nothing we should be going out of way to pay for when roles he plays are really what we already got players developing to play.

It was such a big deal as I heard two audios in trade period that conflicted with each other. So media are asking SOS at one point about Ellis and he showed little interest which was good in one way at time, as it confirmed my view of he does not fit what we needed. But later on finding out the reason they are asking is because someone else at club had made contact with Ellis and they got wind of it. Stupid situation created because of Liddle meddling in things he should not have. This is when media talk was about too many chiefs started doing media circles. Around same time on breakfast show Ellis own manager is being questioned as if he was getting f’ed around by Carlton. Very annoying if you are SOS to have this little fire to put out that you had no doing in. Basically the player manager said last contact from Carlton communicated Ellis was not a priority for Carlton. I'm betting that was SOS most polite way he could communicate he had no interest in paying for Ellis to be on our books.

It's ******* stupid Liddle created that mess.

Now having said all that, we do not really know what went on internally after that. Did Liddle regret his mistake and openly apologise for creating this stupid mess and learn a lesson? We do not really know. So the level of internal tension after this is hard to know unless on inside. If he has, I can forgive him for owning a mistake there. Not sure I can forgive him if it costs us changing strategy on list management in coming years and fu** up great work SOS had done to this point.

What was clear was Liddle was not sitting with the TEAM on draft day. Everyone else like Judd, Lloyd and current coach was but not Liddle. It made me think not all totally cleared up to SOS liking with Liddle.

As we know tonight, SOS contract not renewed to continue what he started and the reasons given are interesting in terms of mentioning nothing about this and it be all about SOS son's, of which one has been there for four years. Weird timing for it to be now a major issue for Liddle that was not before...

Fair points, the talk during trade week regarding Butler was a mess.

The statement was never going to give the reasons for SOS departure, if they did, I think it would just create more media drama and would be airing dirty laundry in public. The club was in a lose lose situation, created of its own doing. I’m looking forward to this blowing over.

 

[rog1995]

Ultimately the decision to make him CEO without experience was incorrect. We can't have this guy as our CEO. Liddle needs to go. What an amateur.

 

[FRUMPY]

Ultimately the decision to make him CEO without experience was incorrect. We can't have this guy as our CEO. Liddle needs to go. What an amateur.

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