Boardroom tickets finalised - Miller to run on Casey's ticket

[mightytiges]

Casey closes in
By Jon Pierik
The Australian
December 17, 2004

GREG Miller's decision to run for a seat on the Richmond board looks to have been the masterstroke that will see Clinton Casey re-elected as Tigers president.

As voting draws to a close at 5pm today, the feeling last night among members of the board and the alternative Charles Macek ticket, other former board members, supporters and those close to the club was that Casey would prevail.

It appears Casey was facing an embarrassing loss until Miller, the club's director of football and a popular figure among supporters, aligned himself with his president and announced on December 1 he would run for a seat.

Casey and Macek may find out their individual fates as early as tonight but the remaining candidates will be told by returning officer PricewaterhouseCoopers between 2-2.30pm tomorrow after the count has been scrutinised.

While most of the Casey ticket appear likely to return, the new board may comprise up to three of Macek's ticket, ensuring an interesting few days of manoeuvring before Wednesday's annual general meeting.

There are some candidates Casey clearly cannot work with - notably Brendan Schwab and Bryan Wood - and they would most likely step aside if they won a seat but Macek did not.

However, there are some on Macek's ticket whom Casey might consider working with, depending on whether they pledge support and unity.

"I am a lot more confident today than I was a month ago," Casey said last night.

"Now that a lot of the members have had an opportunity to see first-hand the changes and positive steps forward that have been taken in the last six months, they are saying it may be time for a bit more stability."

Casey and his board have phoned as many as 5000 of the 22,500 adult voting members during the campaign.

Miller, who said he would clear his desk within a fortnight if he didn't win a seat and Macek claimed power, was confident of a successful result. "I am confident, but people only tell you what you want to hear," he said.

Macek said he was optimistic but not confident of claiming power.

"I have never, ever been confident," he said. "People inside the club, around the club, connected to the club, are giving us unbelievable support and encouragement.

"But, as for the rank-and-file grassroots supporter, it's hard to gauge how they are going to be influenced by issues such as Greg Miller entering the campaign."

Macek said he was "disappointed and disgusted" with some of Casey's tactics.

He was particularly upset that the ballot of club legend Bill Barrot had been leaked to the Herald Sun, a tactic he described as "unprecedented".

The new board will be introduced at the AGM.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11712849%255E23211,00.html

[Life goes on]

Macek, you are a fair dinkum clown. How can you complain about dirty tactics when you have both Wood and Welsh going to the media with there main objectives and policy was to slag the current board, oh, dont you remember poor old fella.
As this campaign continues, the cream has risen to the top

[WilliamPowell]

As prmoised: No comment 


 

[WilliamPowell]

To borrow Ox's now famous line...... and applying it to this bloody election............



Not long to go now 

 

2 hours and counting

Thank god! 

[froars]

Oh gee, i wish it would go on for another 2 months - so interesting lol 

[WilliamPowell]

It's 5.03pm

It's over

 

[Tiger Spirit]

Who woulda thought that when this started way back when that it would take this long to reach a conclusion. 

If the final result and long-term effects turn out to be worth all the fuss then that’s all that matters.

All the same, wouldn’t want to go through that again in a hurry.  There has to be a better way.

[mightytiges]

Casey confident after record voter turnout
5:34:23 PM Fri 17 December, 2004
Paul Gough
Sportal

Richmond president Clinton Casey believes a record turnout by Tigers' members has ensured a clean sweep for his nine man ticket in the club's election.

Up to 14,000 of the club's 22,500 members were expected to have voted by the close of voting on Friday afternoon, with the result expected to be declared over the weekend ahead of Wednesday's annual general meeting.

Casey is confident the record turnout of voters, combined with the decision of popular football director Greg Miller to join his ticket, and the number of positive steps the club has taken since the end of last season will ensure all nine of his ticket will be elected to the new board from the field of 20 candidates.

In contrast, his challenger Charles Macek told Sportal on Friday he believed the result would end up with a split board, with neither Casey or Macek's own nine person ticket likely to get all its members elected.

Casey told Sportal the massive turnout of voters was a huge positive for his bid to extend his five-year presidency, after one of the most bitter election fights in the club's history.

"There is no way that number of members could believe we are on the wrong track given what we have done in the last six to eight months," he said.

"You will always have some people who will be negative towards you and if only 3,000 people had voted it would be a concern."

"But with that huge number voting it shows they are behind the direction we are going."

Casey admits his board had made mistakes at the end of a year in which the club not only lost $2.2 million but also finished with the wooden spoon for the first time since 1989.

But he said Miller's huge show of faith by risking his position as football director - Miller has said he will quit the club if Macek wins control - to join Casey's ticket proved to the members the club was now back on the right track.

And he believes the members have decided to back Miller's decision.

"They (the Richmond members) admire Greg's experience and they have voted to say they approve of the direction he has taken."

Since the end of last year Miller has enticed highly-respected former Western Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace to the club, while the Tigers not only snared Troy Simmonds from Fremantle but also some of the country's best teenage talent in the national draft - led by number one pick Brett Deledio and excitement machine Richard Tambling.

However Macek believes the decision by Miller to align himself with Casey and run for the board has divided the Tigers' supporter base and distracted the campaign away from the most important issues.

"It's what I call wedge politics," he said of Miller's involvement.

"His involvement means the election has now been about personalities rather than the fundamental issues such as the future direction of the club and our financial position."

Macek admitted that Miller's involvement had made it difficult for his ticket to clean sweep the election.

But he believed there were enough Richmond members upset with the state of the club to ensure that at least some of his ticket was elected to the board.

"The most likely result is it will end up a split board," Macek told Sportal.

"I can't see either side even getting seven or eight of its (nine person) ticket elected."

"It will probably be a 5-4 or 6-3 split."

Both Macek and Casey admitted such a situation would be the worst possible result for the club and would result in intense negotiations between the rival groups ahead of Wednesday's annual general meeting.

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=181248

[mightytiges]

Casey closed
18 December 2004   
Herald Sun
Jon Pierik

Macek carpet ride looks set for crash landing

CLINTON Casey is expected to be re-elected as Richmond president today, with early counting suggesting he will enjoy a landslide victory.

More than 12,000 votes had been lodged with returning officer PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) late yesterday afternoon, with a further 1000 expected to arrive before ballots closed at 5pm.

The Casey camp was confident each of its nine-man ticket would be elected, avoiding a potentially disastrous split board at Punt Rd.

Early reports suggested up to three members of Charles Macek's alternative ticket would win considerable support. But the rolling count has shown otherwise, with Casey to remain in charge for a sixth year.

"There are two things we wanted: everyone to vote and everyone to be decisive in their vote," Casey said.

"It appears both of those things have happened.

"This will be the biggest turnout in the polls in the history of the club.

"It appears they have been voting entirely for one ticket.

"It won't be a split decision."

Ballots had been sent to 22,500 club members.

The rival tickets will learn their fate this afternoon after the count has been scrutinised.

Macek's ticket was expected to have five scrutineers run through the poll, while a confident Casey said he wouldn't send anyone.

The Casey ticket will meet from 2pm today at a Richmond pub, where each member will learn his fate over the telephone from PWC. Casey has had a rocky relationship with some members of his ticket, and it remains to be seen whether all will continue to serve on the board.

There has been constant speculation Greg Miller will step aside and concentrate solely on his role in the football department, provided Casey holds on to power.

A reflective Macek wouldn't concede defeat last night but said his Big 4 ticket would have won in a "landslide" had club employees been allowed to comment through the bloody campaign.

Tigers chief executive Steven Wright has remained silent through the election and advised his staff to do the same.

"I remain optimistic and buoyed by the continuing support that we have got from inside the club," Macek said.

"It's unfortunate that some people tend to think we have only got the support of past players.

"They are the only ones who can come out and talk publicly, unless you are Greg Miller.

"There are many other people inside the club today who if they had come out and supported us, it would have been a landslide, in our view.

"But they have done the right thing by staying out of the politicking.

"Anyone who loves the club and who has contributed to the club, such as playing in the past, is entitled to have their say. You have earned that if you've played 300 games, like Francis Bourke.

"It's still significant that no one of that ilk has endorsed the Casey camp, notwithstanding the kerfuffle over Billy Barrot's ballot paper."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,11722842%255E20322,00.html

[mightytiges]

Humble lesson for Tiger leader
18 December 2004   
Herald Sun
By MIKE SHEAHAN

Mike Sheahan's view: THE return of Clinton Casey and the majority of his team at Punt Rd now seems a formality. Come this afternoon, when the election result becomes official, Casey should still be president of the Richmond Football Club.

If so, he will feel both relieved and vindicated, and probably a trifle smug.

That's understandable. He has been under heavy attack for several months and might have lost office against a fresher, more aggressive, issues-driven opposition.

He is entitled to indulge himself in the moment, but he would be wise to heed the lessons of recent times as soon as any hangover passes.

If Casey is returned, it won't be because of his record. It will be a supporter cry for stability, and will reflect the respect afforded Greg Miller by the Richmond membership, and the lack of appeal and ideas of the Macek group.

As odd as it may sound, Charles Macek's team included too many reminders of the rocky past.

It undersold the membership by basing its campaign on the views of players from the glory days of the 1960s and '70s.

Assuming Casey is returned, he now has to learn to embrace all sections of the Richmond family: fellow directors, the staff, supporters, both corporate and rank-and-file, and past players.

He has to be more things to more people. More accommodating, less abrasive towards those who don't share all his views.

The humble, common touch of his predecessor Leon Daphne would be a useful example.

Casey needs to share the load, too, to involve more people. A board of nine may be cumbersome, but that's what he's got. He should involve all of them.

The stinging criticism from several former directors, particularly Brendan Schwab and Peter Welsh, was that Casey ran his own race, wouldn't listen. When a club is going poorly, dissent festers under that style of government.

Fortunately, everyone at Richmond seems happy with new chief executive Steven Wright, the man who should steer the ship on a daily basis.

His main task is to stop the financial haemorrhaging that has claimed more than $3 million in two years.

He also needs to be watchful of the Past Players' Association, reminding it of its purpose.

Mike Perry and company do a fine job. They are important as a group built largely on the glory days of the 1960s and early '70s.

They should be seen as heroes, mentors and confidants; they may need a gentle reminder they are not a powerful political faction.

Richmond has to regroup from here. Its dismal recent history makes it beholden on everyone with Richmond at heart to pull together.

The Tigers hardly are likely to take inspiration from Collingwood, but the fact is Eddie McGuire can deliver a spray that melts paint. Behind closed doors.

Yet, on public display, he is the amiable president of what he sells as the world's greatest sporting club with the world's most passionate, loyal supporters.

A final word on the election. Miller was wrong to join Casey's ticket, yet he probably decided the result.

If he is elected to the board, he has a duty to sit on the board. Not forever, but for a respectable period.

If and when the place is functioning smoothly, he should step down and concentrate on what he does best, run a football department.

G. Miller out, R. Hunt in, perhaps.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,11722845%255E20322,00.html