Don McLardy on SEN

[mjt 640]

You shouldn't have bothered jnrmac, this thread simply provided a vehicle for vitriol.

The failure of the McLardy presidency and of Schwab as CEO is there for all to see, document, lament, and move on from.

They're all Demons and they will be there when the tide turns and you can do what you like but I will be there singing the song with them - they are not evil.

God that's a laugh when people like you sung there praises, proven wrong you don't want to hear it, people like you send company's broke, yes men that have no voice.

[rpfc 28,779]

God that's a laugh when people like you sung there praises, proven wrong you don't want to hear it, people like you send company's broke, yes men that have no voice.

I defend anyone against unfair attacks, they became less unfair as time went on, failures amassed and crises ensued.

I posted that I could see Schwab being removed before his last fateful 3 year extension, but we all know what happened after that.

If all you have got to do on here is gnash your teeth at McLardy, Schwab, and those that may have been mean to you - why bother?

Do you really have time to waste on this hate? We have got half a midfield now, another kid coming in 5 days, Paul effing Roos as coach, and what do you want to do? Fight with all those posters that made you feel inferior.

Build a bridge and come join us in the present at some point.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Don McLardy put a whole heap of his OWN money in to the club, which is more than I can say for some of the crass morons that criticise him.

Mclardy was responsible for Jimmy coming back to the club and without him there probably wouldn't be a club.

It's assholes that never put their hand up, or do anything and never put their own money in, that usually scream the loudest.

[Return to Glory 8,448]

Good on ya Don great job!!! You must be joking,he went cap in hand to the AFL because of the putrid decisions made under his eye, yeah thanks don great job well done, remember when people where naming there starting 22 for the premiership in 2013 5 yrs after Watts, Scully and Trengove where taken, it's because of incompetent fools like Don is why we won 2 games this. year, would nearly go down as the worst AFL president of all time, lets all pat dumb Don on the back.

Perhaps don't take up journalism. Or diplomacy for that matter. Your attempts at sarcasm read, ever so slightly, as mean spirited dribble that would do a shock jock proud.

[Guest]

I thought Don's ineffectiveness in the role was best exemplified at the Schwab dismissal. It showed that he was too nice a bloke to be in the role he was (though the job in theory should have been second nature as he had worked successfully in business in years).
It still seemed that Schwab had his balls in a purse as Don was so hesitant to just tell it as it was. I guess Don would have looked like a bit of a goose saying so since he had just resigned CS to a 3 year deal (based on what I'm not sure). All I needed to hear was similar to what was said at Neeld's presser: This isn't laying the blame at the feet of any one individual. All will be held accountable but frankly we are an impediment to the industry and as CEO, Cameron has to share in some of the blame for that state of affairs occurring.

While PJ isn't a president, he told the cold hard truth at Neeld's press conference without being antagonistic or disrespectful to Neeld. When there was an attempt (consciously or subconsciously) by Neeld to turn the presser into a CS style whitewash (it's not really my fault and I don't know why I'm being sacked), PJ was firm and reiterated that we were a liability to the industry and things had to change.

[dazzledavey36 55,361]

Don was a good bloke, but he was thrust into the job for his mate and took the brunt of the work in what was possibly one of the darkest days for MFC. I respect him for giving it a go and trying to help this club.

He will always be welcomed back to this club with open arms.

Schwab meanwhile can go and eat a Dik. After when he came on here and said that he was glad none of us supporters were running the club only to show how much of a hypocrite he was with what he did to this club he deserves all the criticism that comes his way.

Fancy a geek like him getting a sleeve tattoo...

[bing181 9,329]

From memory it was between Neeld and Flash. I believe Flash said a comment to the AFL's indigenous ambassador about Neeld either being too hard or ignoring them (something to that effect). The ambassador took his comments that Neeld was a racist, to which Flash had to correct him on.

But you're right Redleg, another one Don had to deal with.

From what I've read and understood, it wasn't Flash or Neeld, but came from the same snake in the grass who was also one of the famous four involved in fuelling the tanking issue. Some people just don't like being sacked.

[DemonOX 8,801]

The last 7 years have been a nightmare.

Is there really any need to go over all of this again.

Its been done and its over lets move on.

We have Roos, Jacko, Stone and GB.

Finally something to look forward to.

[rjay 25,093]

To be fair to Don, I don't think he had any aspirations to be President of the MFC and only took it on because Jimmy was deteriorating rapidly before everybody's eyes. Good on you Don for putting your hand up and I will never criticise anyone who is willing to taking something on and giving it their best shot in very trying circumstances.

If I ever bump into Don at the footy I will express these thoughts to him in person and give him a big pat on the back!

I'm sure Don is a good bloke but for all the wrong reasons both he and Garry got involved when they shouldn't, the best thing they both could have done for Jimmy was convince him to stand down.

[Hannibal 5,814]

Don McLardy put a whole heap of his OWN money in to the club, which is more than I can say for some of the crass morons that criticise him.

Mclardy was responsible for Jimmy coming back to the club and without him there probably wouldn't be a club.

It's assholes that never put their hand up, or do anything and never put their own money in, that usually scream the loudest.

I agree, Robbie. McLardy met Stynes because he got involved in Reach. Stynes didn't even know he barracked for Melbourne. A busy business man he decided he wanted to volunteer one day a week at Reach and from there a relationship was borne.

McLardy never wanted to be President, or even go on the Board. He got involved because he was asked and thought he could help.

Here's an article by Flanagan from a while back.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/two-optimistic-men-on-a-mission-in-sport-and-welfare-20100702-zu4n.html?skin=text-only

To think there are turds in here that want to spew bile on a man who simply tried to do his best, but was found wanting.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Ben-Hur

[John Crow Batty 8,879]

I defend anyone against unfair attacks, they became less unfair as time went on, failures amassed and crises ensued.

I posted that I could see Schwab being removed before his last fateful 3 year extension, but we all know what happened after that.

If all you have got to do on here is gnash your teeth at McLardy, Schwab, and those that may have been mean to you - why bother?

Do you really have time to waste on this hate? We have got half a midfield now, another kid coming in 5 days, Paul effing Roos as coach, and what do you want to do? Fight with all those posters that made you feel inferior.

Build a bridge and come join us in the present at some point.

As I recall you were very busy agitating for posters to block those who were pushing hard that Schwab not be re-signed at the time. Then early this season when things were going belly up fast you was endlessly spamming that Schwab, McLardy and Neeld (in no particular order) not be removed till the end of the season at least. Stalling for time for your failed regime were you? It would be a fatal disaster for the club removing them prematurely you said. Well thank God the AFL stepped in and removed them quick smart or else we may have been extinct for sure by now.

Now you want to build bridges and others to join you to move forward but ceaselessly try to stifle debate on any critical deconstruction of why we got into such a mess in the first place. It would be more appropriate that you should be praising and joining with those who agitated for the positive changes that have now occurred. It may surprise you that the overwhelming majority of those who agitated against Schwab and Co are a 100% behind the new regime and club direction yet you still try to make them out like some sort of traitors. You were a leading sycophant and collaborator for those that nearly took the club to oblivion. You and your revisionist posts are now just as irrelevant as the old regime.

Edited November 16, 2013 by america de cali

[stuie 7,374]

Schwab hate.

McLardy bashing.

Watts due for a breakout year.

Welcome to Demonland.

[Dees2014 2,377]

Now DM may be a throughly nice guy, a MFC supporter to his boot laces and someone who gave it his best shot.

I dare say he would have done a better job than me.

However he was VP and then President of the MFC through what may be judged as the worst period in our history

Certainly the worst in my memory.

Under his supervision we made some of the worst decisions in the history of the AFL

Resulting in us Being uncompetitive with probably the worst list in the AFL in 2013.

I cannot feel much more than anger towards him and the board he presided over.

I pray to God we are now moving up after having him at or near the helm over the last six years.

Please DM stay in the shadows.

Old Dee, for someone who professes to be an "old dee" you have a very short memory. Through most of the 1960s to the 1980s were were not in the four in a regional, 12 team competition. When you went to the football as a Dees supporter, you had very little hope of winning or being competitive. It was terrible being a Demon supporter.

Now it is only six years ago we were in the finals and 13 years ago we were in the grand final. This is certainly NOT " the worst period in our history" if you want to be a true Demon masochist try 23 years (1964-1987) not being in the finals and most of that time being thoroughly uncompetitive. If you don't believe me, ask Robby Flower how he felt about it through all of his career.

This has been a very brief wilderness in comparison, and in my view we are only 2-3 years away from playing finals football again and will be a very competitive football team next year.

This is streets ahead of what it was like in the 60's, 70s and 80s.

Believe me, I went to many of the games over that period.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Dees2014

[Dees2014 2,377]

God that's a laugh when people like you sung there praises, proven wrong you don't want to hear it, people like you send company's broke, yes men that have no voice.

This thread is becoming ridiculous. What an absurd thing to say.

You mean there is no room for mistakes in corporate life? All the successful companies I have had anything to do with had as one of their primary goals to get the best out of people. Not all people are stars, most do a solid serviceable job to the best of their ability, but you don't hang them for it. McLardy took over a broken organisation from Jim Stynes. He did his best, and he made some mistakes, the most notable being not getting rid of Schwab earlier, and employing Neeld. Overall he did not succeed, but I don't think many would have over that period. It has taken intervention by the AFL to get us back on track again, which probably should have happened five years ago when some of us saw the classic signs of a failing organisation, but it is always easy to be wise in hindsight.

In successful organisations you weed out the non performers and commit to continuous improvement throughout the business, but overall you build an inclusive culture. This includes respect for the elders (ex employees). Very much the Roos philosophy I would have thought - and a very successful one it has been, and will be for us in the future too.

PS usually I am not this anal retentive, but in this case I will make an exception - it is "their praises" not "there praises", and "companies broke" not "company's broke". There are a few more but that's enough!

Edited November 16, 2013 by Dees2014

[Whispering_Jack 30,674]

McLardy and Schwab ultimately paid the price and bore responsibility because of the team's abysmal performances in the opening round of this season.

That was partly due to the failings of the coach and whilst I make no excuses for Neeld, he did suffer through a number of difficult circumstances which proved too great a burden for an inexperienced coach to bear. Many of these (and they're well documented) were not foreseeable when he was appointed, nor were they all of his own making. He was expected to impose a new "culture" on a brittle and dysfunctional list that was already divided and had severe shortcomings and he failed.

We now expect the same from Paul Roos who has a better chance of success because he is more respected, will be given time and is less likely to suffer the uncalled for attacks from within and without that Neeld had to put up with during his brief tenure. As Graham Cornes observes today in St Kilda's disruptive antics in poaching Alan Richardson were disgraceful:

For instance, Paul Roos can impose his will at Melbourne and it is seen as strong, inspirational progress. His predecessor, Mark Neeld, does the same thing and it is too much of a culture shock and he is seen as a new coach out of his depth.

The anger and the bile directed by some against McLardy, Schwab and Neeld ignores the fact their task in resurrecting our football team was made monumental by more than a decade of neglect and poor decisions for which the responsibility has to be shared by many.

They were not responsible for retaining Daniher past his due date, appointing Bailey who gave us "bruise-fee" football and failed to develop a strong leadership group, for our poor recruiting after 2000, the abysmal player development standards and list management over several years that brought us to where we were at the commencement of this season so that inevitably, we faced a large financial loss and on field despair.

The responsibility was a collective one but McLardy, Schwab and ultimately Neeld and others all fell on their swords.

For all that, some of the hatred and scorn heaped on them is not only unwarranted, maliciously obsessive and misguided but reflects little support or understanding for our club and what it faced during a difficult period in its history.

Let's hope that it's over.

[Dees2014 2,377]

McLardy and Schwab ultimately paid the price and bore responsibility because of the team's abysmal performances in the opening round of this season.

That was partly due to the failings of the coach and whilst I make no excuses for Neeld, he did suffer through a number of difficult circumstances which proved too great a burden for an inexperienced coach to bear. Many of these (and they're well documented) were not foreseeable when he was appointed, nor were they all of his own making. He was expected to impose a new "culture" on a brittle and dysfunctional list that was already divided and had severe shortcomings and he failed.

We now expect the same from Paul Roos who has a better chance of success because he is more respected, will be given time and is less likely to suffer the uncalled for attacks from within and without that Neeld had to put up with during his brief tenure. As Graham Cornes observes today in St Kilda's disruptive antics in poaching Alan Richardson were disgraceful:

The anger and the bile directed by some against McLardy, Schwab and Neeld ignores the fact their task in resurrecting our football team was made monumental by more than a decade of neglect and poor decisions for which the responsibility has to be shared by many.

They were not responsible for retaining Daniher past his due date, appointing Bailey who gave us "bruise-fee" football and failed to develop a strong leadership group, for our poor recruiting after 2000, the abysmal player development standards and list management over several years that brought us to where we were at the commencement of this season so that inevitably, we faced a large financial loss and on field despair.

The responsibility was a collective one but McLardy, Schwab and ultimately Neeld and others all fell on their swords.

For all that, some of the hatred and scorn heaped on them is not only unwarranted, maliciously obsessive and misguided but reflects little support or understanding for our club and what it faced during a difficult period in its history.

WJ, ultimate responsibility must rest with the Board collectively over the last ten years. There was a lack of football expertise there, and seemingly a unwillingness (or inability) to build a high performance organisation. Too many lawyers/accountants and small business entrepreneurs and not enough with solid business experience who are used to the hard slog of turning their organisations into high performance entities. And seemingly an amazing inability to hire high quality leaders. It took intervention by the AFL to assemble the leadership team to turn our rabble into a high performance team, and to reconstitute the Board with the right set of skills. Watch us fly from here....!

[Elwood 3184 1,338]

WJ, ultimate responsibility must rest with the Board collectively over the last ten years.

I think you'll find that's exactly what WJ was saying. FYI, McLardy was President for little more than one of those 10 years during which a lot of schyzenhausen happened at the club that was unexpected and unusual - Jimmy's passing, Jurrah, the sponsorship fiasco, the lies about Neeld and racism, the tanking investigation and a substantial amount of sniping from the penny section. Hard to do your job with that in the foreground.

[Redleg 41,484]

Any wonder smart decent people should stay away from football club boards?

[rpfc 28,779]

As I recall you were very busy agitating for posters to block those who were pushing hard that Schwab not be re-signed at the time. Then early this season when things were going belly up fast you was endlessly spamming that Schwab, McLardy and Neeld (in no particular order) not be removed till the end of the season at least. Stalling for time for your failed regime were you? It would be a fatal disaster for the club removing them prematurely you said. Well thank God the AFL stepped in and removed them quick smart or else we may have been extinct for sure by now.

Now you want to build bridges and others to join you to move forward but ceaselessly try to stifle debate on any critical deconstruction of why we got into such a mess in the first place. It would be more appropriate that you should be praising and joining with those who agitated for the positive changes that have now occurred. It may surprise you that the overwhelming majority of those who agitated against Schwab and Co are a 100% behind the new regime and club direction yet you still try to make them out like some sort of traitors. You were a leading sycophant and collaborator for those that nearly took the club to oblivion. You and your revisionist posts are now just as irrelevant as the old regime.

'As you recall'? Go and get that posts that prove all that nefariousness.

I wouldn't have given Schwab an extension. I would have asked Don to move on after Schwab was paid out. I had an issue with having a caretaker coach for the majority of the season.

But I am not in a position to make those decisions. All I can do is impotently opine, just like you.

And I criticize those stuck in the past because there is no deconstruction in vitriol, it's just pointed hate.

I have acknowledged their failure, and we can analyse what went wrong but it devolves into harsh machismo towards the individuals involved.

And I don't know where I have called someone a traitor to this regime, nor any regime. I have had trouble with you not because I am right and you are wrong or the other way around - I don't like lazy debaters. Your arguments have not been convincing and I have said so. That is the whole and extent of our relationship.

You're not evil, I am not, and neither are former employees and board members of the MFC.

[P-man 13,366]

I would only add that to those decrying the tanking punishment that was negotiated, it could have been a hell of alot worse than a 500K fine. No draft penalties in particular was vital, and Don played a major part in all that.

Finger pointing now seems pretty pointless. The club is still here, and even that was no certainty.

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

With the passing of our Jim, there was a major hole left in the very fabric of our footy club. Throughout his sickness, perhaps the greatest failure was to not address what was an obviously needed succession plan.

I would contend, no-one on here can give a categoric summation of Don McLardy's skills or lack of them. He was incredibly loyal to Jimmy, took the reins at Jimmy's request and was faced with a monumental task, few in this land could countenance. HIs was interviewed on SEN - in the main - to promote the Reach Foundation function, which his business sponsors and support, not to mention Don is currently Chairman of Reach.

Whatever Don's failings may have been, in terms of his Presidency, I cannot say for certain. The one think I do know however is that he is as passionate about his footy club as any on Demonland, he has poured money into the footy club that he did not need to and worked his proverbial off to keep the club afloat.

We may throw as many stones as we like, but that does not diminish the worth and the character of the man.

Thanks Don and go Dees.

Edited November 17, 2013 by iv'a worn smith

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,909]

Not everyone is a born leader. Some of the best companies and governments have had a natural leader in charge and a dour, detail person as deputy. They make great teams with one complementing the skills of the other. But the deputy should never take over as leader. What happened at Melbourne was that Don was forced to take over the reins when he was better placed to remain as deputy. I respect him for his efforts and am grateful for the time and effort that all board members volunteer. It's not like any of them join up to make things worse for the club that we all love.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

Not everyone is a born leader. Some of the best companies and governments have had a natural leader in charge and a dour, detail person as deputy. They make great teams with one complementing the skills of the other. But the deputy should never take over as leader. What happened at Melbourne was that Don was forced to take over the reins when he was better placed to remain as deputy. I respect him for his efforts and am grateful for the time and effort that all board members volunteer. It's not like any of them join up to make things worse for the club that we all love.

I remember when he presided over the first Foundation Hero's Dinner, he was very nervous and when it came to the point of the night, raising money, he said he wasn't very good at this and Jimmy was a hard act to follow.

Don was never chasing the job but took it on because no one else wanted it. You're right he would have been a better Deputy and I'm sure he would have preferred that.

[monoccular 17,576]

Great bloke

Shocking President

Never met the guy but from all I have heard this sums him up.

Just not up to the job, especially with Schwab ru(i)inning the show.

[Sir Why You Little 37,144]

I have no problem at all with Don Mclardy still being part of the Demon family.

I am sure he is still assisting Glen Bartlett when asked.

He is very excited about the future, he said so in the interview.