That's a little different to a replacement.

Exactly... and yet Sheahan deliberately refocused the motive of all this with his little inuendos. I smell a rat.

Exactly... and yet Sheahan deliberately refocused the motive of all this with his little inuendos. I smell a rat.

Yes I'd say you're right, it could well just be the Herald Sun being the HS. Loose with the facts and tight on the drama.

How hard would that have been in two club town that is AFL mad?

He commenced there with a salary cap breach.

They are the most underperform side in the AFL over his tenure and they are an outfit that has a questionable overall club culture and lacks respect as chronic underachievers in the football world.

Well obviously it wasn't that easy for the previous CEO, because as freo2008 pointed out, they were $8m in debt. Port Adelaide are also in debt. Just face it Rhino, your emotive rants have little factual basis.

As for Freo's questionable culture, what do you make of the fact that we hired their previous coach as our Football Manager?

Yes I'd say you're right, it could well just be the Herald Sun being the HS. Loose with the facts and tight on the drama.

WJ has alluded to exactly that in earlier posting questioning why the departure of George Savvides (overseeing an expanding loss) should be seen as weakening the club? B)

Have we heard from any other source, rumor or otherwise, that Paul Mac is struggling? Not the 'OMFG we're $5M in debt' struggling, but 'i'm not coping in this role' struggling..... I haven't heard a thing.

Just sounds like more mud slinging, let it wash over and see what happens.....

Exactly - mud slinging, perhaps........wait and see

How hard would that have been in two club town that is AFL mad?

He commenced there with a salary cap breach.

They are the most underperform side in the AFL over his tenure and they are an outfit that has a questionable overall club culture and lacks respect as chronic underachievers in the football world.

You surely are not suggesting that he as CEO is responsible for their recruiting/trading, which is the reason usually given by the media experts for their often disappointing poor performance.

A $15million turnaround and large membership is not to be sneezed at. That achieved while they are not as popular as West Coast who had the foothold established.

I am not advocating a CS return only throwing in a few points.

A $15million turnaround and large membership is not to be sneezed at. That achieved while they are not as popular as West Coast who had the foothold established.

Whilst its not to be sneezed at, and he may have had the sleeves rolled up, in a 2 team town with AFL support, any of the CEO's in the AFL could of gone their and achieved a 2nd foothold in a two team town. Its easier to sell an alternative to the Eagles if you don't support the Eagles. Than it is in a 10 team town like Melbourne.

Well obviously it wasn't that easy for the previous CEO, because as freo2008 pointed out, they were $8m in debt. Port Adelaide are also in debt. Just face it Rhino, your emotive rants have little factual basis.

The previous CEOs at Freo and Port were incompetents. Schwab has a chequered career. I leave the little factual basis to yourself. You are quite a gem in that area.

As for Freo's questionable culture, what do you make of the fact that we hired their previous coach as our Football Manager?

The issue with a Club's culture is about more things than just the Coach. However as Coach, Connolly takes the fall rightly or wrongly for the performance on the field

I have no problem with CC's appointment as long as we did not hire him as Coach. They are different roles and suit different people. For example, Neil Balme was ordinary coach but an effective football manager.

A drover dog would make money at the two WA AFL clubs. Nothing against Schwab as he was shafted by Gutnick when at Melbourne when he was trying to fix up the salary cap debacle he inherited. McNamee will be great once he get up to speed. As for the CFO resigning he's been steering the boat for 3 years and look at where we are. We obviously need a guy with some accounting experience that tell him that black is good and red is bad...

You surely are not suggesting that he as CEO is responsible for their recruiting/trading, which is the reason usually given by the media experts for their often disappointing poor performance.

A $15million turnaround and large membership is not to be sneezed at. That achieved while they are not as popular as West Coast who had the foothold established.

I am not advocating a CS return only throwing in a few points.

No I am not. However he would have been involved in at least key appointments in the football area and the major contracts undertaken.

However, as I said elsewhere his predecessor was a real chump. There is no reason why Freo if run properly should not be a very profitable concern. Its location, its history, its strong football involvement and community position make it a sure fire winner to do well.

A drover dog would make money at the two WA AFL clubs. Nothing against Schwab as he was shafted by Gutnick when at Melbourne when he was trying to fix up the salary cap debacle he inherited. McNamee will be great once he get up to speed. As for the CFO resigning he's been steering the boat for 3 years and look at where we are. We obviously need a guy with some accounting experience that tell him that black is good and red is bad...

I'll remember that next time at the casino!

You sure Schwab inherited the salary cap debacle? Didn't he oversee the whole drama on his watch!

I'll remember that next time at the casino!

You sure Schwab inherited the salary cap debacle? Didn't he oversee the whole drama on his watch!

Yes, he certainly did. Thats why Joe Gutnick got rid of him. For all his faults, Joe certainly knew a f**k up when he saw one. And yes he had another one at Freo in his first or second year as well.

Again another rush for people to take this out of context, where does it say that they are replacing PM? what is said that "he Jim Stynes administration is understood to be looking at Schwab as a consultant and possible mentor for the first-year CEO" as our chief financial officer George Savvides. resigned, how about we wait to see what happens instead of jumping at shadows.

Yes, he certainly did. Thats why Joe Gutnick got rid of him. For all his faults, Joe certainly knew a f**k up when he saw one. And yes he had another one at Freo in his first or second year as well.

There you go Dark Horse72..........Schwab didn't inherit it, he had the blood on his hands - which is why we were in the red

Nothing wrong with Bringing back Schwab to Help out Macca at all. Bring it on.

I’m surprised that any Melbourne person would have any issue with Cameron Schwab getting involved with our club.

I don’t know Schwab that well, although I did some recruiting work with the club in the early to mid 80’s – very dark days for the club. I have followed his career since from a distance.

In those days he was our very young recruiting manager in his early 20’s from memory, and fanatical about the game and really good knowledge. Comes from great stock, his old man is an admin legend and his cousin is Peter Schwab.

He recruited guys like Lyon, Viney, Tingay, Schwarz, Neitz, the Lovetts, the Febeys, Chopper Lovell, Strawbs O’Dwyer, Ricky Jackson, Stephen Stretch, Duke Spalding, Warren Dean (great player til he hurt his knee) and we made the finals in 1987 (when Chairman Jimmy ran over the mark) the first time since our last Premiership. We spent most of the next eight years in the finals, and probably could have won one (1990 was the lost chance I reckon).

He went to Richmond, who were stuffed as GM and he was only 24. He set up the Save our Skins campaign which saved the club. He also famously sacked Kevin Bartlett and got John Northey over and they made the finals, something they haven’t done a lot of.

I think he studied for a while and has an MBA, and I reckon he has also been to Harvard in the USA.

When he came to Melbourne as CEO it was straight after we almost merged and we were a mess. We finished last the next year and he changed just about everything, including getting Daniher as coach.

The next year we made the Prelim and were stiff because we had beaten Adelaide in the finals and they went on and won the GF. We recruited Woey, Leoncelli, White, Rigoni, the McDonalds, Trav who were good for us.

He also inheited a whole truckload of under the counter payments set-up by the same mob who tried to merge us. Gutnick dobbed us in to AFL because he didn’t want to get personally exposed and Schwab was set up as the fall guy. Hassa and Guest did most of the deals.

Schwabs biggest mistake was not doing the same to the blokes who set up all the deals in the first place when he started. He was duded.

The group he put in place took us to the GF in 2000.

He went to the Dockers at the end of 2001, and again they were stuffed. They were $8 mil in debt, won 2 games, no members and had lost $2.5m (I checked the media release). My understanding is the AFL basically sent him over to fix the mess.

Again he inhetited the salary cap stuff-up as it happened in 2001, before he started and he had to clean it up.

They now have millions in the bank, 3rd highest membership and making millions every year. Whilst on field hasn’t been great, they made their first finals ever and in 2006 reached the prelim (beat us).

I don’t want to sound like I am head of the Cameron Schwab cheer squad, but I rate the bloke. He is coming home for the right reasons, has worked for Melbourne and would know our problems, the AFL rate him, has turned around clubs in our situation, why wouldn’t we be interested?

look...basically PG took on macnamee as he has a record of being high profile...can pull big names and sponsors etc etc

tim fox looked to have been the safer option at the time, and now that we have stynes on board, i think he is the man to go with

look...basically PG took on macnamee as he has a record of being high profile...can pull big names and sponsors etc etc

tim fox looked to have been the safer option at the time, and now that we have stynes on board, i think he is the man to go with

Do you understand the concept of a contract Nugget?

I’m surprised that any Melbourne person would have any issue with Cameron Schwab getting involved with our club.........

Thanx Welchy for the rundown, especially the clarification of our salary cap rorts.

I was happy with Paul McNamee's appointment. Hes proven and has a high reputation not just in Footy, but Sport in Australia for his fantastic work in the administration ranks.

Schwab I'm sure would bring alot of bonus' but is some what unproven. Its not all his wreck, but Freo arent exactly a well run club off the field.

Do you understand the concept of a contract Nugget?

yeah i do and i also understand the concept of paying out someone contract

not a good idea at the moment...i overlooked that

would be good to get fox as our financial guy though

This article has been formulated based on speculation caused by the seemingly incoherent relationship between the following two statements.

"One close observer said last night: "There's a bit going on; I don't think it's the happiest camp in the world.""

and

"Schwab, ............... will return to Melbourne ..................."

Couple this with the fact that Schwabbie has mates and, bingo, you have a story.

Take a look at this:

The Jim Stynes administration is understood to be.............

An announcement is seen as.............

There are mixed reports about whether...............

He is, though, known to be keen..............................

Any push for Schwab also could be expected....................

McNamee, ................., is believed to have..................

Sheahan should be stood down for shoddy journalism. If he knows more, then he should say so. The article does not present one statement of fact but comments based on hearsay and innuendo.

As far as the CFO is concerned, MFC's financial problems exist due to an already existing crippling debt and the fact that cash outgoing > cash incoming.

If the CFO is responsible for generating revenues, by all means blame the CFO for our predicament if you don't have a clue.

yeah i do and i also understand the concept of paying out someone contract

not a good idea at the moment...i overlooked that

would be good to get fox as our financial guy though

It would be Nugget, but I don't think a guy like Fox is looking to play second fiddle for too much longer. Especially having served his apprenticeship under the man widely regarded as the pre-eminent club CEO in the AFL, in Brian Cook, Fox will be gunning for a CEO role, or at the very least a position which will see him assume such responsibilities within 6 months or a year of him taking it. Paul Mac would be on a 3 year contract I would have thought.

Anyway, this is sensationalist BS from the masters down at the Hun. We've heard little to suggest that McNamee is struggling, at least beyond getting to grips with the nuances of being an AFL CEO.

well to contradict what i said earlier

i do know his nephew will, who said he is enjoying what he is doing

but then again, hes not going to lie to his nephew

..........

Sheahan should be stood down for shoddy journalism. If he knows more, then he should say so. The article does not present one statement of fact but comments based on hearsay and innuendo.

Amen there Fatty... I agree Sheahan is very wide and loose with his inuendos, not really like him I would have thought. I still smell a rat.

I dont have a problem getting mentoring or help or advice where required. Its just good practice really. I am surprised we have that much money though.

As does it with much crime...it goes to motive, outcomes and who beneifits from opportunites. Much about this doesnt make a lot of sense, that is..the besmerching not the realities. <_<