Bombers admit ‘mistake’ after paying NFL figure
Sam Landsberger
4-5 minutes
Essendon paid NFL powerbroker Michael Lombardi to review its footy department in 2019. And the Bombers have privately conceded they made a mistake.
AFL: Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn has resigned after just one day in the job over controversial links to the church.
Essendon paid NFL powerbroker Michael Lombardi to assess its football department in 2019 — but failed to ever formally present his findings to the club’s board.
As the Bombers await the findings from their second formal review this season, it can be revealed Lombardi spoke to all key figures in the football department during his week-long visit to Tullamarine late in the 2019 season.
The 63-year-old attended match committee, opposition analysis, team meetings and reviews.
Lombardi sent a document filled with his observations to former chief executive Xavier Campbell, who drove the decision to engage Lombardi.
But some board members never received Lombardi’s observations while others claimed they were only given a summary.
Michael Lombardi at Essendon FC. Picture: Essendon FC.
It’s understood the Bombers covered the cost of Lombardi’s flights and paid him a small fee in exchange for his work. Lombardi also attended a luncheon with club sponsors.
The Bombers have privately conceded their old administration made a mistake by never formally canvassing the document.
It’s understood Lindsay Tanner, who was chairman at the time, did not meet Lombardi.
Tanner declined to comment on Friday.
Multiple staff members insisted that Lombardi was hands-on. They were told he would be reviewing the football program, but said they never saw any outcomes come from it.
It’s understood Lombardi spoke to staff at Essendon’s Reynolds Room and Coleman Room meeting rooms and also held less formal chats in the club’s cafe.
Lombardi has been an executive for San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders and also worked under legendary coach Bill Belichick.
The Herald Sun put questions to Lombardi recently regarding his work for Essendon.
Lombardi, who lives in the US, asked for more information and arranged a time to speak.
However Lombardi suddenly changed his mind, saying: “My relationship with Essendon is confidential”.
The Bombers are adamant the Lombardi report is irrelevant now, given the club has undergone multiple leadership transformations since.
When Lombardi visited they had John Worsfold as coach, Ben Rutten as his assistant, Dan Richardson as football manager, Campbell as chief executive and Tanner as president.
They have all departed.
The Bombers have commissioned another three formal reviews since receiving Lombardi’s observations.
Former chairman Paul Brasher commissioned an internal review after the dismal 2020 season, which uncovered a more “ruthless” coaching mantra suited the players, and then another internal review after the 2-9 start to this season.
When new president David Barham ousted Brasher in August he demanded an external review because he was not happy with this year‘s internal review, which — like the 2020 version — was led by football directors Simon Madden and Sean Wellman.
Former player Andrew Welsh replaced Madden on the board last month.
Barham’s external review, which is being led by Ernst & Young and one-day chief executive Andrew Thorburn, is being finalised now.
Unlike Lombardi, the EY review will form a set of recommendations for the entire club — starting with the board and executive. The review will cover Essendon’s culture and processes and will also assess all of the administration and football department.
Thorburn said he hoped the EY review would lead to “great change”.
And you know that how?
The article we just read.
It’s posted above.
Lombardi is another blowhard from a past era who tries to keep himself relevant by using old sayings from the past and getting Watson and Lyon to pump up his tyres and talk about him as if he is the second coming.
Good article by Robbo.
Because of their ego’s.
So Sheedy is pretty clearly Robinson’s source here. That’s why the narrative goes dark when he’s on the way to Montreal (wtf is a senior board member doing in fkg Montreal when we’re busy selecting a new coach and CEO, anyway?) and it’s why Robinson can speak about Sheedy’s motivations with such confidence.
Sheedy clearly tried to play Barham, but he ■■■■■■ off overseas at the critical moment and gave Barham the opportunity to play him right back. If it’s true that Hird was told by Barham that the new coach would be selected by Barham and Sheedy, then Hird’s got a right to be ■■■■■■ off even if that was entirely the wrong way to select a coach. However, the way the coach WAS picked seems to have been more than a bit fkd as well. It certainly looks like the coaching panel had decided on their preferred candidate very early, so all the failed candidates have some right to feel a bit skeptical about how genuine the whole thing was. It’d be VERY interesting to know the brief and requirements that the board handed the coaching selection panel, what criteria they should judge on. Cos of course that’s the old classic way of rigging a process, you just write the position description to fit the candidate you already want. ‘Must be able to demonstrate recent close relationship with key AFL personnel, must have coached AFL club to prelim, name must rhyme with Mad Plot…’
But JFC the CEO process sounds even worse than I imagined. Imagine letting the guy apply after first giving him the opportunity to look over the application of every other candidate, and after letting every fkg staff member believe that when he was interviewing them he was just an impartial observer. Fk me dead.
Sheeds 100% wanted to do things the old school jobs for the boys way. Barham put up a better facade of process, but at the end of the day the only difference was who they wanted to parachute in.
This club is beyond ■■■■■■.
Time will tell. It’s never as bad or as good as you think
It’s always far far worse with this ■■■■■■■ club.
Nah, its ■■■■■■. If Essendon was a car, you’d be torching it and hoping for an insurance pay out at this point.
This has come from the internal review I’d say. There’s going to be a lot of dirty laundry on Essendon aired over the next 3-4 weeks as the internal review is released……I believe it’s a positive that all of this comes out - so that it can never ever happen again and we can rebuild the club from the ground up
Forgot about that NFL guy, I remember that Timmy was fawning over him on SEN
Barham needs to ■■■■ off today. Power gone to his head. They were supposed to present two coaches to the Board. Barham told the Board Scott got the job. No vote
Why did Sheedy come out and say he “voted” for Hird and it was 1-6?
I presume Xavier didn’t like whatever Lombardi had to say, so didn’t bring it all to the Board.
Scott was given the job before the Board meeting
Scott told he had the job in the afternoon. Board meeting around 6pm
It’s possible he just voted against Scott. Sheedy has never been above giving the truth a little paint job when it suits him to.
embarassing that this happens in australia, but scomo showed we’re no better than the most corrupt countries. especially embarassing that it happens to our footy club, which happens to be one of the biggest and most storied.
we have a desperate-to-be-included member of one of these coteries going to twitter to stir public dissent.
just sad. honestly don’t know the answer. i thought it would solve itself if we won a final, and thought the truck led process would deliver that, but it’s clear that we’re run like a personal fiefdom.