Parramatta’s board tonight held their annual general meeting behind a human shield as they trotted in every single member of the Parramatta team to stand behind embattled coach Stephen Kearney.
To be frank, it was a highly unusual and an uncomfortable tactic for all concerned. Stephen Kearney stood before members and took “100% responsibility” for the situation the club is in and stated that the only way for the club to get out of it was to “stand united”.
You can read the “official” take on the AGM here at the club website and that gives a pretty fair indication of what actually transpired. It was a publicity stunt that aimed to emulate the passion that was communicated when Craig Bellamy and his side walked united to face the press following the salary cap scandal. Except with the players looking sheepish and Kearney only promising to press forward with the vision he brought to the club, it had little of that power or persuasion.
Instead, the stunt essentially hi-jacked the AGM. Extending well beyond 10pm, by the time the board faced “general business” and open questions on general club matters, at least half of the attendees had headed home. Certainly, no accountability was accepted by the board, however chairman Roy Spagnolo in response to a question from myself about cost-cutting and the subsequent lack of experience at the top of the club admitted that situation was being looked at, which you can take as a pretty clear indication that the club will make a coaching director-style appointment. And given that Stephen Kearney quipped, when offered advice by one fan as to how the Eels should play, “are you Jason Taylor?” then you can pretty assuredly cross Taylor’s name of the list. 1Eyed Eel sources indicate that the club will likely look towards a veteran coach to play a mentor role to Kearney.
Outside of the club’s performance, the most contentious issue of the night was the sale of the Vikings club, the proposition for which passed by a narrow 88 to 84 votes. While those in favour of the sale pointed to the club’s diminishing financial sustainability Parramatta’s deputy lord mayor pleaded for the club to consider the effect that selling the business or property would have on the Dundas Valley area, saying that Vikings was the heart of the area. The president of the club’s junior organisation criticised the Parramatta Leagues for not making Vikings family-friendly or working closely enough with the area’s sporting clubs. Denis Fitzgerald was typically verbose in questioning the wording of the motion which he pointed out made no mention of the sale of the club, only that the club could market the sale. He promised to take the matter to the racing and gaming authority if the motion was passed, so there could yet be more on that front.
Opening with president Roy Spagnolo’s address in which he touted the club’s financials, one member who clearly had a financial background, took issue with the chairman’s claim that improved financials had been delivered on the back of increased efficiencies and performance. He broke down the club’s 5 million profit, into various pockets of “windfall” revenue which when accounted for, actually arrived at a lower profit than the year prior. The club’s accountant disputed the analysis and falls in club membership were blamed on the renovations that have taken place over the past year.
Sums of $40,000 and $28,000 paid to the businesses of director Sid Kelly and Mario Liberini were questioned. CEO Bob Bentley said that the $40k transaction made to Peter Kelly Flooring was the result of a tender process and that the Kelly bid was the most economical, while Bentley admitted the Libertini transaction did not go to tender but he said that he considered it a cost-saving based on discussions he had from people within the industry. I asked the board to consider that there should be a mandate that the businesses of all directors be disqualified from bidding for any business related to the Leagues club or the Football club as good corporate governance should be considered a higher priority than potentially saving a few dollars.
Football club director Steven Sharp, who is obviously preparing for another tilt at the Leagues club requested that at the next board meeting, an amendment should be passed that would require official, independent electoral stewards to preside over the next election. That was seconded, but there was no indication from the board as to whether that would be looked at. In other ‘moments’, an aggrieved cab driver and self-confessed battler complained that it took him four months to get paid for his shuttling of former CEO Paul Osborne; while Mark Hepworth known as MITS from the LU forum complained that the club’s marketing department didn’t even know our colours as it talked about “blue and yellow” in the run-on video shown during games. 1Eyed member Muttman probed the details of the newly passed resolutions that afforded directors various financial benefits for representing the club.
Replies
Phil, thanks for your account of tonights meeting, IMO its very poor form they put the players out to be used as a decoy to take the heat off the board, but i would expect nothing less.... Is it true only 8 questions were taken from the floor, n if true do you see that as a joke, n disrespectfull to the members, surely they deserve better than that Phil......?? do you think anything much was achived out of tonights meeting, and isnt a 5 year plan, retaining juniors and aiming to be in the top 4 or 8 every decent coaches plans ??? is this good enough for you Phil ??? cheers
I have no issue over the number of questions taken from the floor. This was an AGM, it wasn't appropriate in my view to put the team or coach into a forum like that. Tony and I have long argued that there should be at least three fan forums each year. One at the start of the season, one mid-way through the season and one at the end of the season. I admire Kearney for standing up there and taking those questions. Peter Sterling made the comment on Friday night, that Kearney has never hidden from the press during this time, like you see so many other coaches do and I think that says a lot about his character.
AGM's are about the board's accountability, and that was what disappointed me. I'd like to see the board take some responsibility and they might go up in my estimation, as opposed to tonight's shamozzle where my respect has been diminished. I'm going to write a few more blog posts over the next couple of days about some of my observations and thoughts to come out of tonight, but let's be clear also on what was said. Kearney said he was working towards the vision that the club became a sustainable top four club. That doesn't limit the scope of his ambition to hitting the top four, it means year-in-year-out you are one of the clubs competing for the competition as the likes of Melbourne, Brisbane, the Dragons and probably Manly have achieved during the last decade. I still remain a believer in the vision. There are some basic tenets to achieving that. Your youth development and salary cap have to work hand-in-hand, so that you're able to cheaply strengthen your roster while retaining the best of your players. You need to get the percentage football right. And you have to have a winning culture. I remain steadfast in my belief that Kearney is trying to use the right ingredients, he's just having a great deal of trouble getting the mix right. Clearly, he has yet to prove his ability to execute on the vision and that's obviously a concern.
And the one thing I have learnt since I decided to get active in all of this stuff, is that the AGMs are primarily a waste of time - they simply serve a function to pass through any motions that the board wants to move on. Any point that gets raised at best gets "noted" but there is no follow-up mechanism, no ability to find out if anything has been actioned or considered. Quite frankly, the board-level accountability and transparency heads a long-list of issues I'm narked about right now.
thanks for spending the time to write this blog 1ee its much appreciated, just wondering if you might be able to elaborate on what sk said at the forum for all of us that were unable to attend. I have read some of it on the official website but it does not go into great details, thanks red apple.
TBH, there wasn't a great deal of detail to go into over and above what I wrote above. None of the questions asked really probed any of the issues. The main one was regarding the playing style. Hindy noted he had 17 supports on the weekend on his stat sheet, so that they were hardly playing 1 out football. But you were never really going to get any tough questions given the players were standing there.
thanks for your reply Phil, and yes you n bongo are right imo, there should be more fan forums, i think thats healthy in any sport... its interesting to hear your opinion that generally AGM,s are a waste of time, and that there is no real follow up mechanism to questions answered, thanks again for your honest answers regarding the AGM, cheers, looking forward to your thoughts on board accountability and transparency in the next few weeks, cheers
Just to point out Donnsta that unfortunately the Leagues club AGM is where NRL matters have to be discussed because the NRL side come under that part of the operations. If it doesn't seem ridiculous to all and sundry that jumping between questions on how the Leagues club is set up to accommodate smokers, to all matters football than I give up.
Quite frankly, if I was a Leagues club member I'd be peeved that almost the entire AGM was spent talking about football!
What has the Board got to do with the team not winning on the field?
Indirectly, of course, I can see a connection. The Board is of course involved in all of the finances and appointments relevant to the team. Salaries, coaches, support staff, facilities, etc, etc.
But directly? They appoint a coach. They get some players. At some point does it not become a simple fact that your coach coaches and your players play? Sure, if your coach is coaching poorly and your players playing poorly, the Board is not off the hook entirely, as one can say they might want to get involved getting the coach into gear or a new coach and getting new players. And so on. But as I said, at some point the Board has done it's job. It got a coach in place. It worked with the coach and the recruiters and so on to get players. Now go coach and go play.
Maybe I am a simpleton. But the Eels on the field are to me a matter, in the end, of coaching and players. So I just don't see why all the fuss about the Board. Or, more specifically, I don't see why comments about the team performance are used as a premise in comments about the Board. I can see why complaints about membership and so on are about the Board. But losing on the field? That seems to overlook that coaches are there to coach and players to play.
Lest it go unsaid, I don't really give a fig about the Board or Parra internal politics. I don't even live in Australia, so it's not like being involved in Parra politics is on my radar! I just watch the footy, and like everyone, want the team to get better. I'm just truly puzzled why there are so many comments that link poor team performance to the perceived inadequacies of the Board. Is there something I am missing about, for instance, if only the Board was doing X then the Eels would be winning? Or is it just a matter of people looking for scapegoats further afield than is really necessary (that is, than the coaching and the players)?
that we have signed at least one, yes one, established first
grader for 2013.
I don't even want a star, an origin player. I would
like to hear just one little established first grader
not Brian Norrie
not Darcy lussick
but one first grader
cause if not 2013 squad will be considerably weaker than this years.
I just want some glimmer of hope
Hi 1eyed
I think you guys who went last night deserve a free membership...... as it sounds like a lot of dribble.
I too wish they had a players forum, informal dinner type night a few times during the year; my sister is an Easts member and they have these and she loved them as they get to mingle with players and ask some informal questions.
The board have done a bad thing by this and I am embarrassed for the players and Kearney, and also applaud them for attending. The board appear faceless and not willing to answer hard questions....you never hear them nor see them when the chips are down....thats when you want to see them!! Fitzy would often be on the radio and whilst we many not have always agreed with him, he showed leadership.
-
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
5
of 6 Next