Alternative ticket: Schwab, Welsh, Clay, Wood, Humphris and Radford

[mightytiges]

Schwab leads latest charge to oust Casey at Richmond
By Caroline Wilson
realfooty.theage.com.au
July 3, 2004

Four-time premiership players Dick Clay and Bryan Wood are spearheading Brendan Schwab's bid to take over the troubled Richmond Football Club.

The reform ticket plans to confront embattled president Clinton Casey over the next fortnight and call on him to resign. Should Casey refuse, Schwab will take his six-man ticket to the Richmond members through an extraordinary general meeting.

Former Tigers finance director Mike Humphris, a liquidation specialist who helped save the club in 1990, also has joined forces with Schwab and another former director, 1980 premiership wingman Peter Welsh.

The sixth challenger is Transport Accident Commission executive Colin Radford, a former media adviser to Premier Steve Bracks and now head of the TAC's corporate affairs division.

It is believed that Schwab, 36, also has won the support of the Richmond Past Players' Association and at least three former club presidents, none of whom was prepared to comment last night.

The past players are understood to have a list of grievances regarding internal issues at Tigerland and have questioned the club's lack of enthusiasm in pursuing Kevin Sheedy to coach the club. The past players' president, Michael Perry, refused to comment last night.

The Schwab challenge is not linked to rebel member Michael Pahoff's lone challenge and it is believed Schwab's team will prepare a new list of 100 signatures, consisting largely of past players, officials and high-profile supporters, to take on Casey. Nor is Schwab linked to Charles Macek, who has withdrawn his challenge bid.

Clay, 59, was interviewed with former teammate Merv Keane at a recent Tiger pre-match coterie function and both past players were scathing regarding the club's current state.

A wingman in the club's most famous centre line and a member of the 1967, '69, '73 and '74 premiership teams, Clay is the only member of the ticket not to have officially committed himself, but was expected to do so over the weekend.

Wood is believed to have joined forces with Schwab last week. The 50-year-old former wingman played in three Tiger premierships - 1973, '74 and '80 - and also the Bombers' 1985 flag-winning side.

The Schwab ticket is expected to win the public backing of recently appointed AFL Players' Association executive Brendon Gale and former Richmond captain Matthew Knights, who said last week Casey must go.

The TAC is a major sponsor of the Tigers but is reviewing that agreement after 15 years.

Radford, 37, a lifelong Richmond supporter who donated his life savings to the "Save Our Skins" campaign in 1990, is believed to have made himself absent from the current sponsorship deliberations at the TAC.

Schwab, the chief executive of the Australian Entertainment Industry Association, was in Sydney last night and unavailable for comment.

He is pushing his challenge in part because of concerns among his support group that Casey is putting his own survival ahead of the club's interests.

On Thursday, Casey began his campaign through the club's website.

With new chief executive Steve Wright set to take over at Richmond, the Schwab group is concerned the club will now push to appoint a coach quickly in a bid to shore up its own support.

Danny Frawley already has agreed to abide by a new appointment before his time is up.

The club sits 14th on the AFL ladder with four wins and has been the worst-performed AFL side over more than two decades.

Schwab resigned from the club's board alongside Welsh in March, citing serious corporate governance concerns and joint disillusionment over the revelation that Richmond was projecting a $2 million loss after predicting a profit of between $200,000 and $600,000 late last year.

http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/07/02/1088488158296.html?oneclick=true

[mightytiges]

Current board ( 8 )

Clinton Casey, Garry Cameron, Robert Turner, Don Lord, Gary March, John Matthies, Anthony Mithin, Alan Nicklos (Motorola).

vs

Alternative ticket ( 6 )

Brendan Schwab, Peter Welsh, Dick Clay, Bryan Wood, Mike Humphris and Colin Radford (TAC).

The constitution allows for 9 board members.

[froars]

A pretty formidable lineup - who would be the likely leader of the group do you think.

[mightytiges]

Presumably Schwab is the leader froars.

3 ex-board members still makes me wary and although they've finally been named (albeit it took Caro to do it) we still don't know their future plans and policies for the Club. Famous names and backers don't impress me; I want to hear substance and details.

[froars]

Don't we all, but it's good people care enough to have a go.
We can all make up our minds about them in due course.

[mightytiges]

There's one thing to have a go but another to demonstrate they are capable. For a couple of them they have had their time before and failed miserably. Same goes for Casey I might add. At the moment they seem to care more about playing politics than what's best for the Club.

Anyway as you say froars will find out in due course. If Schwab meets Casey next week and askes him to resign with a petition (which one he will have will be interesting?) under his arm as back-up then it will be on  . 

 

[mightytiges]

Casey was interviewed by 3aw earlier today in Brisbane. He said Colin Radford was on the plane with him and that Radford was not part of an alternative ticket.  Caro replied later on that people she spoke to at the TAC were notified by Radford that he may be running for the board. Well someone is telling fibs  ???. Casey also reiterated that he would step down if a person or group demonstrated to him that they would do a better job at the Club. He and Schwab haven't spoken to each other since they parted company.

Apparently also Dick Clay was very unhappy that his name was mentioned as part of a alternative ticket. Caro said she had emphasised in the article that he hadn't joined yet but was going to.

[mightytiges]

Jewell `not part of board challenge'
04 July 2004   
Sunday Herald Sun
Scot Palmer

FORMER Richmond premiership coach Tony Jewell has knocked back an offer to join a group threatening to challenge the Tigers' board this year.
 
Jewell, who was beaten at the last club poll after a long stint as a board member, said he was aware of the challenge being mounted, and believed former vice-president Brendan Schwab was a key figure.

"I have been spoken to by a few people . . . but I am leaving it to somebody else," Jewell said yesterday.

"I won't be involved in any way other than going to the footy as a life member."

Schwab was coy when questioned about his involvement.

"I have not ruled out a return, but have no further comment about it," he said yesterday.

The comments come as president Clinton Casey conceded he would stand down if he believed there was a better group to run the club.

Casey, who said he was prepared to fight on behalf of the club, was asked whether he would resign if told the ticket was being headed by Schwab.

"I would certainly sit down and talk to the board about it," he told 3AW yesterday.

"I mean if we thought if it was in the best interests of the club and they had people there who were going to be able to do a better job than we would, that's what you would do – but otherwise you wouldn't."

Casey denied that the TAC's Colin Radford would be part of the challenge to the board.

He said Radford was on the same flight as him yesterday and denied any involvement in the reform ticket.

Asked if people were being honest with him, Casey told said: "I'm not sure. But I suppose time will be the judge, but they are going to come and have a chat to me next week and I look forward to having a chat.

"I don't know who is heading the ticket and whether or not they think they have got a president involved in that as well."

Jewell said yesterday: "I have heard they have 15 people willing to take part in an election and (are) now wading through the names."

Jewell said he regretted what was happening to Richmond at the moment, saying, "we know how to implode, don't we?".

Despite Casey previously saying the club was after an experienced coach to replace Danny Frawley, he said Essendon assistant coach Mark Harvey and Brisbane assistant Gary O'Donnell would be considered.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,10033139%255E19742,00.html

[WilliamPowell]

3 ex-board members still makes me wary and although they've finally been named (albeit it took Caro to do it) we still don't know their future plans and policies for the Club. Famous names and backers don't impress me; I want to hear substance and details.

Make that 4 ex-board members MT if Dick Clay is involved.

Dick Clay was on the board back in 1984 and 1985.

Absolutely no surprise that Caro got this "exclusive"

[mightytiges]

Make that 4 ex-board members MT if Dick Clay is involved.

Dick Clay was on the board back in 1984 and 1985.

Thanks WP  . I wish we could get a list of board members since 1980. I know Humphris was treasurer from mid-late 1986 to 1990.

I wonder how much of a say Clay had during that great period of stupidity in the mid 80's.

The 1984 annual report revealed a loss of $224,000 of which $130,000 was legal fees. The poaching wars and the need to recruit high price interstaters to compensate for the inability to find players in zones was causing financial problems for all the Melbourne clubs. The whole period was a time of rampant chequebook recruiting.

Barry Richardson lead a challenge to the board and as part of his victory replaced Patterson with Tasmanian Paul Sproule. The high prices paid for players at this time and the legal battles to gain clearances were crippling clubs. The players Richmond recruited such as Phillip Walsh and John Annear were not successes and the need to continually recruit replacements for poor recruits was draining club resources. A board room deal saw long term treasurer and recruiter Ron Carson deposed. The board turmoils and financial malaise led the VFL to sponsor a suggestion that Richmond should move to Brisbane in 1985. Ian Wilson was deposed by Barry Richardson as president in March 1985. Richmond cleared Brian Taylor and lost Merv Keane and failed to recruit anyone of note. At the end of the season as the club finished 8th Sproule was replaced by Jewell and Patterson resigned the presidency in favour of Bill Durham when he refused his supporters demands to sack Sproule.

Richmond's chief administrator between 1981-86, Kevin Dixon, blamed the poor record on interference by Graeme Richmond who had forced him to recruit players he otherwise wouldn't have. Richmond's recruiting at this time was ridiculous. Its list of purchases included, ..., Phillip Walsh $110,000 (40 games), Daryl Suton $80,000 (6 games), Andrew Cross $20,000 (1 game), Peter McCormack $20,000 (4 games), Gary Frangalas $100,000 (17 games), Michael Roberts $30,000 (12 games), Dennis Collins $80,000 (17 games), John Annear $100,000 (65 games) and Jeff Dunne $20,000 (1 game). The settlement for sacked coach Paul Sproule cost $65,000.

http://oneeyed-richmond.com/history.htm - based from "Tigerand - The History of the RFC 1885-1991" and thanks to Damian Streets.

The monies probably don't sound that much now but 15-20 years ago that was $$$ and it was enough to almost send us to the wall or relocate to Brisbane  .

Please NO ex-board members from the last 20-25 years .

[mightytiges]

Clay steers clear of Tiger trouble
08 July 2004   
Herald Sun
Mark Stevens

RICHMOND legend Dick Clay has called for calm at Punt Rd, strongly denying he is part of a rebel group moving to oust president Clinton Casey.

Clay, a four-time premiership player, yesterday said reports he was spearheading an alternative ticket were completely false.

"I've received no approach at all by anybody. I've got no interest at all," Clay said.

Clay, vice-president of the Tigers' past players' group, said any challenge should be left until after the season. He said rebel member Michael Pahoff's push to force an emergency general meeting and oust Casey on the board was poorly timed.

Clay said the powerful past players' group had informed the current Tigers regime that it would not align itself with any political group.

Michael Perry, head of the past players, met Casey and Tigers' football director Greg Miller on Tuesday and stressed they would not be supporting any alternative ticket.

Perry last night said the past players were "straight down the line" and would not favour anyone in the looming battle.

"We're not aligned anywhere -- we're just in there for the footy club," Perry said.

Clay said the group was careful not to be seen "stirring the pot".

"We'd be foolish to try and upset the apple cart when the Tigers are down where they are."

Clay said he had no personal issues with Casey, who was facing a challenge by a group headed by former board member Brendan Schwab.

He denied he had recently strongly criticised the club in a talk to a Tigers' coterie group.

"There's no way known I'd every say anything detrimental to the club. It was just a call to our supporters to support a proud and passionate club," Clay said.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,10072916%255E19771,00.html

[mightytiges]

Don't remember in my life so many people not wanting to be apart of something.

Will the real alternative group please stand up!

[Rodgerramjet]

Maybe there isn't one.

And if there is one, they're not showing me they're very organised.

[mightytiges]

Well according to Michael his petition is in the hands of an "alternative" group but then again that might be George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln  .

If there isn't an alternative ticket then we as a Club are going to be the biggest laughing stock in the League spending $50,000 of our own money, after losing $2 million already, on an election with no candidates  .

[Rodgerramjet]

Maybe Micheal is comming back from the states with his mates from the Boston tea party or whats left of them