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Saints become a plaything for rich boys

Caroline Wilson | September 12, 2007

WHEN the 2007 season ended for St Kilda, the club was considered to have underachieved. Upon reassessment, given all the dirty laundry and division that clearly has haunted the club for much of the year, it seems a miracle Ross Lyon and his team were still a chance to play finals into round 22.

You have to feel for Lyon. He has been around football clubs, including feuding ones, for many years but his previous job was at Sydney during that club's most united and successful era. How he must be missing it now.

Lyon replaced a coach who had fallen out with his president in a feud that was not only financial but became legal. The board handed him a football operations boss in Ken Sheldon who Lyon initially had his doubts about but determined to make the relationship work.

In the meantime, the president, Rod Butterss — a likeable but unpredictable leader who destabilised the club with his ill-timed attack on former coach and ex-best friend Grant Thomas back in June — fell out with chief executive Archie Fraser, who in turn appeared to have issues with the football manager. The two couldn't seem to agree on anything.

Early in the season, Fraser fell foul of the AFL's new human resources set-up because he had been too tough on several staff members — all of whom seemed stressed and overworked because there were so few of them. Fraser also fell out with his deputy James van Beek, who had some issues of his own with staff members.

Van Beek departed to work for Concept Sports — a company several St Kilda directors own shares in. And still the Saints kept getting injured. Despite their bad injury record for most of Thomas' tenure, only a year ago did the club get serious about tackling it. The latest in a long list of fitness and conditioning managers, Craig Starcevich, departed over summer for personal reasons.

Meanwhile, the club's vice-president, Ross Levin, fell out with Butterss and his inner sanctum of Glenn Casey, who used to employ Sheldon at Nylex, and football director Mark Kellett. Seasoned board campaigner Ray King also fell out with the rebel directors.

Levin, who is the only director the new rebel group will keep on the board, and fellow board member John Gdanski, who has jumped ship to join the St Kilda Footy First ticket, appear aligned with Fraser but not Sheldon. The two rebel directors reportedly were horrified that Casey took $30,000 from the Saints to mentor Fraser last year when he was no longer required at Nylex.

They are both lawyers who apparently have done plenty of work for free for the club but who will receive five-figure sums this year for St Kilda legal work. Surely club directors are there to help the club for free, particularly when times are tight.

Enter on-field stalwart Andrew Thompson. He was approached by his former captain Nathan Burke, who not only sits on the AFL's match review panel but also recently helped Melbourne find its new senior coach.

This time last year, the St Kilda players were in shock over the Thomas fallout. Now they are heading off on an end-of-season trip with a teammate who suddenly has been transformed into a major player in an off-field power struggle.

Confused? It could be worse. You could be a St Kilda member who still believed your football club was above a dirty game of cowboys and Indians. Or Lyon, the rookie senior coach who thought he was being promoted into the big time at a united football club with the single purpose of winning a premiership. Not a rich boys' club.

Saints put profit before premiership: Thompson

Chloe Saltau | September 12, 2007

LESS than a fortnight after he left the MCG for the last time on the shoulders of his teammates, Andrew Thompson has suggested the under-resourcing of St Kilda's football department may have cost the club a premiership.

After a period of deliberation during which he sought guidance from his father-in-law, former International Cricket Council president Malcolm Gray, the 221-game midfielder decided to "take a stand", and joined former Saints captain Nathan Burke on a ticket seeking to depose president Rod Butterss and his board.

The Footy First group, headed by transport boss and would-be president Greg Westaway, claims the incumbent board has failed to provide coach Ross Lyon's football department with adequate resources to challenge for the club's first premiership since 1966, instead focusing too heavily on profits. The rebels promise to focus its spending on key areas, including fitness and recruiting.

Thompson, who would also sit on a football sub-committee with Burke, Olympic swimmer Michael Klim and former player Mordy Bromberg QC, said he had not discussed his decision to run for the board with the teammates who gave him and Fraser Gehrig a rousing send-off in round 22.

The 34-year-old will accompany his former teammates on an end-of-season trip to Thailand before working full-time with a stockbroking firm and preparing for a possible board election in November.

"I suppose the only thing was whether I would take some time out of football, but I think this is a good group, and you've got to take a stand at some point. I think we do need to spend more money on football. I think there's been some issues off field, and I think it's just time."

Thompson expressed strong support for Lyon, but said he needed more resources. "We've had so many soft-tissue injuries over the course of the last five or six years.

"… It's very hard to say, but if the players were out on the ground, and we didn't have the injuries we had, we may well have won a flag."

St Kilda released a statement saying it would "seek contact with the rebel group to gather all the facts", after Footy First said it would lodge a notice for an extraordinary general meeting to be held in early November, when it would call for a board spill.

Confirmation that Thompson and John Gdanski, who has defected from the current board, had joined the ticket, will rock the Butterss administration. Only a day earlier, the president said he would be "shocked, absolutely shocked" if Thompson was involved.

Westaway said too much emphasis had been placed on reducing debt, to the detriment of the football department.

Burke said he was acting because he was passionate about St Kilda. "I think I'm being loyal in the fact I'm putting my name out there and trying to lead some change … the picture is not as rosy as some people like to paint."

More sponsorship worries for St Kilda

Mark Hawthorne | September 12, 2007

A THIRD company, NEC, is reviewing its St Kilda sponsorship.

Bill Express has already quit as a co-naming rights sponsor of the club, and Vodafone is considering switching allegiances to Carlton.

NEC is one of two second-tier Leadership Group sponsors of St Kilda, along with The Age.

"We will be reviewing that contract over the next few weeks," an NEC spokesman said. "We review all sponsorship deals when they are due to expire."

St Kilda chief executive Archie Fraser confirmed that NEC was assessing its options for 2008.

"I am aware of that, but we are hopeful they will still (be) on board for next year," he said.

St Kilda rebels ban drugs, booze
12 September 2007 Herald Sun
Damian Barrett

MEMBERS of the ticket seeking control of the St Kilda Football Club will commit to a policy banning drug-taking as well as excessive alcohol consumption at club functions.

Rod Butterrs
St Kilda president Rod Butterrs is under siege from a rival group who want to topple his reign.
The Footy First group made the pledge after it lodged papers calling for an extraordinary general meeting of the Saints on November 12.

With backing from the powerful Fox family, Footy First is hoping president Rod Butterss will stand down before the meeting.

Greg Westaway, head of the seven-person Footy First group, said the drug and alcohol policy would set an example for all at the Saints.

"A board of a football club has to lead by example and we will be adhering to that -- that there be no illicit or illegal drugs taken by any board member," Westaway told the Herald Sun yesterday.

"Our members will also sign a policy that they not be intoxicated at board meetings, or club functions or in front of the players.

"That can only send the wrong message. How can you expect the players to behave if that is happening?

"So, that will be put to the board that you take it on as a condition of board membership, and if you don't want to do it, well, you won't be part of it. I don't think it is too much to adhere to."

Asked why he felt the need to implement such a policy, Westaway said: "There has been innuendo and talk, and that's all it is, innuendo, but if we want to conduct a clean board, doing this says a lot about what we are about."

Butterss, who met with some club directors yesterday to discuss the challenge, told the Herald Sun last night: "On behalf of the St Kilda Football Club administration I am disgusted at the implications of these questions."

Footy First's challenge to the Butterss' board comes amid the possibility of the club losing another significant sponsor. With major sponsor Bill Express already lost, there are now big doubts on Vodafone and NEC extending deals.

As revealed by the Herald Sun last week, Westaway -- founder and chairman of Gregorys Transport -- has agreed to head the challenge to Butterss' board.

Nathan Burke, a 323-match former Saints player, Andrew Thompson, who retired two weeks ago after 221 games, John Gdanski, a club director, Dana Nelson (managing director of Delaware North Companies Australia), Chris Brant (chief financial officer Transurban), Simon Grant (managing director Kingfisher Financial Solutions) are also part of the Footy First ticket.

Body: Swimmer Michael Klim and former player Mordy Bromberg would join Thompson and Burke on a football sub-committee.

Saints coach Ross Lyon has the support of the challengers.

As part of the campaign Footy First yesterday posted more than 23,000 letters to voting-eligible members. A website and phone room have also been set up.

Westaway said despite regular profits, St Kilda's financial performance was poor compared with other clubs. He said the club generated the least revenue in the AFL, spent the second least amount on recruiting and was 11th in football department spending.

"They've concentrated solely on reducing debt at the expense of the football department," he said.

Westaway said Footy First's preferred future home for St Kilda was Moorabbin with the club continuing to explore other options.

Westaway said he had decided not to meet with Butterss before yesterday's ticket launch.

"It is pretty simple -- another session behind closed doors, and not out in the open, would not have been beneficial," Westaway said.

"You are only going to get more of the same."

Burke said a club board could seek profits and premiership success at the same time.

"Do we prioritise making a $1 million profit or do we prioritise giving our players the best chance of getting out there on the park?" he said. "They're not mutually exclusive, it can be done in conjunction."

The Saints issued a statement, saying they would seek contact with the challengers.

[Grimfang]

A few points that leapt out from these articles.

1/ It appears that the senior management of the club is dysfunctional with alleged fallouts between the President, CEO, CFO, Football Manager & board members.

2/ We are haemorrhaging major sponsors. Bill Express gone, Vodafone likely to go and now NEC considering its position.

3/ The implication from Saints Footy First (SFF) is that board members have attended board meetings and club functions whilst impaired by alcohol or other substances. This one is either really dirty politics or extremely concerning.

4/ Fox has given his backing to SFF. It's unclear whether that means he's a supporter or a silent partner in this challenge.

[Joey]

"With backing from the powerful Fox family, Footy First is hoping president Rod Butterss will stand down before the meeting."

This is a bit worrying considering we all thought Fox and therefore possibly GT were not involved.

[snoopygirl]

Grimfang, people have witnessed the allegations in your point 3 at an after match function in the Victory Room. Certainly not dirty politics. It was embarrassing.

[saintspremiers]

Grimfang, people have witnessed the allegations in your point 3 at an after match function in the Victory Room. Certainly not dirty politics. It was embarrassing.

Not surprising.

I think you'd be safe naming names - after all, it was a no doubt a large gathering of several hundred normal Saints members - no inner sanctum stuff there!

[mischa]

Grimfang, people have witnessed the allegations in your point 3 at an after match function in the Victory Room. Certainly not dirty politics. It was embarrassing.

Very disgusting more like.

[luckysaint]

Grimfang, people have witnessed the allegations in your point 3 at an after match function in the Victory Room. Certainly not dirty politics. It was embarrassing.

Very disgusting more like.

Could you fill me in?

[StSteven]

Well at last we have taken Geelong off the back pages! God how depressing!

[Grimfang]

Grimfang, people have witnessed the allegations in your point 3 at an after match function in the Victory Room. Certainly not dirty politics. It was embarrassing.

Very disgusting more like.

Could you fill me in?

I was in the Victory Room for that incident. Didn't think it was that bad really, just a little bit merry and suffering from Steve Brack's "Ernie Eeels" problem. I just hope he wasn't dealing with sponsors in that state beforehand, as that would not reflect well upon the club.

The only other article that didn't get a mention was Patrick Smith's. His article was a defence of RB and his board but it ignored the reported infighting at the club and the valid question of stagnating revenue.

[Beej]

A lot of people have been finessed by Butterss' charm but with all this coming to light it has shown him up to be a bit of a mug who should not be allowed anywhere near our club, let alone in charge of it.

I'm now starting to wonder why Ross Lyon was appointed. Was he employed solely because his man-management and coaching ability or was he someone who Butterss and co also knew would stay in line and not rock the boat. A glorified "yes man" if you will.

[Teflon]

A lot of people have been finessed by Butterss' charm but with all this coming to light it has shown him up to be a bit of a mug who should not be allowed anywhere near our club, let alone in charge of it.

I'm now starting to wonder why Ross Lyon was appointed. Was he employed solely because his man-management and coaching ability or was he someone who Butterss and co also knew would stay in line and not rock the boat. A glorified "yes man" if you will.

If Ross Lyon strikes you as glorified "yes" man then you need to strike yourself.....hard.

[Harvey To Hayes]

A lot of people have been finessed by Butterss' charm but with all this coming to light it has shown him up to be a bit of a mug who should not be allowed anywhere near our club, let alone in charge of it.

I'm now starting to wonder why Ross Lyon was appointed. Was he employed solely because his man-management and coaching ability or was he someone who Butterss and co also knew would stay in line and not rock the boat. A glorified "yes man" if you will.

Ridiculous post. Absolutely ridiculous. There is an amount of off-field turmoil (probably justified) but there's no need to hit panic stations and resort to feeble, baseless rumour-mongering...