AFL slaps trade ban on Swans

[Matt80]

But Matt the reason that the AFL have not discussed it is that no one has asked them too!!!!

Not one journalist or radio hack (to my knowledge) has even asked as single commissioner or AFL employee a single question regarding it!

I think Andrew Ireland would be asking them behind the scenes.

[yabbadabbado]

But Matt the reason that the AFL have not discussed it is that no one has asked them too!!!!

Not one journalist or radio hack (to my knowledge) has even asked as single commissioner or AFL employee a single question regarding it!

That's what I think is unusual. Why haven't the media knocked on the door of AFL house

[CureTheSane]

Board directors have a duty to resign their position if they strongly disagree with a decision that the collective board have made or the strategic direction of the entity. The resigning board member then bears no future accountability or responsibility if the decision is a disastrous one. This is part of a board directors fiduciary duty.

All commissioners are still in place so this means that the commissioners are not concerned by the future outcomes of the Swans decision.

I'm a director of a couple of companies. I'm also a school council member.
I think you have either a warped view of how things work, or think that this Swans decision, in the big scheme of things, is more important than it actually is.

That journalist haven't been waiting outside Gillon's front door for a comment indicates how little they care, even though a few seem outraged.
We are all in the Swans fishbowl here being upset about a specific decision that was seemingly unfair to us.
Important to us, not so much to the wider non-Swans public....
This is why the leaders of the club should have stood up and been counted and voiced their outrage, rather than saying that they 'were dissappointed' when news came through after they have known about it for a couple of weeks.

Maybe the AFl simply played our board very well...

[Ludwig]

These commissioners are superstars of Australian business,

Since Eddie McGuire is a superstar of Australian business, his integrity is also beyond question. Yes?

I'm not fully commercial. I just have faith in some of the above AFL commissioners to grow my Super and allow me a more comfortable life in retirement.

I hate to disillusion you, but by the time you're ready for retirement, the only thing you'll want to do with your Super is get some pentobarbital, because in the kind of world your corporate buddies will be leaving you that's going to look by far the best of your options.


On some of the comments made about this:

We have no idea how the commission actually comes to these decisions anyway. For all we know Gillon made the decision and had it rubber stamped by Mike Fitzpatrick. Chris Langford, who is probably the best qualified of the commissioners, should probably recuse from voting on matters effecting the Hawthorn FC, since his son is a player for the club.

Many of commissions know very little about football, let alone the intricacies of the COLA history. I don't believe that any of the commissioners are from NSW.

If you take the US Supreme Court which has 9 justices (same number as the AFL Commission), just for comparison, a justice doesn't resign just because he or she was in the minority in a particular decision of the court. Many of the most important decisions are 5-4. Sometimes one or more will write a minority opinion. Many decisions made by courts and in the corporate arena do not include all the members of the ruling body, but are rather made by subcommittees and the like; so it's hard to say how many commissioners were actually consulted or involved in the one in question.

Maybe the commission had a vote of 2-1 for the trading sanction with 6 abstentions or non-voting.

It's the lack of transparency that's the main problem.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Kim Williams did not work for Fairfax. Bill Kelty is a hero of the Labor movement. He and Bob Hawke killed inflation through the prices and income accord. What a reforming Australian Mr Kelty is. Mr Keating and Mr Kelty are great mates and they brought us Super.

Goyder is playing Business to win. It's a failing of government that it's not easy for Walmart and Tescos to come into Australia to compete against Woolworth's and Westfarmers. All suppliers need is more completion in the super market sector.

"Bill Kelty is a hero of the Labour movement"? WTF? The labour movement might like him but do you know what he got up to in the 80's? I can't say here but I think you know where I'm coming from. He is not a person of conscionable background.

- - - Updated - - -

With reference to Matt80s slavering adulation of the rich and powerful, Paul Keating said " you should always back "self-interest", at least you know she's trying. These commisssioners support each other to get directorships on other boards, or boards of each others' companies. Half of them have positions in Maguire's companies. There was an article about some potentially illegal dealings to do with a Victorian mining company that involved past and present AFL commissioners. Goyder presides over Coles, who have exploited suppliers unethically. Bill Kelty played hardball in very tough union environments. Kim Williams was seriously hated in his former position at Fairfax. These are "whatever it takes" without getting caught kind of guys. Ethics and morality are not big on their priority list.

Haha, "whatever it takes". Where have I heard that motto before?

Speaking of the Commissioners. Here's a Caro article. It's a couple of years old but it is clear than it is extremely Melbourne centric commission.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/meet-the-afl-commissioners-20121019-27xau.html

[Flying South]

This is why the leaders of the club should have stood up and been counted and voiced their outrage, rather than saying that they 'were dissappointed' when news came through after they have known about it for a couple of weeks.

I maybe wrong, but didn't the club agree to no trading of RFA's in return for the cola to be phased out over 2 years. If so, the club could hardly voice their outrage.

There are reasons for everything. Maybe there is silence because it is best to not know these reasons. Or as someone said earlier, the wider football community just don't care.

Anyhow, I notice Michael Johnson and Alex Rance are free agents next year. The temptation maybe too much and we give the AFL the finger.

[S.S. Bleeder]

I maybe wrong, but didn't the club agree to no trading of RFA's in return for the cola to be phased out over 2 years. If so, the club could hardly voice their outrage.

Jon Ralph wrote that in an article but there has been nothing to substantiate that. IMO it is incorrect. Why would we agree to that unless it was in the fine print and not known.

[The Big Cat]

Unfortunately for the Swans no commissioner has resigned their position over the Swans recruitment decision. That means that the following individuals believe that the decision is in the best interests of the AFL and is fair:

Mike Fitzpatrick - Chairman
Gillon McLachlan - Chief Executive Officer
Bill Kelty - Commissioner
Chris Langford - Commissioner
Sam Mostyn - Commissioner
Justice Linda Dessau - Commissioner
Richard Goyder - Commissioner
Paul Bassat - Commissioner
Kim Williams - Commissioner

These commissioners are superstars of Australian business, political and legal life. They all have wonderful reputations. They would not agree to a decision on the Swans that could hurt their reputations.

We are not being told the full information on the commission?s decision and we are only speculating. I believe that these above commissioners deserve the benefit of the doubt in the Swans decision.

The commissioners are high calibre people of great integrity and should be afforded the Red and White community?s confidence and respect.

It?s important to note that apart from McLachlan every other commissioner is too powerful and too established to worry about what Eddie says on his radio show.

If a commissioner resigned their position because they had split away from the board, and did not agree with the Swans decision, then I would believe that something is seriously wrong. Unfortunately for the Swans, this has not occurred.

I think the fact that the Swans want to address "the whole Commission" is indicative of the strong possibility that this whole trade ban is Mike Fitzpatrick's baby and it has been rubber stamped by the board and implemented by Gillon Mc Lachlan.

On a separate matter I don't think you can say that because people are high fliers in the corporate world they are necessarily of impeccable credentials. I agree that the commission seems loaded with talent from many areas. But I wonder if Hawthorn's continual raiding of poor clubs causes Chris Langford's stomach to churn a little and whether if Fitzpatrick was Chairman when Carlton was punished would it have been as severe?

As a counterpoint to Matt's blind faith in the inherent goodness and altruism of high fliers, I believe often the fact that someone reaches the pinnacle in big business is evidence in itself that they possess a "whatever it takes" mentality.There is one commissioner who comes via a company whose record in public matters and fairness to individuals is dubious at best and if the British enquiries are any evidence, illegal at worst.

[S.S. Bleeder]

Very good point Big Cat. Boards are often briefed by other board members and vote based on their recommendations. And in relation to the integrity of the individual members; they have been successful in business because they have placed the interests of their employer no.1. Does anyone honestly expect that they would place the interests of the Swans or the integrity of the game ahead of the short term interests of the AFL during their reign?

[Ludwig]

When you have a powerful executive like AD was, the last thing you want are Board members questioning your authority and actions. I'm sure the Vlad era appointments were made to those who would just attend meetings and get their director's fees. I doubt they would have much to add when it came to football matters.

BTW, Bill Kelty is member of the McGuire Media Advisory Board. It might as well be Eddie on the Commission wearing a Bill Kelty mask.

Now that it appears the Swans will be making an appeal to the full board, perhaps in December, that the matter has been moved up from a minor technical football decision to a legal issue.

[Matt80]

I think the fact that the Swans want to address "the whole Commission" is indicative of the strong possibility that this whole trade ban is Mike Fitzpatrick's baby and it has been rubber stamped by the board and implemented by Gillon Mc Lachlan.

On a separate matter I don't think you can say that because people are high fliers in the corporate world they are necessarily of impeccable credentials. I agree that the commission seems loaded with talent from many areas. But I wonder if Hawthorn's continual raiding of poor clubs causes Chris Langford's stomach to churn a little and whether if Fitzpatrick was Chairman when Carlton was punished would it have been as severe?

As a counterpoint to Matt's blind faith in the inherent goodness and altruism of high fliers, I believe often the fact that someone reaches the pinnacle in big business is evidence in itself that they possess a "whatever it takes" mentality.There is one commissioner who comes via a company whose record in public matters and fairness to individuals is dubious at best and if the British enquiries are any evidence, illegal at worst.

I think the story of Arthur Sinodenis is a lesson that all high flyers can come unstuck while serving on Boards. The directors on the commission take their duties seriously.

I can only assume that the Swans matter is small fodder for the commission. They would be more focused on the ASADA matter.

The commission must be glad they are not the Australian Rugby Union. They are not bankrupt, don't have social media idiots apart from Bootsma and don't have mysterious team managers.

[barry]

There will never be justice when the AFL commission is so victorian focussed.

This year has been an eye opener for me about how much we still are the VFL.

The game will fail if that remains the case.

[CureTheSane]

I maybe wrong, but didn't the club agree to no trading of RFA's in return for the cola to be phased out over 2 years. If so, the club could hardly voice their outrage.

There are reasons for everything. Maybe there is silence because it is best to not know these reasons. Or as someone said earlier, the wider football community just don't care.

Anyhow, I notice Michael Johnson and Alex Rance are free agents next year. The temptation maybe too much and we give the AFL the finger.

Your post is the whole problem.
everything is unclear.

[Matt80]

I discovered through an internet search that Bill Kelty and Eddie sit on the board of the Dave Evans investment company.

Evans has now stepped away from Essendon.

Did Eddie in his radio show give enough attention to the Bombers supplement program? Did he analyse it like Caroline Wilson?

I would have thought that physically advantaged Essendon players, would have given them an advantage over the Collingwood.

[sharp9]

I maybe wrong, but didn't the club agree to no trading of RFA's in return for the cola to be phased out over 2 years. If so, the club could hardly voice their outrage.

There are reasons for everything. Maybe there is silence because it is best to not know these reasons. Or as someone said earlier, the wider football community just don't care.

Anyhow, I notice Michael Johnson and Alex Rance are free agents next year. The temptation maybe too much and we give the AFL the finger.

No the club did NOT agree....that is a lie put about by Jon Ralph...or else he has believed a lie told to him by someone at the AFL.

BTW with reference to my earlier noting that no journalists had talked to the commission....the only one who did is Jon Ralph and he only used "secret" sources to run his very, very pro Collingwood agenda (whihc he has been doing all year). he did not ask or get a single person to go on record to say why this has happened.

And the John Pierik article actually says "Industry observers believe...." because NO JOURNALIST AT ALL has actually ASKED someone why this is happening???? The only possible explanation can be that the journalists do not want to ask the questions because they know that by leaving the innuendo they propagate the myth amongst the unwashed that something MUST be wrong with COLA...and that the Swans MUST have broken some rules.