New CEO

[old dee 23,870]

Bob ... you know that I never accused you but rather I stated that I couldn't rule out the fact that the people undermining the club came from a certain group that incidentally also included myself because I had once served the club. Being in that broad group does not make one guilty of anything.

I've also stated that I've given an undertaking to my informant not to name names without that person's consent and you know this, so stop playing the precious thin skinned victim. When I'm permitted to divulge that information, I will.

In the meantime, I believe the information I have is 100% fact. This is because the identity of one of the people who gave the tanking investigation the vault story (as early as 30 October) subsequently was proven and nobody could have guessed at that time this it was that person without the inside information.

You also said in another place at around that time that you knew what Caroline Wilson knew and that you also knew what the AFL knew and that the two things were different. Now that the tanking investigation is over, would you care to tell us what Caro knew and what the AFL knew at the end of October and how you came upon that knowledge?

Still nothing WJ

Oh well I won't hold my breath mate waiting

[old55 23,687]

I suppose the fact that the former chairman bagged the club for tanking at the start of the tanking investigation counts for nothing TimD & RR (or Bill & Ben the flowerpot men?).

Or that someone told lies about the new coach to Mifsud about our indigenous players?

Or that a few disgruntled ex-employees ratted on the club to the tanking enquiry and went to the media on top of that?

Or that people formerly connected to the club boasted of knowing what media people knew and what the AFL knew?

None of them are thankfully in positions at the club and while they remain squeaky wheels, are now basically irrelevant.

A competent CEO would easily by pass such elements.

I'm confident that we will end up with someone better than Ray Ellis, the faceless man from the Age or the wonder boy from the world of tennis.

So it's all Schwab's fault for being incompetent?

[Whispering_Jack 30,576]

Who was that?

It shouldn't be too hard for you to work it out.

[daisycutter 29,707]

tap tap "sure can"

[The Great Pretender 473]

So it's all Schwab's fault for being incompetent?

Very cute.

Yes. Schwab's a ventriloquist and he put those words into Gardner's mouth and he did likewise with those informants who fed a highly exaggerated account of the vault story to the enquiry.

No, I don't think Schwab was incompetent but he inherited a few who were not only incompetent but proved to be proper snakes after they were given their marching orders.

Sheesh.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Has great credentials but I think we would be better off having someone with no affiliation with the club. Plus I think he might just be earning a bit more than we can pay.

I like Lovett.

But I agree wholeheartedly in what you say.

This club desperately Needs someone experienced from a Top Power Club, who can come in & help the current Melbourne Board members & connections, see just what is missing, compared to other successful AFLClubs,,, & Why !

& we need a Training/Office/Social Hub... to reUnite 'All' of this once Great Club....

[dee-luded 2,959]

I must be a bit thick but i fail to see how an interim CEO who is only around for 6 months can do the regular job of a CEO in difficult times, find the time to understand how the club works, be ruthless and then disappear. I think you expect too much.

No doubt he will form opinions and advise the board but I can't see he has the opportunity for reform given the circumstances of his limited tenure.

I think he'll form his Opinions, & then inform the AFL commission.

what he relates to the MFC Board, may not be the same.

[dee-luded 2,959]

What about this bloke? Glenn Lovett.

Currently president of global strategy for sports marketing research agency, Repucom, based in London.

Prior to this he was regional MD at Octagon for Europe, Middle East and India. Started Crowe Lovett here in Australia which is now Gemba. A former Nike executive, holder of an MBA from the Melbourne Business School, vice chairman of AFL Europe and of course a Bluey Truscott winner for the MFC. Not a bad CV, eh?

http://sportsbusinessinsider.com.au/news/category/hr-and-appointments/glenn-lovett-appointed-president-of-global-strategy-at-repucom/

Maybe one day, more a future Pres' than a CEO !

# but right Now we need change from someone Outside, who can see what our people Cannot.

we need outsiders Now, to make the changes that are necessary... & I'm sorry, they should Not come from anywhere near the Northern Stand.

but Catland would Be OK !

.

Edited April 25, 2013 by dee-luded

[Blistering 541]

I think we all have a fair idea of what happened with the tanking enquiry and we know that those with supposedly lofty demands for proof are themselves nothing but hypocrites.

This is how one poster involved in this discussion responded to me a while ago when I asked for evidence:

Where's your evidence for this slur on Lyon?

TimD

Were you awake over the last five years?

Pot, kettle, black.

[Slartibartfast 17,518]

he did likewise with those informants who fed a highly exaggerated account of the vault story to the enquiry.

How do you know this? Were you at the vault meeting because the only way you'd know is if you were there.

Fill us in, I'm fascinated.

[The Great Pretender 473]

How do you know this? Were you at the vault meeting because the only way you'd know is if you were there.

Fill us in, I'm fascinated.

Judging by what I'm reading here, I think you have a story to tell about this but you're not telling so why not fill us in on what you know?

I've read what was said to be Dean Bailey's version of what happened at the vault and it differs markedly from the one attributed to the welfare officers and the recruiting person who had all been sacked by the club before they gave their evidence. I suppose you're suggesting Bailey lied?

Edited April 25, 2013 by The Great Pretender

[Demonland 73,126]

Is there any danger that people could stick to the topic which is about a NEW CEO rather than point scoring about the old one who is now out of the picture?

[rjay 25,063]

Read the books - they are awesome. There are 7 of them (some books spread over multiple - ie the third had so many characters he split it into volumes).

The HBO tv show does them alot of justice.

Half way through the 5th book (Book 4) and never miss the show, so good.

Is Tyrion the small forward many are looking for?

[Guest]

I would love to see Glenn Lovett back at the club but now is not the time for sentiment (though you could easily make the appointment based on his demonstrated ability). I'm with a lot of the other posters here in that I feel we need a fresh set of eyes to look at the club. Someone who wasn't there during the merger and the divisiveness that bought, who wasn't there during the spill of 2001 and who wasn't there when the football department and the CEO went to war. Each of those scandals are surrounded in nasty, potentially slanderous gossip (i.e. certain club figures buying their employees memberships to influence votes, a club chairman supposedly pouring scorn on another board members marriage WHILST they previously had white anted him as they didn't think he was establishment enough. I won't go into all the scuttlebutt from the third example) and to be involved required that you take a side. We need someone who is going to come in as quality control, judge things dispassionately and make the calls as he sees them. I don't think Jackson should stay on, even if he does a good job on the admin. side of things as him staying on will compromise his ability to do the job he was sent to do. Sometimes people can become products of the system and that may have been the case with people in the past.

Neale Daniher was a good example of this (no WYL and Deeluded, I don't agree with you re: ND). When he got there at the start of his tenure, he was truly ruthless. I remember Garry Lyon once saying in his autobiography about how Neale would spray anyone regardless of who they were. If it were Todd Viney who required a blast, it was Todd Viney who got one.

Towards the end of his time at Melbourne, he had formed relationships with certain players (Trapper being a great example), but this made him blind to some of their faults. Most importantly, as he had been around an environment for as long as he had, he just came to accept that this was the way things were. The Melbourne football club standards and mores were consistent with every club in the league (wrong).

I think this mindset might also apply to the board level. They have been bickering with each other for so long that it is now just par for the course and it has become normal. Peter Jackson needs to come in and whilst not being deliberately antagonistic, he needs to make sure he doesn't become part of the old mate's club of any faction that exists. Having a six month tenure will allow him to do this as he doesn't have to worry about holding his job in the future. He will be there to do a job and once the job is done, he walks away with his reputation in tact.

Edited April 25, 2013 by Guest

[Sir Why You Little 37,120]

Half way through the 5th book (Book 4) and never miss the show, so good.

Is Tyrion the small forward many are looking for?

The God of [censored] & Red Wine!!

Such a great actor Peter Dinklage...

[PJ_12345 1,098]

Half way through the 5th book (Book 4) and never miss the show, so good.

Is Tyrion the small forward many are looking for?

Also we need someone to fill in the void for a tall FF because of Clark and Dawes... Im feeling Sam Tarly or Sandor Clegane?

Keeping on topic of CEO maybe Daenerys Targarye?n - world's toughest boss

[Nasher 33,617]

Maybe one day, more a future Pres' than a CEO !

# but right Now we need change from someone Outside, who can see what our people Cannot.

we need outsiders Now, to make the changes that are necessary... & I'm sorry, they should Not come from anywhere near the Northern Stand.

but Catland would Be OK !

.

Glenn Lovett could hardly count as from "inside the club" these days. It's been a decade and a half since he played at the club and judging by his career progression post footy, I doubt he's spent much time mucking around at the club. He'd be coming in with fresh eyes.

That said, he's probably out of our league anyway.

[old55 23,687]

Very cute.

Yes. Schwab's a ventriloquist and he put those words into Gardner's mouth and he did likewise with those informants who fed a highly exaggerated account of the vault story to the enquiry.

No, I don't think Schwab was incompetent but he inherited a few who were not only incompetent but proved to be proper snakes after they were given their marching orders.

Sheesh.

I'm not being "cute"

You listed a whole series of attacks on the club and then concluded with:

A competent CEO would easily by pass such elements.

That directly suggests that Schwab was incompetent in not "by passing such elements"

"Sheesh" indeed

[Maldonboy38 6,405]

There is no way that being the CEO position at the Dees is considered "the poisoned chalice".

Our onfield performance has been atrocious, but our off-field achievements over the past 3 years are substantial. Once we start winning, all the positives of membership base, Casey link, Darwin link, no debt, new sponsors etc... will click into place.

Interim CEO Jackson does not have to reinvent the wheel or look too closely at personnel. His main job is to help detach us from the Red and Blueprint that was all words and no substance, and help us find a new CEO. It also looks likely that some major Board changes will occur during his 6 months and Jackson will be the main hinge around which all these changes move.

[old55 23,687]

It shouldn't be too hard for you to work it out.

No I can't work it out - I've variously read that Barry Prendergast, Ian Flack, Dean Bailey and even Josh Mahoney have been reported to have discussed the Vault meeting with the AFL - is it one of them? How about you fill me in?

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Did these faceless men make the decision to tank (oh, sorry, let's call it bringing the AFL into disrepute to avoid a silly legal discussion)? Did these faceless men fail to report our dealings with Danks to the AFL? Did these faceless men make a press release stating that there would be no major change at the club only to sack the CEO the next day? Did these faceless men release SMS's between Danks and Bate to the press? Did these faceless men instigate a coach recruiting process that was child like in its conception? Did these faceless men also cause the Board to act in a way they themselves stated was poor? Did these faceless men tell Schwab he was sacked before the Geelong game in 2011 only to change their minds and reinstate him a few days later? Did they then grant him a three year contract that we as members will in part be responsible for honouring?

FM. Perhaps these faceless men, if indeed they exist and aren't just a figment of your imagination, are acting in the best interest of the Club. What this administration is asking us to do is back them after 5 years of incompetent management and embarrassment on the field. But unbelievably they still believe they are the ones to lead us to the promised land.

Jack in another place you said that when the tanking investigation was complete you'd share this "faceless men" conspiracy with me (and others) and I was interested because you included me in the broad categorization of those you accused. But you failed to keep your word.

It's actually time to put up or shut up because at the moment you're the faceless man undermining the club.

Are they or aren't they, do they or don't they Bob?

Make up your mind, do you think there are elements disrupting the club (are you part of it) and if so when will they, if they exist, put their heads up and show their faces.

Or are these faceless men, that may or may not exist, just cowardly snipers that don't have an answer, but aren't prepared to let those that have committed, get on with the job.

[Whispering_Jack 30,576]

No I can't work it out - I've variously read that Barry Prendergast, Ian Flack, Dean Bailey and even Josh Mahoney have been reported to have discussed the Vault meeting with the AFL - is it one of them? How about you fill me in?

Getting close but why not ask Bagdad to answer the questions I posed in post #46 and you might even get closer?

In the meantime, the boss has asked for this discussion to be trained on the new CEO (see post #62) so let's stick to the topic. You will get the full answer one day, I'm sure.

[daisycutter 29,707]

I think he'll form his Opinions, & then inform the AFL commission.

what he relates to the MFC Board, may not be the same.

then that would be a breach of faith and contract

Edited April 25, 2013 by daisycutter

[rjay 25,063]

Also we need someone to fill in the void for a tall FF because of Clark and Dawes... Im feeling Sam Tarly or Sandor Clegane?

Keeping on topic of CEO maybe Daenerys Targarye?n - world's toughest boss

Perfect choice; quick learner, knows how to get people on side, killer looks (a marketers dream) but as tough as nails. Don't mess with Danni.

The Hound at FF and his brother the Mountain at CHF, if they don't kill each other first I don't think we would be getting anymore calls about playing 'bruise free football'.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I would love to see Glenn Lovett back at the club but now is not the time for sentiment (though you could easily make the appointment based on his demonstrated ability). I'm with a lot of the other posters here in that I feel we need a fresh set of eyes to look at the club. Someone who wasn't there during the merger and the divisiveness that bought, who wasn't there during the spill of 2001 and who wasn't there when the football department and the CEO went to war. Each of those scandals are surrounded in nasty, potentially slanderous gossip (i.e. certain club figures buying their employees memberships to influence votes, a club chairman supposedly pouring scorn on another board members marriage WHILST they previously had white anted him as they didn't think he was establishment enough. I won't go into all the scuttlebutt from the third example) and to be involved required that you take a side. We need someone who is going to come in as quality control, judge things dispassionately and make the calls as he sees them. I don't think Jackson should stay on, even if he does a good job on the admin. side of things as him staying on will compromise his ability to do the job he was sent to do. Sometimes people can become products of the system and that may have been the case with people in the past.

Neale Daniher was a good example of this (no WYL and Deeluded, I don't agree with you re: ND). When he got there at the start of his tenure, he was truly ruthless. I remember Garry Lyon once saying in his autobiography about how Neale would spray anyone regardless of who they were. If it were Todd Viney who required a blast, it was Todd Viney who got one.

Towards the end of his time at Melbourne, he had formed relationships with certain players (Trapper being a great example), but this made him blind to some of their faults. Most importantly, as he had been around an environment for as long as he had, he just came to accept that this was the way things were. The Melbourne football club standards and mores were consistent with every club in the league (wrong).

I think this mindset might also apply to the board level. They have been bickering with each other for so long that it is now just par for the course and it has become normal. Peter Jackson needs to come in and whilst not being deliberately antagonistic, he needs to make sure he doesn't become part of the old mate's club of any faction that exists. Having a six month tenure will allow him to do this as he doesn't have to worry about holding his job in the future. He will be there to do a job and once the job is done, he walks away with his reputation in tact.

its nothing to do with giving people blasts, whats that?

he just couldn't build a club or a list, & the culture went soft before or around his time. & didn't get better after he finished up.