Butters comes clean-- Article 12/10

[loris]

4. Our destiny isn't in his hands. Let's move on and hope Summers is Mr Clean.

Do you want me to ask him Austinnn? I'm just getting ready to go to the Western Saints AGM this morning at 11am WST, and Summers is attending to speak to us members.

Or, should I just watch for the tell tale signs?

Trembling hands, and that he fronts to the bar just prior the eleventh hour ( you know 'the sun should be rising over the yard arm by now' comment), takes a long, long slurp of his chosen brew and then miraculously the hands stop trembling...........................

Hopefully, I can think of some interesting questions for him........... that might be more appropriate though. I'll pay him the respect he deserves, for he is making the attempt to fly across the continent to attend our AGM.

[clarky449]

Well great, as long as everyone else is so blasé about our destiny being in the hands of an alcoholic. I love a drink as much as the next person - some would say more - but I've never let that impact something that has ramifications adversely affecting an organisation I profess to love. Disgraceful Butterss, a hex on you and anything you claim to stand for. Actually way worse than merely disgraceful.

yes...i don't know why posters are saying good on him...the guy's an asshole....he was the problem ..not thomas...as i have always maintained.....coming out now does no one no good...imho....

Do you like anyone?

[saintsRrising]

good on him for allowing the realisation that he was beholden to an addictive disease.
good on him for facing up.
good on him for doing the work needed , to be 'clean'.
good on him for having a go.
good on him for sharing his story.

..

Indeed.

For all the complaints about Butterss he was a way, way WAY better than the so called Mr Clean President in Westaway who was disastrous for our club.

Under Butterss we went from a financially inept club, basically a basketcase, to a financially capabale club. The trend was better.

Under Butterss we went from a onfield basketcase to a football powerhouse of the AFL.

Under Westaway we went from a financially capable club to a once again financially inept club. This despite have skated in to grab a team that was dominating the competition, that should have been ripe to put on an even sounder footing.

Under Westaway we went from a football powerhouse of the AFL to an onfield basketcase .


Personally it would not surprise me at all if it was the case that Butterss devoted so much time and energy to the Saints due the other aspects of his live not being quite what he was happy with.

[spert]

He is to be congratulated for being honest about his addiction, and although he and GT have collossal egos, it was always obvious that they were true Saints and did what they thought was best, and in the process got our club off the ropes and gained us respect after years in the wilderness. Sadly we have fallen off the cliff and need to be rescued again.

[mordiboyz]

Gotta say I loved the dynamic duo of Thomas and Butterss.

But they were just like alcohol, great until the hangover hits.

[loris]

4. Our destiny isn't in his hands. Let's move on and hope Summers is Mr Clean.

Do you want me to ask him Austinnn? I'm just getting ready to go to the Western Saints AGM this morning at 11am WST, and Summers is attending to speak to us members.

Or, should I just watch for the tell tale signs?

Trembling hands, and that he fronts to the bar just prior the eleventh hour ( you know 'the sun should be rising over the yard arm by now' comment), takes a long, long slurp of his chosen brew and then miraculously the hands stop trembling...........................

Hopefully, I can think of some interesting questions for him........... that might be more appropriate though. I'll pay him the respect he deserves, for he is making the attempt to fly across the continent to attend our AGM.

Have sent you a PM Austinnn so check your box............... I was cheeky and posed the question to him I'll give you his response!!!!!

[saintspremiers]

The players had some great parties at the Butters mansion.

Would've been a lot of fun being a player in that era!

[thejiggingsaint]

You know folks, there are several sayings/platitudes that can be applied to this; "walk a mile in my shoes" "judge not lest ye be judged" "let he without sin cast the first stone" I met Rod Butterss in the (misnamed at that time ) Victory Room on a Friday night, after a match where we'd been smashed and there were less than sixty people in the room. Butterss came around and introduced himself to my daughter and I. I thought it took some character to front up to supporters after another flogging, when he could easily have skulked around in the corporate area. Everyone has their demons at some stage in their life, (I speak from personal experience) rather than bag the guy, I prefer to say: "get well soon Rod. Thanks for the positive things you gave our club. When you're in a better place in your life, please come back and see us all; we are family after all" GO SAINTS! (To hell with the rest!)

[loris]

You know folks, there are several sayings/platitudes that can be applied to this; "walk a mile in my shoes" "judge not lest ye be judged" "let he without sin cast the first stone" I met Rod Butterss in the (misnamed at that time ) Victory Room on a Friday night, after a match where we'd been smashed and there were less than sixty people in the room. Butterss came around and introduced himself to my daughter and I. I thought it took some character to front up to supporters after another flogging, when he could easily have skulked around in the corporate area. Everyone has their demons at some stage in their life, (I speak from personal experience) rather than bag the guy, I prefer to say: "get well soon Rod, thanks for the positive things you gave our club, when you're in a better place in your life, please come back and see us all, we are family after all" GO SAINTS! (To hell with the rest!)

You, the jiggingsaint are a lovely, lovely compassionate man. Glad you support the Saints

[plugger66]

The players had some great parties at the Butters mansion.

Would've been a lot of fun being a player in that era!

What are you suggesting. Yep they had parties there but usually at GT place. Matter of fact maybe they never had parties at Butterss joint. Anyway good on him for having the courage to air his issues.

[Linton Lodger]

Well great, as long as everyone else is so blasé about our destiny being in the hands of an alcoholic. I love a drink as much as the next person - some would say more - but I've never let that impact something that has ramifications adversely affecting an organisation I profess to love. Disgraceful Butterss, a hex on you and anything you claim to stand for. Actually way worse than merely disgraceful.

Despite his alcohol problem, he made a better contribution than his successor. He set up 2009/10.

[Dave McNamara]

I know a lot of corporate people who are drunks. You would be surprised how many Pollies and CEOs are serious drunks. Tony Abbott has a very serious drinking problem according to a family friend who is in state politics.

Hi Gringo, just wondering re your family friend... which side of politics?

[plugger66]

I know a lot of corporate people who are drunks. You would be surprised how many Pollies and CEOs are serious drunks. Tony Abbott has a very serious drinking problem according to a family friend who is in state politics.

Hi Gringo, just wondering re your family friend... which side of politics?

Why would that even matter?

[thejiggingsaint]

Damn straight!

[Dave McNamara]

Despite his alcohol problem, he made a better contribution than his successor. He set up 2009/10.

This!

Look at the state of our beloved club both on and off-field when he and Thommo took over.

Positives:
- We very very nearly won four flags. (As we all know, Wentaway didn't appoint Ro$$y.)
- People also forget that we cleared the debt (I could stand to be corrected on that one, but if not cleared, then very close to) and were turning operating surpluses. Ok, that was through tight budgeting, but all the same...
- 'The Ride of a Life Time' ended up coming off the rails, but was very worth it in terms of players, sponsorship, selling hope to the membership.
- Had the guts to then sack Tossbags.
- Appointing Thommo may or may not have 'followed processes', but gee, there have been many many far far worse coaches in footy. If 'that' relationship hadn't soured, it would have been very interesting to see if Thommo would have added the necessary defence to our exciting attack-based game.
- Under Jim Watts, really cemented the Saint's community outreach ethos that sees our club widely loved amongst aid agencies in the St Kilda area.
- Once more, OUR CLUB BECAME RELEVANT AND EXCITING TO THE WIDER FOOTBALL PUBLIC.


Stuff that Rod should change if he could do it all again:
- Acknowledge the grog problem... ok, that's an 'in the ideal world' one, I realise.
- Establish more clearly Thommo's role, and it's limits... who knows, doing so may have averted the 'fall-out'(?)
- If the AFL didn't fix our highway robbery deal at Dockedlands (which it didn't), follow through with the playing of home games at Moorabbin thing, a la the Hillbillies.
- Thommo should never ever have been allowed to get away with introducing corporate-speak weasel wank words to the AFL. As the Pres', that should have been nipped in the bud.


And the big black mark (that if I was Rod, I would be blaming the grog for all that it was worth to try and excuse myself for... )
- Should have contacted Sting, and hired his hanging tree... then strung-up Archie bloody Fraser!!!!!!

Rod, not staring down that nutter element on the then Kingston Council, and then, allowing Moorabbin to be bulldozed , and then, shipping our beloved club off to the irrelevancy of back woods Seaford...

Rod, blame the drink, coz otherwise... what the hell were you thinking man!?!

[Dave McNamara]

I know a lot of corporate people who are drunks. You would be surprised how many Pollies and CEOs are serious drunks. Tony Abbott has a very serious drinking problem according to a family friend who is in state politics.

Hi Gringo, just wondering re your family friend... which side of politics?

Why would that even matter?

Which Pluggs?

If Tone's has a grog issue, or if the source is from his own party? Both would matter actually.


For what it's worse, I'd reckon if true,
then surely this would be a recent issue (ALP made sure the bodgie curtailed his drinking before letting him into parliament)... or is not actually too serious an issue. But that's just my speculation...

I have no great dislike of Tone's himself, just of much of his political philosophy. So if he does have an issue, then just like Rod B, I wish him (and his family) only the best in dealing with it.

[thejiggingsaint]

Gee Hindsight is really SUCH a wonderful science I wish sometimes that I "knew then what I know NOW" I would have made sure that my Dad had been told how much I loved him before I emigrated. I would have kept that $35k (our entire lifes savings) in the bank instead of crossing Bourke Street and depositing it in Pyramid Building society in 1990 (a month after we arrived in OZ) MAN! there are SO many things that I wish I'd done differently, but I can't, all I can do is thank God for having a strong and loving woman at my back, and the opportunity to make a comeback. And so. with that in mind, I say, Rod, you're not alone mate, we are all SAINTERS, we forgive and forget. GET WELL SOON pal!

[Teflon]

Good on him. I met him only once but liked him immediately - he had time for supporters and wasnt an up himself twat........unlike those who borrowed $1m from him then decided it wasnt a loan so didnt need repayment........that speaks volumes to me..

Teffers....come on...

Yes Grant?

[satchmo]

Good on him. I met him only once but liked him immediately - he had time for supporters and wasnt an up himself twat........unlike those who borrowed $1m from him then decided it wasnt a loan so didnt need repayment........that speaks volumes to me..

Teffers....come on...

Yes Grant?

Come on Campbell. Get yourself a steak sandwich and relax.

[saintsRrising]

The players had some great parties at the Butters mansion.

Would've been a lot of fun being a player in that era!

Is this a fact, are you just stating it as a fact when it is actually just your wild speculation?

"That era" was from what I know was characterised by new found professionalism, and any playing up was not done at the President's house.

[saintsRrising]

You know folks, there are several sayings/platitudes that can be applied to this; "walk a mile in my shoes" "judge not lest ye be judged" "let he without sin cast the first stone" I met Rod Butterss in the (misnamed at that time ) Victory Room on a Friday night, after a match where we'd been smashed and there were less than sixty people in the room. Butterss came around and introduced himself to my daughter and I. I thought it took some character to front up to supporters after another flogging, when he could easily have skulked around in the corporate area. Everyone has their demons at some stage in their life, (I speak from personal experience) rather than bag the guy, I prefer to say: "get well soon Rod. Thanks for the positive things you gave our club. When you're in a better place in your life, please come back and see us all; we are family after all" GO SAINTS! (To hell with the rest!)

Well spoken.

My experience of RB was that he would speak with any fan, and often went out of his way to do wit visits to the Victory at games. Like you I cahtted with im in the Victory Room and on a number of occasions. Many more times I would see him there talking to other fans.

Westaway by comparison did his whirlwind tour to sweep to power, and after that in the main avoided the average fan except when he had to attend AGMs and the like. I cannot recall him having casual conversations and open access the way RB did.