Off-field coup brewing: Barrett

[Harry]

Im sure the ticket and their mandate will come out soon enough.  Lol the current board has had 10 years and we still dont know what their mandate is.  And people are jumping up and down about people in shadows meeting at a pub lol.  It's not like anyone is asking us to vote tomorrow. 

The club and its supporters need to harden the stuff up and take some risks coz the AFL is not a level playing field and only the brave and smart will prosper.  Essendon took a risk and it failed big time but chances are they'll bounce back and win a flag before us while we climb to the lofty heights of 8th and wonder why we can't go any higher.

[RedanTiger]

What is most telling is the pub group’s inability to articulate what is wrong with the board — sorry, it’s got too many lawyers sitting on it. They cannot challenge the board on its financial management or its vision.

Expecting whacks for saying this

But on the above which I think is a fairly reasonable statement

30 odd people got together at a pub in Malvern. Passionate, loyal Tiger fans. I didn't go because I didn't sign up to that Rollercoaster web-site for a number of reasons so I didn't get an invite. Funny though it was only 30 odd but I digrese

Not one person who's attended and posts on here has shared any type of vision or plan these people have. Just said how great it was, how passionate these people are....how angry they are with decisions that have been made (aren't we all) and it was pointed out that there are too any lawyers and accountants on the current board but not much else.

We are all peeved with the results this year; they are unacceptable. I don't know of one person on this forum who supported the Hardwick contract extension.

But outside of these "captain obvious" observations what do the "challengers" actually offer? When can we expect them to show themselves and officially throw their collective hats in the ring?

30 people out of 72k....the remaining 71970 odd deserve better than the cloak and dagger nonsense we are getting now; which has turned into a media circus

I know I harp on this but they need to offer more than the rumblings we've had so far

To be fair WP, these people, just like us, have little idea of the current state of contracts, contract clauses or any other financial detail that the club guards privately. It is difficult to say what you WILL do without insight in what you CAN do.
Conversely, the current group have also not told us their vision or plan AND they have the inside information about the club at hand. After 3-0-75, we have not had a single idea about what they are trying to achieve articulated.

So what ever you say about a group of disenchanted supporters, you can say about the incumbents with interest!

Even more so with the talk of staff not doing their jobs properly.
I have criticised Jackson but to be fair it is very hard to know who is responsible for some of these recruiting decisions from the outside.
Same with List Management.
Same with Development.
Same with player welfare.
Same with Match committee.
You really need to know the staff relationships to know who's at fault.
Unless you're on the inside you don't know who to blame.

[Yeahright]

2/ if they don't get their way we go down the EGM path = costs the club $1 million, people can say I am being a hysterical but sorry facts are that's how much an EGM would cost... can think better areas the club can spend (invest a million bucks)

How is it going to cost $1 million?

[(•))(©™]

Peggy blood spiller

[Penelope]

What is most telling is the pub group’s inability to articulate what is wrong with the board — sorry, it’s got too many lawyers sitting on it. They cannot challenge the board on its financial management or its vision.

Expecting whacks for saying this

But on the above which I think is a fairly reasonable statement

30 odd people got together at a pub in Malvern. Passionate, loyal Tiger fans. I didn't go because I didn't sign up to that Rollercoaster web-site for a number of reasons so I didn't get an invite. Funny though it was only 30 odd but I digrese

Not one person who's attended and posts on here has shared any type of vision or plan these people have. Just said how great it was, how passionate these people are....how angry they are with decisions that have been made (aren't we all) and it was pointed out that there are too any lawyers and accountants on the current board but not much else.

We are all peeved with the results this year; they are unacceptable. I don't know of one person on this forum who supported the Hardwick contract extension.

But outside of these "captain obvious" observations what do the "challengers" actually offer? When can we expect them to show themselves and officially throw their collective hats in the ring?

30 people out of 72k....the remaining 71970 odd deserve better than the cloak and dagger nonsense we are getting now; which has turned into a media circus

I know I harp on this but they need to offer more than the rumblings we've had so far

To be fair WP, these people, just like us, have little idea of the current state of contracts, contract clauses or any other financial detail that the club guards privately. It is difficult to say what you WILL do without insight in what you CAN do.
Conversely, the current group have also not told us their vision or plan AND they have the inside information about the club at hand. After 3-0-75, we have not had a single idea about what they are trying to achieve articulated.

So what ever you say about a group of disenchanted supporters, you can say about the incumbents with interest!

Even more so with the talk of staff not doing their jobs properly.
I have criticised Jackson but to be fair it is very hard to know who is responsible for some of these recruiting decisions from the outside.
Same with List Management.
Same with Development.
Same with player welfare.
Same with Match committee.
You really need to know the staff relationships to know who's at fault.
Unless you're on the inside you don't know who to blame.

Danny boy does

[Knighter]

2/ if they don't get their way we go down the EGM path = costs the club $1 million, people can say I am being a hysterical but sorry facts are that's how much an EGM would cost... can think better areas the club can spend (invest a million bucks)

How is it going to cost $1 million?

If Peggy Sue and Benny Fail spend the $1mil paying out Dudwick this weekend then their won't be a need for an EGM. That's a win/win

[(•))(©™]

As if Tho

[one-eyed]

Stability overrated, says key Richmond destabiliser

Ronny Lerner
The Age
5 August 2016

A determination to maintain stability is preventing the Richmond board from making "bold" decisions as it watches other once-struggling Melbourne clubs "flying past us", says a rebel supporter.

Leon Davies, the IT executive who began an online campaign aimed at helping trigger a board spill, says the rebel challenge does not mean a return to the bad old days of instability at Punt Road Oval.

Davies is backing prominent supporters who met at the Malvern Hotel last week to air grievances and issue a challenge to five board members, including president Peggy O'Neal.

After decades of in-fighting and blood-letting, the Tigers have enjoyed relative stability since 2000, with only three coaches in that time, debt eradicated and membership rising to more than 70,000.

However, Davies says the board is too keen to maintain a steady courseand the club needs to evolve.

"We need to be able to have people there that can make strong decisions," he told SEN on Friday.

"At the moment this stability that we're hiding behind seems to reflect the club not being brave enough to make strong decisions.

"We've got clubs flying past us – Melbourne, St Kilda, Bulldogs, Carlton – and we need to be brave, we need to be bold.

"The people that are involved (in the board challenge), their first intent is to go and talk to the club about a smooth transition. Should that not be the case then other steps may need to be taken."

Richmond have wiped out their debt under the current regime but Davies was sceptical of the methods employed to achieve that result.

"I'm not so certain the club has been able to do that without significant contributions from members in the form of donations," he said.

"For example last year, take the (fundraising) Jack Dyer Foundation out, we have a loss of $330,000. That seems to be systematic through the journey over the last few years and it's just not sustainable.

"The club's in the bottom quarter of sponsorship dollars from an AFL club point of view. Now, when we have such a high-profile location, a high-profile club, that's very disturbing."

Davies confirmed he would not be part of any rival ticket and that his role was purely to bring people together who would.

Davies slammed the club's decision to re-sign coach Damien Hardwick until the end of 2018 before this season started and queried why auditing firm Ernst and Young was conducting the review of the football club.

"If you look at best practice, you may look at Geelong in 2006, I think they completed their review with football people rather than an Ernst and Young type of firm, and then they reappointed their coach and that seems to be a logical set of circumstances," Davies said.

"The board drives these decisions ... we've had three (reviews) over the last eight years. I don't know what the results of those are but I don't see how many games Ernst and Young have played. I would rather see really strong football people come into that club, dissect it down, have a look at it and see where the improvements can be made and then you make your decisions moving forward."

Davies said the Richmond coup plotters were concerned primarily about mixed messaging emanating from the club.

"What's our vision and where are we going? We don't know," he said.

"We're not being sold a vision or anything that gives us any confidence that we are heading in the (right) direction.

"If that (rebuilding) is what we're doing then articulate that to us.

"We are a long way from that (being a contender) and we need to make sure that the members are being sold the right story and make sure that we support that. Don't tell us that we've got the best list we've had for seven years when the performances don't indicate that at all."

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/richmond-tigers-rebel-leon-davies-says-stability-holding-back-board-20160805-gqlpat.html

[one-eyed]

O'Neal, in her president's address tonight, said she and the Board believe the job to rebuild the Club is only half done and they are going to stick around to see it through.

[WilliamPowell]

So WP in order to get 1 (have members decide) you need to go through 2 (spill the board).  Can you explain why it will cost 1 mill.

Regardless of what it'll cost change needs to occur.  All parties lay their cards on the table and let the members vote.  Simple.

I'd rather my money be spent on this than paying 600k to our current coach ceo and footy manager.

If we go down the path of an EGM then it is goimg to cost huge $$$. You are paying an outsode organisation in this case our Auditors to run a one off election. This falls outside their normal scope of services and in these circumstances they charge significant $$$

Wait to AGM amd the cost isnt as great

But the key here is this new group whoever they are dont want any form of election  they want a transition. To me that implies we the voting members wont get a say

[Francois Jackson]

Well said Davies, can't argue with any of that

Peggy FO

[WilliamPowell]

O'Neal was on 3AW tonight

Most interesting thing she said and the most damning IMESHO is the fact that Mal Speed has told her and ALL board members he hasn't spoken to the "agitators". She said Speed is actually quite upset at the implication he has been linled to them

Seems someone is telling porkies in a big way

[one-eyed]

O'Neal, in her president's address tonight, said she and the Board believe the job to rebuild the Club is only half done and they are going to stick around to see it through.

Peggy also said (on Ch 7):

* Change and success is built on stability. Instability leads to chaos. She is not going to let instability take hold of the Club.

* Backed Dimma as coach.

[one-eyed]

Tiger president says no takeover 'on my watch'

AFL.com.au
6 August 2016

“NOT ON MY watch” is the bold declaration from Richmond president Peggy O'Neal after suggestions her and members of her board should step down after a failed 2016 season.

The board rumblings have grown louder in recent days following the Tigers' humiliating 88-point loss to Greater Western Sydney last weekend.

But O'Neal said she was in for the long haul, delivering an impassioned president's address ahead of Friday night's clash against Collingwood.

"We are absorbed in building a strong and bold premiership club and we'll leave the political maneuvering to others, as we can't afford to be distracted about the serious business we have to do," O'Neal said.

"After coming this far are we going to walk away from the challenge, of taking that next big step, on our road to the pathway of success? Or are we going to hand over the club and say it's all too hard?

"No we're not, not on my watch."

O'Neal rubbished suggestions the Richmond board was "stale and stagnant".

"It's unfortunate that the board, of all things, has become the headline," she said.

"Stability has been important and it has been a key to our performance on and off the field in recent years. Stability and change go hand in hand, stablilty allows change.

"Instability and change breeds chaos and I refuse to let that happen to this club."

O'Neal said that despite a disappointing season the club was dedicated to turning things around.

"Some people have tried to suggest that stability has come at the expense of change but that is utter nonsense," she said.

"This is a very different club than it was four years ago, much less what it was 10 years ago.

"While the ultimate prize has eluded us, the trajectory is absolutely clear."

O'Neal would not comment on the review into the club's football department, led by chief executive Brendon Gale on behalf of the board, other than to say changes were in the offing.

"We don't make serious decisions on our future based on opinion or gut feeling. While not everything is science, there are some fundamentals to good decision-making, and the first fundamental is to be as well informed as possible," O'Neal said.

"All of you can appreciate that while matters are in progress it's premature to make announcements.

"There'll be a time and place, which I expect will be in the next few weeks, to share those changes with our members and our supporters."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-08-05/tiger-president-says-no-takeover-on-my-watch

[one-eyed]

O’Neal defends under-siege Hardwick

LAUREN WOOD
Herald Sun
6 August 2016

RICHMOND president Peggy O’Neal has launched an impassioned and emphatic defence of under-siege coach Damien Hardwick.

O’Neal, who re-signed the coach earlier this season, is adamant that the Tigers will not be bowing to the “external noise” that Hardwick referenced continuously this week.

She declared that Hardwick remains the coach for the club going forward, despite 70 and 88-point back-to-back losses prior to Friday’s clash with Collingwood, and flatly rejected the suggestion that the decision to re-sign Hardwick with so much of the season still to play out was a mistake.

“We made our decision based on performance through the past three years and we still think it was the right decision to make,” she said on 3AW.

“This (season) has been a downturn nobody wanted to have, but it’s not always up, up, up.

“We still think the fundamentals of why we extended Damien’s contract are true.

“We think he is the man for us.

“We went through a rigorous and difficult approach ... we were pretty thorough. It doesn’t guarantee that things will be positive.

“What we want is a premiership and if we have to make tough decisions to get there ... we’re prepared to do that.”

Rumours of board ructions have dominated discussion this week, but O’Neal said she is “absolutely” sure that board member Malcolm Speed is not involved in such a push.

“Malcolm has assured the board that he has nothing to do with it, and he was rather upset that his name was associated with it,” she said.

“He contacted all the board members to say that.”

Hardwick recently labelled the current Richmond list as the best he has had the reins to in his time at the club.

And O’Neal said the club is determined to take the next step towards the top eight and, eventually, the top four.

“I think you have to put it in context. I know what he said about the list most recently ... the potential for the list is what he meant, and starting to blood the new talent and having the experienced elite players there,” she said.

“We’re looking for a side that will take us into finals and win finals. After arriving at finals three years in a row and not winning any, it became apparent early in the season that we needed to change some things around — that’s what he was prepared to do.

“We’re confident it will hold us in good stead for the next step we have to take.

“We all take responsibility for what has happened (this year).”

O’Neal, who has been at the helm of the club since 2013 and has been criticised for her low-profile approach to the role, also said she is keen for another term in the job.

“I can’t believe this topic of governance at football clubs is front page news,” she said.

“I have nothing but the club’s best interests at heart. My job is to guide ... if they want me to be president again, I’d be more than happy to go ahead.”

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-president-peggy-oneal-defends-undersiege-coach-damien-hardwick/news-story/5c32fb7bf31e0f27f3b71f96a2ee9e56