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from the St Kilda Footy First website St Kilda Footy First response to Rod Butterss The current President referred to the AFL's report on all club's finances in 2006 What he didn't tell you was: • That the Club's total staff numbers dropped to the lowest staff numbers in the AFL. This lowers expenses and raises the profit, but when you are 16th in staff numbers and 16th in Revenue, it is unsustainable. • That the 2006 Grand finalists spent $2.6M and $2.4M more in their footy departments than the Saints • That we were last in the AFL in the number of footy department staff • That we had 16 and 17 fewer staff respectively in our footy department, than the two Grand Finalists in 2006, and 20 footy department staff fewer than the Brisbane Lions • That we were second bottom of all clubs in spending on recruitment, and half a million less than Collingwood • That we have fallen to lowest of all clubs in monetary spend on benefits returned to members • That despite the profits, our footy department spend is a lowly 11th, and that ranking would be even lower but for the fact that our coaching wages were 5th highest in the AFL. Why Footy First is continuing to challenge the current St Kilda Board • We find it disappointing that the current President would try and take the decision out of the member's hands. • Nowhere near enough of our profit has been reinvested back into the footy department • Change is needed because profits have been made mainly by cost reduction, not revenue growth • Despite the best player list we have had since the 60's, we haven't made it to a Grand Final in the current President's eight year reign. We fell to 8th in 2006 and this year we fell further and didn't make the finals at all • AFL official stats for 2006 show that our revenue fell to last of all 16 clubs • Because, while the current President has been on the Board, he has had five changes of CEO, four Chief Financial Officers and four senior Coaches, which doesn't give the stability that is needed for success on and off the field • Because we will be last in the AFL to have an elite training facility • Because the injury problem that Saints fans know has existed for many years, and robbed us of our best team on the park, has not been fixed for 6 seasons • Because the AFL 2006 stats show that we were 9th in our spending on player Fitness and Conditioning, and we suffered double the AFL average for soft tissue injury • Because we have had the same 3 man footy sub-committee for 6 seasons • Because that footy sub-committee has seen us fall further and further down the ladder and now out of the finals • Because of the manner in which some Club matters have been dealt with in the media The Article stkildafootyfirst.com/13Sep07 Greg Westaway's Thursday interview on SEN (rough notes) • On meeting with Rod Butterss That is only 'politicing'. It's not about the AFL, it's not about empowerment, it's about the members - they decide. If RB's board want to talk to me they can come to me but it's too late for talking. They can go onto our website and read it themselves - on what we are on about. • On RB's accusation that 'it's a takeover' It's not a takeover - supporters are frustrated and disappointed - We have had a lot of positive feedback from supporters and are 'supremely confident' that we have the support of members to be successful in the bid. • On could he work with RB It's up to the members to decide that - this group will rule by consensus. • On GW perceived to call RB a dictator I didn't say dictator; I clearly said 'autocratic' • On Drugs and Alcohol media reporting It was taken out of context - What we are saying is that we can't expect the players to be drug and alcohol free if we are not - we will be leading by example and encourage other clubs to do the same as there is a huge drug problem in the community. • On Butterss board taking legal action over drug and alcohol insinuations If he is taking legal action its up to him but I therefore make no comment • On RB's response to Finances and Fitness Will take waht he said on notice - but this is about previous years, he has had 84 months to think about and is only talking about the last six months • On Butterss talking to the AFL He hasn't discussed this with the AFL and it's nothing to do about the AFL, nothing about me - its about what the members want. Source: WoM Ed (rough notes from live broadcast on SEN - This is only a rough outline and some misunderstandings or errors may have occurred) Rod Butterss post-conference interview on SEN (rough notes) • On the challenge group going to the AFL If their plan is flawed they can't be going to the AFL for handouts • On were the AFL aware of his statement The board have discussed the issue with the AFL yesterday • On the Spat with GT GT issues may hurt him - he could have done it better • On Moorabbin Redevelopment We have always been saying that we are working toward improving facilities - Facilities are reasonable now and we are working towards world best practice facilities. Continue to work with the council and will continue with long-term lease and do whatever it takes. • On Football Department spending Current board have increased football expenditure by $1.4M up to $7M per year and spend a similar amount to Geelong. • On Injuries Last November the board approached Ross Smith PHD who has worked with other professionals and have moved from worst in the AFL to comparable. • On Membership receipts comments Every dollar of revenue should be more than the cost of getting that dollar - We work on around 50c to be in profit. It's not only increasing revenue - it's about increasing profitable revenue. • On Bakes Tribunal Case When you have two answers on the board you would hope they pick up the phone and discuss it with me - that didn't happen. • On Legal Action re Westaway's drug and Alcohol statements I am not letting the football club's fortunes carried out in the gutter • On not delivering a premiership One team gets the premiership each year - that is one in 16 years - It depends on a good coach, player list and investments and we are doing that. The only thing that is damaging that is 2 months of turmoil. • On Burkie and Thomo joining ticket He will not include players to win votes. You don't put people on a board because they are good at football. There are very few players on AFL boards and when that has occurred there has been a lack of success. Another issue is whether any player is suitable and ready. Source: WoM Ed (rough notes from live broadcast on SEN - This is only a rough outline and some misunderstandings or errors may have occurred) Butterss Thursday Media Conference (rough notes) Ray King chaired and introduced Rod Butterss Andrew Basset - apology due to Jewish New Year and Rod Butterss read a prepared statement and then took short questions - 2 per journalist • Rod said that the Rebel group were undertaking an equivalent of a takeover bid and that the club was in good hands with a 1.7m surplus. • Club spending comparisons demonstrate that St Kilda's are healthy compared with other Victorian clubs. • There is no detail in the rebel groups plans regarding how much they will spend, where the revenue is coming from, and what sponsors have they identified. • He doesn't know what the rebel group is basing the problems on the key personal on. • On his issues with Grant Thomas he said that he has already made a statement that he will make no further comments on the subject. • Rod requested that the rebel group take their plans to the AFL and have them ratified, then the current board would stand down. • He said that he is aware that the current board are not the only people capable of running the club and would welcome anyone to offer their support and ideas in helping them. • Soft Tissue injuries have been better than the AFL average in the last part of the season, since they have put things in place. Source: WoM Ed (rough notes from live broadcast on SEN - This is only a rough outline and some misunderstandings or errors may have occurred) Supporter Opinion Why a 'Detail' plan from SFF is irrelevant There is a lot of talk (on Saintsational Fan Forum) about some people waiting for 'detail' financial/business plan for the 'St Kilda Footy First' ticket (SFF) before deciding whether to vote for them. This is an irrelevant side issue. Why? 1. Its the team that matters NOT the plan: Most importantly, it's the quality of the team that depends on whether a plan has any value or not. You can have the best and most detailed 'plan' in the world, but if you have very limited skill and ability, knowledge, ineffective resources, networks, etc. then your plan isn't worth the paper its written on. Therefore consider a comparison of the teams: The current board is fractured, with only three moderately talented individuals in RB camp. They have poor networks and business relationships and they have significant friction with their own staff, from the CEO level to basic admin staff. They have demonstrated an inability to maintain a cohesive board and management, and extremely high key staff turnover. They have shown poor skills in capturing and maintaining key sponsors. This gives little confidence to execute a new vast and complex plan covering increased expenditure and increased revenue. SFF is a bigger, more diversely talented and more capable team. Collectively they have successfully managed complex businesses totalling billions of dollars. They have a vision, enthusiasm, excellent business networks, and proven ability to get people working together to achieve goals. Therefore, I would have significantly more confidence in SFF executing a plan, than the current board in its current factious state. 2. You can't develop a detail plan without intimate knowledge of the environment: To ask SFF to provide a detail financial plan for the next 3 to 5 yrs has little value without SFF given the time to do a detailed assessment of the way the RB board runs the club, how the processes and work practices, policy and procedures, detailed cost and revenue flows, etc. RB and the board are not going to allow that. Without this access, a detailed financial plan would be purely hypothetical speculation, which the current board, with its knowledge, would pick holes in it. What happens in the real world? In the world of mergers, acquisitions, take-overs, etc., the new party (planning to take control) will either be given full and unrestricted access and time (usually many months) to develop a detail plan before taking over, or, in most cases, the new party will simply propose a vision and a high-level plan. It will draw upon its general experience, knowledge, resources to develop the detail plan AFTER it has taken control. From here it will execute its plan. Ask yourselves: So what was Fox's detail plan before he took over the saints? What was the Plymton's board detail plan before they took over? What was Butters board plan before they took over? What was Pratt's detail plan when he took over at Carlton? Simple, there was NO detail plan. What's most important is ability to EXECUTE a plan, not the plan itself. I have been involved for many years in assessing, building and executing detail plans across small and large enterprises, and the answer is always the same: • You can't build a credible plan without detailed knowledge • The plan is only as good as the ability to execute, • The plan ALWAYS changes and often is thrown away completely after a short time, because there are always unpredictable changes and new situations emerging • Therefore, it's the ability to execute that's most important. The Post 'kaos theory' saintsational.com Supporter Opinion "Am only interested in Premierships so I have sent in my proxy vote to Footy First --- Present mob ok with finances but at some stage we have to move on to what I'm sure most of us are about -- a bloody flag. I was hopeful for the present incumbents but part way through there reign they decided that , in - fighting and Egos - egos - egos - were really what they were on about not our wonderful club. Our Family has an average life span of 72 years -- I'm 63, getting too close for comfort. Go Sainters" (firthy) saintsational.com Battle lines drawn in Saints' power struggle St Kilda president Rod Butterss has challenged the club's rival board ticket 'Footy First' to put up or shut up as the bid for control of the AFL club escalated on Thursday. Butterss was speaking after the 'Footy First' group - led by trucking boss Greg Westaway and featuring former players Nathan Burke and Andrew Thompson as well as a member of the current Saints' board in John Gdsanski - filed a motion for an extraordinary general meeting on November 12 in which they will bid to oust five of the current seven Saints' board members - including Butterss. But Butterss fired back on Thursday - declaring he and the rest of the board would walk away and hand control of the club to Westaway if the rebel ticket could come up with a better plan for the club and one which would be approved by the AFL. Butterss said if the 'Footy First' group did not do that it should walk away and allow the current board to get on with the job of running the club. While acknowledging the Westaway board ticket was under no obligation to accede to his request - it could merely wait until the EGM and hope to win the support of enough members to oust Butterss - the Saints' president said it would be the best way of ensuring the future of the club was in good hands. "It is the job of the current board to evaluate any takeover bid and to make a recommendation to the members," Butterss said on Thursday. "(So) we will request the AFL to assist us to provide an independent evaluation of the plans of the rebel group." Butterss added that 'no evaluation process is possible unless and until the rebel group provides details of their plans'. The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/13Sept07 St Kilda calls for rebel proposal St Kilda president Rod Butterss has called on a rebel group looking to unseat the current board to put forward their proposal to the AFL. Should the AFL find the rebel group's proposal makes sound financial sense, Butterss said the current board would have no hesitation to resign and "handover the keys". The group, which calls itself St Kilda Footy First, has called for five of the current seven board members to resign and put forward a notice requesting an emergency general meeting in November. "We must treat this as the equivalent of a takeover bid," Butterss said. "It is our job to do what is in the best interest of the club and our members. This group is not so arrogant as to think we are the only people capable of running the football club." Also it was revealed on Thursday individual board members will take legal action over comments by Greg Westaway suggesting alcohol consumption will be banned at future board meetings. Saints director Ray King described Westaway's comments as nothing more than a thinly disguised smear tactic. The Article AAP/TheAge/13Sept07 Rebel Saints group warned to put up or shut up ABCSport/13Sept07 Butterss vows not to stand down A Shellshocked Rod Butterss was last night preparing to propose a succession plan for the St Kilda presidency despite being urged to resign by club figures, including the powerful Fox family. The embattled president did not return calls yesterday, but called a press conference for this morning at the club's Moorabbin headquarters. He assured people around him, including senior AFL figures, that he did not intend to stand down. Butterss is attempting to recruit Ansett administrator Mark Mentha and lawyer Nick Stretch as new directors, as the challenge from rival group Footy First, which is headed by transport boss Greg Westaway, grows increasingly bitter. Mentha could not be contacted last night, but is said to be considering his position. St Kilda members yesterday received a thick package from Footy First, containing the ticket's manifesto and prominently featuring the image of potential director Andrew Thompson, who is only a fortnight retired from the game. Another member of the Footy First ticket, former St Kilda captain Nathan Burke, said his group was unlikely to accept any compromise offers. He also denied Westaway's public commitment to a drug and alcohol policy, which reportedly infuriated Butterss, was a political tactic. The Article Chloe Saltau/RealFooty/13Sept07 Saints board vows to fight rebel group Rod Butterss will not walk away from the St Kilda presidency. Butterss and five of his directors will face the media today after rebel group Footy First launched a rival ticket on Tuesday. The directors have no plans to hand over control of the club. The tough stand means St Kilda members will vote at an extraordinary general meeting on November 12 to elect a board. Despite being told by close friends to walk away from the club, Butterss plans to fight the group led by trucking magnate Greg Westaway. Saints want Harvey's answer before B&F: St Kilda expects to know by early next month if dual Brownlow medallist Robert Harvey will play next season. The club wants to know before the best-and-fairest count on October 5, so the 36-year-old can have a fitting farewell should he decide to retire. The Article Michael Horan/HeraldSun/13Sept07 Players turn up heat on free agency The players have turned up more heat on the AFL as the battle to win free agency intensifies. A landslide 93 per cent of players now want the freedom to cross to a new club of their choice at some stage in their career. Although there is support for a minimum qualification of years or games at a club, most believe all out-of-contract players should be able to move freely. Rigid draft and trading rules, designed to maintain an even competition, severely restrict player movement. Instead of enduring the often infertile trade period, players would like the option of striking their own deals. There is increasing disquiet among the players, with a fear that the current rules could be legally challenged as restraint of trade. The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/13Sept07 Players' faith in tribunal The AFL continues to back the new tribunal system, buoyed by the fact players believe it is better than the one it replaced. A survey of 600 players found only 14.7 per cent felt strongly enough to say the points-based system was worse. "Only 14 per cent say its worse that previous system, which is a ringing endorsement," AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said. "We have great faith in this system." Demetriou was not surprised that slightly more than 50 per cent of players dubbed the tribunal inconsistent. "Any tribunal system is going to have its critics." Only 2.9 per cent of players said the system as very consistent. AFLPA boss Brendon Gale is a supporter of the new system. THE players are confident that 10 Victorian clubs can survive - at least until 2017 - a turnaround from surveys as recently as five years ago when players feared the number would be cut to eight. The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/13Sept07 Mifsud appointed AFL Indigenous Programs Co-ordinator Former Koroit premiership coach Jason Mifsud will take on a new executive role with the AFL next week after a 12-month stint with the Western Bulldogs. Mifsud spent the past season with the Bulldogs as the skill acquisition manager after his previous role as assistant coach at St Kilda. He was appointed AFL Indigenous Programs Co-ordinator and will start in the new role on Wednesday. "The two things I am extremely passionate about are AFL and Aboriginal communities," he told The Standard yesterday. "Outside of coaching, working with indigenous communities has been my career." A former employee with the Gunditjmara Aboriginal Co-operative, Mifsud has also worked with South West Healthcare co-ordinating indigenous health initiatives before relocating to Melbourne with his family. Mifsud took on the assistant coaching role with St Kilda under coach Grant Thomas but was sacked at season end and recruited to the Western Bulldogs by Rodney Eade. He has spent the past year working closely with new and developing players at the Bulldogs. "My coaching philosophy has always been to develop younger players." He said this would be a large part of his new position with the AFL. The Article Minique Crapper/Warrnambool Standard/14Sept07 Harvey officially appointed Freo coach Harvey took over as the Dockers' caretaker coach in round 16 after Chris Connolly stepped aside when it became clear his contract would not be renewed. Harvey led Fremantle to four wins from their last seven matches, effectively guaranteeing he would be offered the fulltime post . . . Harvey's appointment at Fremantle means that Essendon are the only club yet to appoint a coach for 2008. The Article AAP/TheAge/17Sept07 GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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