Lyon thanks footy first board ?

[oneteam]

At the B&F in his short speech, it was in teresting how Lyon said the current board had "not knocked back any of the footy dept's spend requests" , and said they "don't interfere" in footy matters.

I wonder if this specific mention was a contrast with the previous footy illiterate footy subcommittee of Butters, kellett and casey who apparently loved to interefere according to the footy first spiel when they came to power.

all I say , is long live spending money on footy , and not interfering on day to day footy matters. Go Rossy Lyon.

[bobmurray]

it would be even better if "spending" and "not interfering" guaranteed a flag but it doesn't...

so far both methods have come up short

[oneteam]

it would be even better if "spending" and "not interfering" guaranteed a flag but it doesn't...

so far both methods have come up short

which do you prefer?

[bobmurray]

it would be even better if "spending" and "not interfering" guaranteed a flag but it doesn't...

so far both methods have come up short

which do you prefer?

the latter provides for a happier club so we'll see where the Footy First journey takes us....

[oneteam]

it would be even better if "spending" and "not interfering" guaranteed a flag but it doesn't...

so far both methods have come up short

which do you prefer?

the latter provides for a happier club so we'll see where the Footy First journey takes us....

agreed. and from 9th with butters in 2007 to 4th to 2nd is the direction I like. it's all about the board giving the footy dept and players the best people and resources and environment to win a flag. I like boards who understand they cant kick the footy themselves.

[bigred]

GT was a visionary

[Iceman234]

GT was a visionary

He was just very unlucky...

[bigred]

too many paycheques

[Iceman234]

keep posting bigred...

[saintsRrising]

it's all about the board giving the footy dept and players the best people .

Though to be fair remember that Lyon, Misson, the new Club Doc, the new recruiting guy were all due to the Butters Board. I think Drain will have started under the previous board too..and was actually first meant to have been hired 12 months prior to GT going(but someone said no!!!!).

The new board has added stability and more $$$...backed Lyon...but personnel wise most of the key appointments were prior.

Tudor replacing our ex-Hawks assistant who re-signed is one notable newer appointment though.

[Legendary]

We have added an additional recruiting person over the last 12 months to assist John Peake and John Beveridge.

[Bernard Shakey]

The fact that the Football Department run the team and the Board run the business is something that has not happened at St Kilda in my lifetime.

I like a President that is not ego driven, but is team driven.

Amazing that he went to the same school as Eddie McGuire, and as it happens, so did I.

[Milton66]

I strongly believe that the only reason why Butters went was because his position was untenable, due to his constant spat with GT.

There is no doubt in my mind that GT would not have let up until his mate was gone.

There was too much cr@p being aired publicly and I'm sure the most of us recall the cringing when it was.

Thankfully, that's behind us.

And to think we came close, despite of the dysfunctional relationship betwen coach and board.

[SainterK]

The fact that the Football Department run the team and the Board run the business is something that has not happened at St Kilda in my lifetime.

I like a President that is not ego driven, but is team driven.

Amazing that he went to the same school as Eddie McGuire, and as it happens, so did I.

Bernard for President, Bernard for President

[oneteam]

The fact that the Football Department run the team and the Board run the business is something that has not happened at St Kilda in my lifetime.

.

astute obervation. why do some presidents think they know better than the footy experts they hire?

smart and successful in particular areas of business, does not mean smart in everything.

[Banger2Plugger]

...wonders how how can put his cash in bigreds av garter?

[Eastern]

I think we should give thanks to Andrew Thompson, our football director on the board who was most probably the major influence in the making of these decisions, along with Nathan Burke.

Greg Westaway strikes me as being a person who surrounds himself with the very best people. The latest two additions to our board (a month or so ago) also appear to be quality people !!

[SydneySainter]

it would be even better if "spending" and "not interfering" guaranteed a flag but it doesn't...

so far both methods have come up short

The later has at least got us to a grand final.

[Mr Magic]

it would be even better if "spending" and "not interfering" guaranteed a flag but it doesn't...

so far both methods have come up short

The later has at least got us to a grand final.

And without the former would we have even been in the position to challenge?

I find it staggering that there seems to be a sentiment on here that one must criticise the previous 'insert football function' (coach, Pres, Board, player) in order to be considered loyal to the current 'insert football function'.

WHy is it impossible to recognize that the Club is in the position it is today partly because the previous admin put it back into financial shape?
The same argument can be made that without GT's input would the list/team RL took over be as ready to perform under his coaching regime?

Not everything the Butters Admin did was good/correct.
Neither was it all bad/wrong.

[SydneySainter]

it would be even better if "spending" and "not interfering" guaranteed a flag but it doesn't...

so far both methods have come up short

The later has at least got us to a grand final.

And without the former would we have even been in the position to challenge?

I find it staggering that there seems to be a sentiment on here that one must criticise the previous 'insert football function' (coach, Pres, Board, player) in order to be considered loyal to the current 'insert football function'.

WHy is it impossible to recognize that the Club is in the position it is today partly because the previous admin put it back into financial shape?
The same argument can be made that without GT's input would the list/team RL took over be as ready to perform under his coaching regime?

Not everything the Butters Admin did was good/correct.
Neither was it all bad/wrong.

Without question, Butters did some great things that has certainly held the club in good stead to this day and I don't think you'll find many that wont acknowledge that.

But I think a grand final berth after two years of the clubs current administration isn't a fair acknowledgment of the position is club is currently in. But only time will, as a premiership will do all the talk and yes, we haven't won one yet.

I completely acknowledge that Butters got us to a position of being debt free and also acquiring Lyon. I also acknowledge what Thomas achieved with a young list of talent and arguably both have attributed to the success of the new coach and board. But give credit where credit is due, as it both have also attributed to frequent off-field attention that does the club they apparently love no favors. Butters who publicly slammed the new administration and specifically targeted Archie Fraser for what he called "reckless" spending and it has been three years now since the Butters/Thomas fallout and even this year they still couldn't help re-opening old wounds. I also remember Thomas stating that the Saints will finish no better than seventh, as their current game plan doesn't suit the players and that 07 and 08 were a complete waste of time, whereas I believe have been a stepping stone to build the playing group and game plan we have today.

Yes, Lyon and Footy First have made mistakes and no one is saying they are perfect, as Thomas and Butters made mistakes but also achieved a lot and maybe in the future will prove Butters right, maybe it is reckless spending. But since under the current club leadership, we have a healthy list of players, record-breaking membership and a grand final berth, I'll wait before we have no chance of winner premiership before I say their approach has come up short.

[Mr Magic]

I'm not suggesting for one second that the current admin shouldn't be applauded for what they've done also.
I just find it ridiculous to think that they suddenly turned everything around 180 degrees and that everything that came before was wrong.
(and yes the public slanging match between RB and GT was not good for our Club)

I think you'll find that in it's final year, the previous admin had already 'loosened the purse strings' in regards to spending in the football dept. Their public pronoucements at the time were that 'the time was right' to do that after they had managed to get the Club back into good financial shape.

I wonder what this current admin would have done over the last 2 years if instead of balanced books they were confronted with 5 million dollars of debt to service when they arrived?

[SydneySainter]

I'm not suggesting for one second that the current admin shouldn't be applauded for what they've done also.
I just find it ridiculous to think that they suddenly turned everything around 180 degrees and that everything that came before was wrong.
(and yes the public slanging match between RB and GT was not good for our Club)

Of course not everything they did before was wrong and I would be surprised if there were many who would think the previous admin's stint was a waste of time.

I think you'll find that in it's final year, the previous admin had already 'loosened the purse strings' in regards to spending in the football dept. Their public pronoucements at the time were that 'the time was right' to do that after they had managed to get the Club back into good financial shape.

I wonder what this current admin would have done over the last 2 years if instead of balanced books they were confronted with 5 million dollars of debt to service when they arrived?

I wonder that as well and IF we achieve a premiership in the very near future, history may be written that the Butters board got us a clean slate and the new board sealed the deal.

A club with such debt and history, a premiership has proven to be a long campaign of rebuilding from within.

[oneteam]

I'm not suggesting for one second that the current admin shouldn't be applauded for what they've done also.
I just find it ridiculous to think that they suddenly turned everything around 180 degrees and that everything that came before was wrong.
(and yes the public slanging match between RB and GT was not good for our Club)

I think you'll find that in it's final year, the previous admin had already 'loosened the purse strings' in regards to spending in the football dept. Their public pronoucements at the time were that 'the time was right' to do that after they had managed to get the Club back into good financial shape.

I wonder what this current admin would have done over the last 2 years if instead of balanced books they were confronted with 5 million dollars of debt to service when they arrived?

In 04 to 07, We went from 3rd to 4th to 8th to 9th. Not the right direction.

Since Nov 07 , 2 years ago , we went back up from 9th to 4th to 2nd.

It seems to me that this result is due to of a combination of both administrations.

It is false to say that the club was debt free when Butters left. I asked the CFO (same guy then and now) , who explained in some detail. In the campaign they claimed they made the club debt free, but the audited books show clearly not so. Approx $600k in debt .

Also, not accurate to talk about how he "fixed the debt" or "inherited a debt". Butterss inherited a debt free club when he took over from Plympton. He is in the press confirming this, and he created the debt . He says this in the press also, in an interview with him.

Happy to find the article in which Butterss says so.

[Eastern]

Guys, Guys, Guys !!

Whilst it is fine to debate the recent past, why bother? We can't change a thing; Good or Bad. Why not just appreciate how well our club is being run right now !!

[Mr Magic]

I'm not suggesting for one second that the current admin shouldn't be applauded for what they've done also.
I just find it ridiculous to think that they suddenly turned everything around 180 degrees and that everything that came before was wrong.
(and yes the public slanging match between RB and GT was not good for our Club)

I think you'll find that in it's final year, the previous admin had already 'loosened the purse strings' in regards to spending in the football dept. Their public pronoucements at the time were that 'the time was right' to do that after they had managed to get the Club back into good financial shape.

I wonder what this current admin would have done over the last 2 years if instead of balanced books they were confronted with 5 million dollars of debt to service when they arrived?

It is false to say that the club was debt free when Butters left. I asked the CFO (same guy then and now) , who explained in some detail. In the campaign they claimed they made the club debt free, but the audited books show clearly not so. Approx $600k in debt .

Also, not accurate to talk about how he "fixed the debt" or "inherited a debt". Butterss inherited a debt free club when he took over from Plympton. He is in the press confirming this, and he created the debt . He says this in the press also, in an interview with him.

Happy to find the article in which Butterss says so.

Please do so - I'd be interested to see it as I understood that the Butters admin paid back about 5 Million of debt.

And as far as CFO's figures go - they can make them say and do anything they want them to.

I think you'll find if you delve into the accounts you'll find that the Plympton admin hadn't 'written down' assets like the grandstand which gave a totally false impression of the financial health of the Club.

If you're intimating that RB's admin 'created the debt' by writing off these fictitious assets (they existed but were of no value except in the accounts), then you are playing with semantics to try and bolster your argument.

Not even FFS went as far as to question the job the previous admin had done on 'righting the financial ship'. Their argument was that they felt it had continued on too long.