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

[mightytiges]

Not having a dig at you MT - But I dont think this one was rocket science - Miller (old fox to cunning) 

LOL yeah you're right CUB but this is the first time I can recall he's said it publicly.

[1980]

Stick to slagging off Brendan Schwab MT.

Those players you've not got kind words for luv the club more than any of us, and showed it when they wore the jumper.

And Brendan Gale wasnt around 40 years ago.

Surely 1980 despite them being past players (and most of them champions) and entitled to their opinion they are not above scrutiny for what they say publicly. In any case I was just expressing how I'm sick of some of us around the Club continually reminiscing about the good ol' glory days of the 60s and 70s as a distraction to us being in the wilderness for the past 20 years. It just reminds us of how long we've been crap for. Do you think our young supporters (U25s) relate to most of these past players?! Do you think most Essendon fans idolize their past players ahead of champions like Hird and Lloyd?! Recognizing our past is important (although we as a Club seem to put the 1960s/70s sides way ahead of the 1920/30/40s teams who were more dominant IMO) but we shouldn't let it govern our Club's future. You need to move with the times or get left behind. 

No need to slag these guys off. They gave something to the club. They at least earnt the right to say something about it.

Dont see why anyone would vote based on what they say. 

But I would like to know why not one ex-premiership player has sided with Casey. Not one.

[WilliamPowell]

But I would like to know why not one ex-premiership player has sided with Casey. Not one.

Last time I checked Rex Hunt was a premiership player and was going to join the Casey ticket. Graeme Bond is also a Premiership player and it's been reported he is backing Casey.

[1980]

Rex Hunt? He's not even a member 

[WilliamPowell]

Rex Hunt? He's not even a member 

you didn't mention anything about being a member - you said there were no former Premiership players backing Casey. All I did was name 2

[Bulluss]

Interesting to note that on BigFooty they are running a pole on who people have voted for

Out of 96 voters to date, 51% of those have voted for the Casey ticket.

Suprisingly their is a similar result on the PRE website.

Early indications are the Casey is going to Romp it in.

[mightytiges]

Yeah looks like the majority on the net have got behind Miller and subsequently Casey and co but given these forums combined represent less than 1% of the total Richmond membership I still wonder what Mum and Dad supporters are thinking. Remember they only see the nightly news, listen to SEN and 3aw and read what Caro and Mike tell them.

[mightytiges]

Don Lord and Gary March on SEN 11/12/04

Asked by the presenter what do you say to supporters who say you blokes have been in for 5 years and the joint’s still going pretty bad?
Lord said only 4 people on Casey's ticket have been there longer than a year when the last budget was done. They have put their hand up and accepted responsibility for the poor financial performance this year and they've done a lot of work to turn that around. He also said that everyone needs to remember that Peter Welsh and Brendan Schwab were there too when the last budget was done.  Brendan was on the governance committee that recommended the budget to the board.  They didn’t resign when the budget was done; they resigned in March this year when we knew that we were in financial trouble.  They got out when the going got tough while the rest of us rolled our sleeves up and got stuck into it. Lord reckons the incumbants have got it going the right way and deserve another chance.  March said it a shame it's got so personal. He was still good mates with Woosha Welsh and the night before wished him luck.

They were asked to a give their election spiel - 85% sponsorships done. Finances had been turned around. Re-signed Motorola and TAC. Resurrected the Club and footy department. March commented that in the next couple of weeks they are to announce another major initiative in the sponsorship area. They’ve been working on a community project and some other areas to raise revenue. Had some pretty good initiatives out there on the table and we’re pretty close to signing them. Believes the Club is going places and they were asking for another 12 months to finish what they've started. March made the same promise as Casey to step down if they don't deliver.

They then spoke about the time they put into the Club.

Lord then brought up the debt in response to the alternative claims. Obviously had a bad financial year and therefore we have debt.  But some of that debt relates to the buildings done at Punt Road.  About $1.3m-1.4m.  Fully underwritten by the JDF pledges that we already have in hand for the next 2 years and the proceeds from the AFL for Waverley due to us over the next couple of years.  By the end of 2007, they claim we will have covered the whole cost of our redevelopment - about 4.5 million without going into the other club’s revenue sources. Lord said Casey bit the bullet 3 years ago to improve our facilities because they were crap. Lord said Wallace, Brown, Johnson, Simmonds, Wright would not have come to Richmond without the improvements. The Club was up ands running because of that.

Gary Krauss then rang in. Mentioned he was on the board under Daphne and the early days of Casey's regime. Spoke to Lord about remembering back to their time during SOS and it took 15 years to regain the debt situation from an overdraft of apporx. $2m. Said it's $5m now and the Club pays an interest bill of around $400k a year and that only 5 years ago there was no debt, there was $1.6m in the bank and a $600k profit. He said you can't see that that's a great achievement.   
Lord responded by saying he didn't say that we've done well financially and that at the beginning of the interview he had said they had taken responsibility for the financial situation and that a $2m debt was incurred this year because we had a $2.2m loss.

Krauss mentioned it was a $8m operative to which Lord said yeah. Lord said the debt wasn't $5m but more like $4.5m and as he mentioned before part of it is to do with the buildings which is already fully funded.  The rest is overdraft - $3.3m. Lord then continued to say that ths was in October when the cash flow is at it's worst. The overdraft is more like $1m now which still isn't good and he wasn't making excuses for the financial performance but with our premises we now have assets of $4.5m-5m which the Club didn't have a couple of years ago.

The presenter then mentioned winning games helps. Just look at St Kilda and Geelong (the latter in $7m of debt). March agreed winning turns things around but the mistake the Club (both this board and past boards) had made was budgeting for performances on the ladder better than what we could expect. This year (2005) we've budgeted to finish 16th. If we do better than that then we'll have a very good financial performance.

A caller then rang in mentioning about all the assets we've built up over the past 5 years and that you can't just look at the operational loss. Was a March fan and thanked him for his donations supporter groups which helped the Club. Said it was a positive that we've stayed away from change and bloodletting after the past 20 years.

SEN's number 1 Richmond fan Sarah rang in saying her whole family (all 3 of them) was voting for Casey. She mentioned Mithin and March piped in saying Mithin's been a terrific addition to the board.

Another caller asked about hearing of a contender promising money to the JDF but not paying. Lord said although he really shouldn't comment on that he would say that the members of Clinton's board collectively have pledged almost $300,000 to the JDF payable over a five year period while collectively the nine people on the other ticket would have pledged less than $10,000. 

The final caller asked about whether it was true that board strategic plan for next year and the oncoming years had been outsourced and they haven't written their own plan for next year? Did it cost $80,000 to the Richmond members?
March said that's not exactly right. That what  we did was we implemented a strategic plan with Crowe Lovett with the AFL supporting that.  Crowe Lovett did the same for Melbourne, St Kilda, I believe also assisted the Western Bulldogs.  It didn't cost anywhere near $80,000 and that it was less than half of that amount.  The board had a huge involvement in it and the strategic plan was actually set by our CEO Steven Wright. The board implemented a lot of the recommendations made in the Crowe Lovett report.  And it wasn't just a one year plan but it was about getting the club financially stronger  through the next four or five years.

The same caller piped in that March, Lord,... had been there for 5 years and we were $5m in the red. That we're spending more money on trying to get the club going for the next future years. But if the club or the board isn't viable to write a strategic plan they must be saying something wrong with the way the club is heading.
March responded by disagreeing saying in all levels of business including his own, we outsource when we work on our strategic plans. Our management group set the strategic plans and had a huge import as did all the board members. He reminded the caller that only two current board members that have been there five years and the vast majority of the current board had been there less than three years. They have worked on the changes that are going forward.

Lord had the final say about uniting the club.? Lord said he was really quite annoyed about the way former champions of the Club were being pulled into this by the other side because he believed all it does is further divide the club. He said they've got former players that would support the Casey ticket as well but they weren't going down that path. Lord then mentioned about Billy Barrot ringing him up upset about being named as a alternative ticket supporter. Lord claims Barrot isn't supporting any ticket and will vote for a split board based on what Billy reckons are the best people. While they didn't encourage that he just wanted to mention that that was Billy's view. Lord then reminded everyone Tiger member to vote so the result was a true reflection of Richmond members.

[froars]

Billy's donkey vote
By Jon Pierik
15dec04

IN A stunning backflip, Richmond legend Bill Barrot has endorsed the re-election of president Clinton Casey - just a week after calling for change at Punt Rd.

The alternative Big 4 ticket last week announced the former champion centreman had emphatically endorsed its push for power after meeting with prospective leader Charles Macek and his key supporter, Bryan Wood.
But his ballot paper - leaked to the Herald Sun last night - has shown otherwise.

He sensationally voted 5-4 in favour of the Casey ticket as the bitter election campaign at Punt Rd draws to a tumultuous close.

Barrot supported Casey, Greg Miller, Don Lord, Gary March and John Matthies from the incumbent board, while from the rebel group his nephew, Trevor Barrot, was given a tick of approval along with Robert Edgley, Sharon Hall and Macek.

 
 
 
 
 
 


In a major swipe at the Macek camp, heavy-hitters Wood and Brendan Schwab were notable omissions.

Barrot's backflip could embarrass the Macek camp in the same way Casey was left red-faced when his bid to lure colourful commentator Rex Hunt on to his board backfired.

The Casey camp confirmed last night Barrot had shown it his ballot and provided a copy, which was later forwarded to the Herald Sun.

When contacted last night, Barrot admitted he had lodged his vote with returning officers PricewaterhouseCoopers, but wouldn't confirm or deny that the leaked ballot was his.

The ballot had his signature and club membership number.

Barrot said he was still angry with the Big 4 ticket for comments it attributed to him in a statement given to the Herald Sun last week.

"I sincerely believe that the Big 4 is a genuine team and the best equipped to take Richmond back to its rightful place at the top of the AFL competition," Barrot reportedly said at the time.

"I want to support the winning team and I want to support my teammates."

He later appeared in a photo with premiership teammates and Big 4 supporters Dick Clay and Francis Bourke.

But last night Barrot let rip at Wood.

"Bryan Wood was told by me that I would talk to the press personally and handle it in my political way," Barrot said.

"I am more than disappointed.

"I had a meeting with Clinton Casey and Greg Miller the week before and nothing came out of that meeting."

Asked which ticket he supported in the bloody election fight, Barrot replied: "I would like to see the best team take the field as directors for the football club."

Casey said he was delighted Barrot, who played in the 1967 and '69 premierships and was named as centreman in the club's Team of the Century, had voted for him.

"I am honoured a bloke like Billy Barrot has taken the time to vote for us," he said.

Macek categorically denied Barrot's claim that he hadn't made his initial comments.

"What he is filthy on is no one in the media rang him," he said.

"There was more than one of us there. When we took the words down, he said at the end of the meeting: 'I have made up my mind, you blokes are going to get my nod, these are the reasons'.

"He said, 'you can issue a press release'."

"We read back the words, in a sense.

"I think his ego is hurt."

All votes must be lodged by 5pm this Friday, with a result expected to be released on Saturday.



http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,11694756%255E23209,00.html

[Fishfinger]

Nice sound effects Moi.

Strange title for the article. ???

[mightytiges]

 

Not so much who Billy voted for as that's his free choice but that he(?) provided a copy to the Casey side and that was leaked/given to the Herald-Sun. Why would you make a copy of your ballot paper ???! I know the ballot paper has our name and number on it but it's still meant to be a secret ballot .

[froars]

Err fish, Billy did a donkey vote 

[Fishfinger]

Err fish, Billy did a donkey vote 

OK.
I hadn't thought of it as an actual donkey vote Moi. I don't think it is because Bill's votes appear to be very deliberate and considered.

I took the title as taking a swipe at someone or at the election. I can't work out if the swipe I perceive is at Bill, the club or the candidates Bill voted for. Maybe I'm just sensitive because of the disgraceful stuff that has been said throughout the campaign.

[WilliamPowell]

Not so much who Billy voted for as that's his free choice but that he(?) provided a copy to the Casey side and that was leaked/given to the Herald-Sun. Why would you make a copy of your ballot paper ???! I know the ballot paper has our name and number on it but it's still meant to be a secret ballot .

Agree MT but if you faxed your ballot paper in rather than posting it then you'd still have a copy

Charlres Macek was on Sport927 this morning trying to explain things.

Trevor Barrot was on SEN trying to expalin things 

And Billy Barrot will be on SEN this morning with KB to explain things

I haven't stopped laughing

And if I hear one more member from th BIG4 ticket bitch and moan about how bitter this election has become I am going to puke .

They are the ones who have taken the pot shots on what seems a daily basis - rewind to 30/11/04 when Bryan Wood & Peter Welsh were on SEN .... enough said .....

[mightytiges]

Agree MT but if you faxed your ballot paper in rather than posting it then you'd still have a copy

LOL. Forgot about that little fact of technology WP .

There's always a danger for champion ex-players stepping into the arena of club officialdom and politics. They sadly can destroy the aura around them from their playing days through just a few of their actions. Just look at KB. From second favourite son 15 years ago to mostly supporter apathy towards him now.