Except in the period between the last drink, and the next.
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November 2014
A large social media campaign using various Essendon Support FC web sites was well underway.
The purpose was to elect 2 people onto the Essendon FC Board who would have James Hird Back.
There was a real concern that James did not have the full backing of the Board and his role as Senior Coach was in jeopardy.
August 2015.
The media is out for James blood, the AFL demand James is sacked, our Board shows little support and not a word is heard from those elected to have his back.
Under relentless pressure James Hird resigns as Essendon’s Senior Coach.
November 2017
Eight candidates standing for the Essendon Board.
All candidates see the value of social media to garnish votes.
I am voting for;
Gai and Sean
I don’t forget, and I don’t forgive.
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Actually hilarious
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Former Club champions at board level has worked well for other clubs. Like Carlton with Kernahan.
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I kinda agree here.
I like Paul & Katie, but when you run your entire election campaign along the lines of ‘stand up against the media/AFL pressure to sack Hird’ and then turn around and vote to remove him a couple of months later,. it makes it ■■■■■■ hard to vote for you again. It was the board decision I’ve felt the strongest about in the three years of their term as directors, and contrary to their pre-election statements they supported a decision I still believe was wrong, craven, dishonourable, and lacking integrity. Of course it’s going to affect how i vote next time.
Damned if I know who I DO want to vote for though. It’s a big and well-credentialled field, but not a particularly inspiring one.
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No I don’t share Darli’s all of her opinion but; I respect everyone’s right to have their say and that’s my opinion.
I deeply believe that James Hird has a lot to teach those who are open to learning, what he learned during and after the saga which many of the others in authority at the time, may not have learned and may never learn. And; maybe sometime in the future it might happen or it may never happen.
Those times are still too raw and there needs to be some distance between that rawness and instability for the stability and balance of the EFC moving forward.
Waiting…
Of course everybody has a right to an opinion. And I’ve never tried to suppress anyone’s right to share them.
I was surprised by Darli’s opinion about Hird, and I wondered if any of those in a position of power at EFC agreed with her. They refused to answer the question, but also gave a good reason why they couldn’t answer the question. So, I guess we’ll never know what anybody on the board thinks about Hird’s suitability for a board position.
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We have had two past players on the Board fior some time in Madden and Heffernan… Wellman has professional attributes beyond a past player and , as noted by other posters ,has a good relationship with present players and enjoys their respect. The fact that the Board has not seen fit to appoint him as Hefffernan’s replacement could mean that he would not be captive to current Board members.
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There are some big issues here. I understand that Paul & Katie danced around the direct question re Hird, but they don’t need to dance around a discussion of the general principle.
If we just identify the 2012 coaching staff and ask the question; if any of these people apply for jobs at Essendon as 1. coaching staff; or 2. Board members, should their application be considered on merit, or should they be excluded from consideration (eg no interview or no serious consideration, or not placed on the Board voting ticket) because of their involvement in 2012?
This question has already been answered by others in the cases of Goodwin and Thompson who were both employed as head coaches post 2013. Should any other coaching staff employed in 2012 be treated any differently?
Our Chairman and many others have stated publicly many times that Hird and others are welcome back at the club when they are ready, and I think Hird has already ‘come back’ or as he said ‘he never left’. if someone thinks that ‘welcoming back’ means with caveats - sorry you will not be considered on merit for any footy department or board position because you were employed during 2012 - then that is not ‘welcoming back’. Rather that is applying a new punishment.
Do we agree?
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I first wanted to “jump on” during the saga but came in 3rd after Dave Barham. I am standing again because our Comeback story has just begun-lots more work to do!
To be completely honest Bigallan, I don’t believe anyone was aware of Sean’s intention to stand for the board. The nomination committee would certainly have sat down with Sean and discussed the open seats, as we do with any prospective nominees that are known, if they had.
Thanks the clarification. My post was promoted by attempts to demonise Wellman.
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Hi Alan. By now you should have your candidate profiles. I am part of a few different coteries but I am neither rich nor feel entitled to a spot on the Board. I am running because I genuinely think I can add value to the Board. Lifelong passionate Bomber supporter , very loud at the footy, not very kind to umpires but absolutely love the team and the club and want to be an integral part o its future.
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Hi Darli. membership limits that I talked about last time I was a nominee was actually the result of Collingwood having a record membership and cutting a guaranteed grand final ticket out of memberships of people who had been members for 50 years because they could not guarantee the number of tickets. The EFC situation has changed a little now because now they are offering finals tickets as a paid for add-on.t
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Peter and I are friends but we have not formed a ticket. I had decided to run way before he declared his intentions.
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The AFL Constitution legally constrains EFC capacity to act. But it is important that the EFC does not go beyond those legal constraints and just roll over to AFL politics.
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Thats a bit naive don’t you think HM?
I would assume the board is a democratic system. We have no idea whom voted for Jame’s removal, if at all. Whom stood up and protested. Or whom stood up and demanded his head.
What I do know is if someone voted to keep him and was outvoted by the majority, there is little more you can do but keep up appearances as a united board. You move onto the next battle of ideas and strategies. The last thing the club and members would have wanted was a fractured and embarrassingly dysfunctional board.
To vote for or against an individual candidate because of a democratic board decision is frankly crazy.
I’ll base my vote on the character of the person, the sincerity of what they stand for, whether they achieve it or not. All I need to know is they tried to achieve it. I also base my vote on where the club was and where they are now. If we are in a better spot than before, then something is working.
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You do have the pom poms out Darli.
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We know that the decision to remove Hird was unanimous. Little etc made it very clear at the time.
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