On 11/06/2013 at 00:59, Colin B. Flaubert said:

I'm glad Don shot down Jeff yesterday. The board in it's current shape and form will go. On performance alone, they would go at the end of the year if an election was called. Don has basically admitted as much. The review into the board needs to go ahead in seeing who needs to go and who needs to stay rather than having this self important clown come in on an ego trip.

People on here talk about how they believe in Peter Jackson and how he will turn the club around. If you really believe that, let him actually do some work. He is restructuring the FD and is looking into the board. If he comes out and says that there is room for a Kennett on the board, I will begrudgingly accept that (with a TRUCKLOAD of reservations) because it would have been a decision that he would have deliberated upon. The way Kennett is trying to take power will undo any work PJ has done in the short time he has been at the club.

I agree 100%. Let Jackson and Freeman do the job. They wont think Kennett is the man for the job because they are intelligent and wont accept that type of egomaniac

  On 07/06/2013 at 02:34, Blinkybill said:

You took the words out of my mouth. How many people here know how boards are supposed to work? How many understand governance?

You are perfectly correct, the CEO runs the club and the President is the overseer. Kennett would be an utterly hopeless CEO as this position requires skills in communication and compromise as well as leadership skills appropriate to the 2010s (which I think he lacks anyway). Stick with Jackson, who can set the direction for the club. If you have a very good CEO and a unified strong team below him, Bozo the Clown can be President.

You got that completely ar$e about - The President and the board set the direction of the club and the CEO implements - not the other way around. The strategic direction is set by the board and the CEO implements the direction the board and President wishes to take.

  On 11/06/2013 at 01:02, why you little said:

Yes i am concerned about the way Jeff may preside over the club, but i am more concerned if Don and the current board stick around any longer.

These aren't the only two options.

  On 11/06/2013 at 00:59, Colin B. Flaubert said:

I'm glad Don shot down Jeff yesterday. The board in it's current shape and form will go. On performance alone, they would go at the end of the year if an election was called. Don has basically admitted as much. The review into the board needs to go ahead in seeing who needs to go and who needs to stay rather than having this self important clown come in on an ego trip.

People on here talk about how they believe in Peter Jackson and how he will turn the club around. If you really believe that, let him actually do some work. He is restructuring the FD and is looking into the board. If he comes out and says that there is room for a Kennett on the board, I will begrudgingly accept that (with a TRUCKLOAD of reservations) because it would have been a decision that he would have deliberated upon. The way Kennett is trying to take power will undo any work PJ has done in the short time he has been at the club.

It shows you how far down the gurgler we are. We are the only club that I have ever heard of where the CEO gets the call on who the President is and the make up of the board. We are aware that President and the board hire ( and fire ) the CEO - the President and the board are responsible to the club and its members whereas the CEO is responsible to the board ?

I am ambivilent about Kennett coming on board but like everyone else here we are speculating on whether PJ and Kennett would get along.

  On 11/06/2013 at 01:02, why you little said:

I have stated before i hated Jeff as politician.

BUT a former premier of the state of Victoria, where Melbourne is the capital city has a certain symetry.

I found Don's speech yesterday rather forced. He has been there through this last 6 year HORROR SHOW & that is what it really is.

If one listens to what Kennett is actually saying he makes a lot of sense.

He is only going to do it if the MFC Members make the change.

Yes i am concerned about the way Jeff may preside over the club, but i am more concerned if Don and the current board stick around any longer.

I LOATHED Jeff as premier. And I don't want him at our football club. His cuts to the public service, stripping people of legal rights and inaccountablilty are arguments for another time. But his 'bull in a china shop' (haven't heard that description of him for a long time, mostly heard it during the '80's when he was regarded as the clown prince of Victoria) style was something that was on ready display during his premiership. I could write a list of 'Jeffisms' that I could print on here from both his footballing and political careers that say why he is not the man for this job.

I fear this is yet another MFC gimmick. We think one thing, hastily cobbled together and ill concieved will save us and bring us success. Haven't we learnt yet that the way to go about this is in a considered and calm way whilst making the changes necessary? I'm not advocating that Neeld stay and most people on here are of the same opinion. However, I do not want this to devolve into a farce as Kennett is turning it into now. If Jeff worked quietly behind the scenes to engineer a bloodless takeover rather than the usual self promoting, foot in mouth way he has done things, I wouldn't be half as cynical as I am now (I would still be cynical just not as much). Make Ron Walker president. Make Don Argus president. Make Greg Sword president or John Thwaites president. Just not this overblown windbag.

  On 11/06/2013 at 01:18, nutbean said:

It shows you how far down the gurgler we are. We are the only club that I have ever heard of where the CEO gets the call on who the President is and the make up of the board. We are aware that President and the board hire ( and fire ) the CEO - the President and the board are responsible to the club and its members whereas the CEO is responsible to the board ?

I am ambivilent about Kennett coming on board but like everyone else here we are speculating on whether PJ and Kennett would get along.

It does say a lot but we are also assuming that Jackson and Jackson alone makes the final call. John Trotter has a background in these areas and I'm sure he won't just let Jackson run his own agenda. I would like to think that both he and Freeman are realistic as well and they will identify who needs to go, rather than just protecting their mates.

If Jeff came in in different circumstances i.e. negotiating a withdrawal from the current board before bringing some of his own people in while keeping some of the quality of the McLardy/Stynes board, I would think he and Jackson would probably have a pretty productive relationship with the occasional idiotic comment from Jeff that could be smoothed over. But in typical Jeff style, we can't wait. Everything has to be torn down now. It's like that scene from the Simpsons movie when Ranier Wolfcastle says 'I came to lead, not to read!'

Frankly, as a fan, you should want McLardy to come out with that reaction to Kennett.

And, for anyone, that thinks otherwise - changes are coming to the board - Don admitted that in his speech in Monday.

We do not need a spill, which would require a costly, and emotionally draining, special election with a certain amount of member approval to get it going.

Freeman and Jackson, with the aide of Trotter, are doing something that is very unusual but that confirms that the Board understands the fact that their performance has been lacklustre and it also illustrates the power that Jackson is seen to have over our rebirth - a CEO overseeing the shortcomings and makeup of the Board he works for?

This is, of course, embarrassing to have such handholding from a AFL-endorsed paratrooper but it is the ONLY way we would allow such AFL involvement in the makeup of our Board moving into 2014; Jackson is our CEO with the AFL mandate still with wet ink.

If those of you that are so effusive in your praise of Jackson believe in what he is doing then you will allow him, and fresh Director Freeman, to review the Board and recommend the changes.

Don is a Demon and he will do the right thing - which is another reason why you get Demons to be on the Board; they are not behoven to their ego, they do what is right for their beloved club.

Like Gardiner did, and like McLardy will.

Interesting to hear Dermott Brereton speak about Jeff Kennett - good and bad. He did state his good points, but made it very very clear that it was Ian Dicker who rebuilt the club that allowed a Kennett type character to claim all the glory. Right now we are rebuilding and have that in PJ so let's wait. Dont want Kennett coming in as the Messiah and blowing all hot air and no substance. Ask any Hawthorn supporter and they would love Kennett to come to Melbourne just so they can see the back of him. Dermott and Jason have to defend him in public but I could guess what they thought of him around their football club.

sure done well at the hawkes

Apologies if this has already been said, but Jeff should just finish the job that Billy Snedden started...

  On 11/06/2013 at 13:21, bush demon said:

Apologies if this has already been said, but Jeff should just finish the job that Billy Snedden started...

I suspect you have complete ownership of such an idiotic statement.

  On 11/06/2013 at 13:23, Ben-Hur said:

I suspect you have complete ownership of such an idiotic statement.

Are those implants? I also wrote that one.

  On 11/06/2013 at 13:23, Ben-Hur said:

I suspect you have complete ownership of such an idiotic statement.

I notice Australia got the job done against Jordan tonight. Oops, i said it again.

"We are Kennett Free"

According to my source inside the club .

Those of you who even considered the idea need lithium.

Thank Heavens for small mercies.

The major problem I see with the stance this club takes on many things is that that it huffs and puffs when talk is cheap, come time to walk it crumbles in a heap.

No one takes us seriously...and why would you.

  On 12/06/2013 at 00:28, Biffen said:

"We are Kennett Free"

According to my source inside the club .

Those of you who even considered the idea need lithium.

Thank Heavens for small mercies.

Biffen... you seem you be slightly missing the point.. Its not so much tat Jeff is good bad or indifferent, the whole premise was, would we, or indeed should we , be prepared to look a goodly distance outside the box for the answers to our many many problems.

To continually be looking within for solutions and salvations is akin to navel gazing...its just doesnt get you far in the end.

Theres good reasons why companies and other organisation deliberately head hunt outside of their own domains. It's to get fresh thinking, objective thinking and people not weighed down by the bickering and infighting that is often present.

  On 12/06/2013 at 00:28, Biffen said:

"We are Kennett Free"

According to my source inside the club .

Those of you who even considered the idea need lithium.

Thank Heavens for small mercies.

If it were Ron Walker, while I don't like his politics, I would be fine. He is a Melbourne man, low key and with a history of getting things done.

Jeffrey? The bugler would have a ready made replacement of JGK driving a volkswagen onto the G with 15 other clowns packed in.

  On 12/06/2013 at 00:33, belzebub59 said:

Biffen... you seem you be slightly missing the point.. Its not so much tat Jeff is good bad or indifferent, the whole premise was, would we, or indeed should we , be prepared to look a goodly distance outside the box for the answers to our many many problems.

To continually be looking within for solutions and salvations is akin to navel gazing...its just doesnt get you far in the end.

Theres good reasons why companies and other organisation deliberately head hunt outside of their own domains. It's to get fresh thinking, objective thinking and people not weighed down by the bickering and infighting that is often present.

I agree with creative thinking BZB,

but there is left of centre and there is lunacy .

JK falls into the latter category .

  On 12/06/2013 at 01:11, Biffen said:

I agree with creative thinking BZB,

but there is left of centre and there is lunacy .

JK falls into the latter category .

Go and give Julia and Kevin a hug.

He is a category unto himself, theres no doubting that..lol

tHe thing about the Kennett push we dont know, is who else is on that ticket. Who is it at Melbourne that have conjoured up this idea ?

Id be very interested to know who THESE people are and what they also would bring to the party.

  On 12/06/2013 at 01:43, mjt said:

Go and give Julia and Kevin a hug.

Not even with yours.

I know you aren't the full quid so I offer you only pity .

  On 12/06/2013 at 01:43, mjt said:

Go and give Julia and Kevin a hug.

I think anyone of any political standing should immediately be disqualified from consideration purely to save us from the inane political bickering.

In other news, Cardinal Pell is rumoured to be gathering support for a ticket.

  On 12/06/2013 at 01:52, Tricky said:

I think anyone of any political standing should immediately be disqualified from consideration purely to save us from the inane political bickering.

In other news, Cardinal Pell is rumoured to be gathering support for a ticket.

Thats were the slow thinking Biffs hatred comes from.

Before anyone else talks about how we don't want Jeff because we are birkenstock wearing, granola chewing, chardonnay drinking socialists, let me say one more thing...
If Mark Latham put his hand up to be Melbourne president tomorrow, I would also say no. It would be for the similar reasons to Kennett because he is an egomaniac albeit just one rung below Jeff. Politics have nothing to do with it (although I'm on record saying I dislike his politics as well). I've met conservatives who are entirely capable and personable and I've met lefties who are pretentious and incompetent.

We need someone to come into the club with a minimum of fuss as possible who will get things done. We need an Ian Dicker type, a low key administrator who puts runs on the board without the ridiculous self promotion and unnecessary division associated with Kennett.

It may not sell papers or get people to tune into football talkfests but it's exactly what we need