Good news in an email from the MCC today:

"Finally, I would like to announce and welcome to the MCC Committee Russel Howcroft who has been appointed to fill the casual vacancy created by the retirement of Mark Smith".

Russell, of course, is one of the stalwarts on the ABC's Gruen show, but importantly is a former MFC Board member. 

We hope that this will continue to ensure our voice is heard over at the MCC, and that more can be done to sign up those 5,000 MCC members who go along to 4 or more Melbourne games each year, but do not sign up to the MFC/MCC membership.

This is great news. I have good memories of watching the 2018 elimination final against Geelong next to Russel in a London bar... good bloke to have a chat with.

Poor appointment...he was on our board at probably the worst time in our history.

...an empty suit.

  On 25/04/2020 at 06:27, rjay said:

Poor appointment...he was on our board at probably the worst time in our history.

...an empty suit.

Some  "empty suit ".............former national CEO of the mighty George Patterson advertising agency . 

  On 25/04/2020 at 12:35, dee-eee said:

Some  "empty suit ".............former national CEO of the mighty George Patterson advertising agency . 

Nuff said...

  On 25/04/2020 at 12:57, rjay said:

Nuff said...

Didn't ever feel the urge to put yourself forward and put it to a vote, nah,  anonymous sniping

He is highly regarded, something you may have never encountered

  On 25/04/2020 at 13:25, Satyriconhome said:

Didn't ever feel the urge to put yourself forward and put it to a vote, nah,  anonymous sniping

He is highly regarded, something you may have never encountered

Your overt hypocrisy is hilarious!!!

  On 25/04/2020 at 13:25, Satyriconhome said:

Didn't ever feel the urge to put yourself forward and put it to a vote, nah,  anonymous sniping

He is highly regarded, something you may have never encountered

I'm not qualified to sit on a board 'sat'...

In all seriousness and not to get into a slanging match with you.

I would like to know why the board allowed Garry Lyon to come in as a consultant to the club.

Garry was a great player but had no qualification to take up this role.

He's never coached at a club or been involved in any other role but as a player.

From the outside looking in it seems that the will of a sick president over rode that of common sense.

To me that is a failure at board level and Russell was part of that board.

Does this qualify him to be a good appointment on another sporting board?

It might seem stupid to you but this still really gets to me...there may have been good reasons at the time but from a supporters view all I can see is failure to make the right call and we're all still paying for it.

Edited April 26, 20205 yr by rjay

  On 25/04/2020 at 06:27, rjay said:

Poor appointment...he was on our board at probably the worst time in our history.

...an empty suit.

I'm with your rjay.  I'll remind people of this.

  On 13/05/2013 at 02:13, Baghdad Bob said:

I'm not sure if it's been referred to here but Russell Howcroft introduced Peter Jackson to a group of members yesterday in the Ryder (?) room. I never expected to attend a MFC meeting where the depth of feeling from the membership base was as ugly, aggressive and in a sense disrespectful to our appointed officers as at the Dallas Brooks Hall in 1996, but in its own way it was even worse. This was not a meeting that was organized with well drawn battle lines but a regular event where a Board member informally addresses the members.

Jackson said nothing different in this meeting to what he'd said all day in his media blitz and while the members welcomed his honesty and common sense they turned on an inept Howcroft. It started with Jackson telling us of a dysfunctional Football Department with no clear lines of responsibility or reporting and an administration which was similar. These comments, while not mentioning Schwab or the Board, were scathing as he outlined that the clear principles of Governance and operations had been ignored, misunderstood and abused.

A member of the audience turned to Howcroft and asked how this Board had allowed all this to happen in the 4 or 5 years of their watch. Howcroft dodged the question saying as a member based organization we could all stand for election. He has an unfortunate manner and his smugness and lack of empathy with the mood of the audience led to interjection and abuse being hurled at him and the rest of the Board.

Jackson clearly understands footy. He immediately engaged the members. He knows what a good footy club looks like. He understands Boards, Administration and corporate structure. He knows this Board is a failure.

In 2008 Jim Stynes and Don McLardy approached the Gardner Board and told them they were out of ideas and needed to move on for the betterment of the MFC. To the Gardner Board's eternal credit they recognized a better Board, read the tea leaves and saved the Club from a battle that would achieve nothing.

It's time for Don and his merry men to look in the mirror, remember history and now identify a better Board and stand aside. They have reduced this club to its lowest ebb in history and made it the most unattractive of propositions. They can do one good thing - find a better alternative and move on.

What makes this absolutely painful is that some of us have recognized the clear failings of Don, Schwabby and his merry men for ages. Anyone with any training or experience in how business work could see this. And yet this Board who have so much individual talent couldn't.

I'll never understand that. There is no doubt their hearts were in the right place but the damage they've done is incalculable.

Howcroft was terrible this day.  He failed to take responsibility of the horrendous state he and the Board he sat on left our Club.  I don't like people who don't take responsibility.  He was dismissive of the membership that was present that day and displayed a sense of arrogance and entitlement.

It's mind numbing to me that he is again on our Board. Hopefully Glen Bartlett explains to him his role and hopefully he does it.  But I find it hard to believe we couldn't have found someone better.  This smells like "jobs for the boys" to me and why you'd want to remind members who have a memory and understanding of just how poor the Board he sat on was I just don't understand.

 

  On 26/04/2020 at 02:28, Baghdad Bob said:

It's mind numbing to me that he is again on our Board.

the appointment is to the MCC Board not the MFC Board

Well there you go!!  My bad.  Having said that the MCC Board is the biggest Boy's Club there is.  But he will have MFC sympathies so that's a positive.

  On 26/04/2020 at 02:28, Baghdad Bob said:

Howcroft was terrible this day.  He failed to take responsibility of the horrendous state he and the Board he sat on left our Club.  I don't like people who don't take responsibility.  He was dismissive of the membership that was present that day and displayed a sense of arrogance and entitlement.

It was a really bad time in the history of the club...

I know people say to move on and it's probably healthy to do that.

...but when you see people congratulating appointments, maybe they should take a look at the history and see if the appointment is deserved and based on merit.

Edited April 26, 20205 yr by rjay

Have to say , i get a bit of perverse satisfaction that the 80% plus non-MFC supporters getting their MCC Email re Russell's appointment will be muttering " There they go again " .  The only good thing about being a septagenarian is that i won't be alive when the Pies surpass us.........and it will happen !

Not a good look at all. I have no idea about Howcroft’s football related ability but he was around and in a position of influence when we were totally dysfunctional as a club so why would you bring him back? Are there no consequences for failure for board members? 

As a club we have suffered since 1965 with second rate administration and board oversight and leadership. I suspect because we continue to appoint Admin and board positions on the grounds of who you know, what school and University you went to rather than what you have achieved or your leadership abilities and knowledge. 

didn't appear to achieve a whole lot in his time at mfc and wouldn't want him back again but having a mfc supporters voice on the mcc board is probably a positive

  On 27/04/2020 at 15:57, Demons1858 said:

didn't appear to achieve a whole lot in his time at mfc and wouldn't want him back again but having a mfc supporters voice on the mcc board is probably a positive

The majority of the board are MFC supporters from the president Michael Happell down, so one more is not a bad thing. However I suspect Howcroft’s appointment to the board has nothing to do with his former affiliation to the footy club.

 

I'm very happy we have another voice on the MCC board! To me it's critical given the profile of the other (unwelcome) existing tenants and wannabe tenants. I suspect Howcroft's place on the board has a bit to do with his advertising nous/experience.

  On 26/04/2020 at 02:28, Baghdad Bob said:

I'm with your rjay.  I'll remind people of this.

Howcroft was terrible this day.  He failed to take responsibility of the horrendous state he and the Board he sat on left our Club.  I don't like people who don't take responsibility.  He was dismissive of the membership that was present that day and displayed a sense of arrogance and entitlement.

It's mind numbing to me that he is again on our Board. Hopefully Glen Bartlett explains to him his role and hopefully he does it.  But I find it hard to believe we couldn't have found someone better.  This smells like "jobs for the boys" to me and why you'd want to remind members who have a memory and understanding of just how poor the Board he sat on was I just don't understand.

 

Perhaps Ask Glen Bartlett why Howcroft left the Board shortly after he became President? He probably wouldn’t say but that speaks volumes in itself

Jesus was he around for that long? I remember being excited when he jumped on board. Part of some of worst years unfortunately.
 

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/87193/Melbourne-Football-Club-Board-update

  On 27/04/2020 at 12:24, Earl Hood said:

Not a good look at all. I have no idea about Howcroft’s football related ability but he was around and in a position of influence when we were totally dysfunctional as a club so why would you bring him back? Are there no consequences for failure for board members? 

As a club we have suffered since 1965 with second rate administration and board oversight and leadership. I suspect because we continue to appoint Admin and board positions on the grounds of who you know, what school and University you went to rather than what you have achieved or your leadership abilities and knowledge. 

Yep that’s why he left our MFC board.he has been appointed to mcc committee of 17 people - has nothing to do with our board where I think he basically got booted from.

Jeez ,  the guy was a volunteer whose prominent marketing background  helped with fund raising/ finding sponsors .

  On 28/04/2020 at 13:09, dee-eee said:

Jeez ,  the guy was a volunteer whose prominent marketing background  helped with fund raising/ finding sponsors .

Are you talking about channel 10 or MFC don’t really know who you are talking about haven’t been in country that long but a lot of negative noise for your saint but appreciate Voluteers are Voluteers and your point learning every day

Great appointment.  He is very well connected. Now confirmed.