Who said anyone was useless? Talking about why someone isn't being chosen for the biggest job in the game, it's hardly being useless if you are in the conversation.
Ok let’s run through your suppositions.
1. Brendan Gale inherited the Wantirna club and because he chose not to exit to your acceptable timeframe, it’s a “stain” on his reputation? Do you honestly believe it’s his decision alone and that he would not have the support for this decision from the entire board. Including Peggy?
Then you go and compare our financial performance against other clubs that, until recently, had massive investments in pokies and derived the majority of their revenues through them? I call it prudent financial management although socially unattractive. When the time is right, they’ll exit. Without a stain on them.
The people with better financial acumen than you would also understand the dire financial position we were in as recently as 2013 when we had raging debts, a very disproportionately small, high net worth supporter base compared to other big clubs, only a few loyal sponsors and a medium membership base that still expected results and wouldn’t accept mediocrity ( like bottoming out )
2. Our membership operations are poor? This is simply an outrageous sensationalist claim. Over $100k members for multiple years and clearly number one in recruiting new members. Gale introduced industry leading innovations like hiring a demographer to map out our potential demographic support base and set about marketing directly to them.
The only problem is that success sometimes breeds complacency and many members haven’t renewed their memberships because they feel they’ve been neglected by an “arrogant “ club or that their needs haven’t been sufficiently met. Those people should travel overseas to appreciate how successful clubs grow and how difficult it become to purchase tickets once you become “very” successful.
3. Our sponsorship arrangements are underwhelming? Think you’ll find we’re in the top 3-4 clubs for sponsorship revenue. Enough said.
4. You’re blaming Gale for the AFL’s decision to deny us an early AFLW license? That is an unimaginable stretch. Peggy and a couple of board members actually formed a subcommittee to formulate their strategy and presented it directly to the AFL.
5. Governance disquiet? What does that even mean? Have you been following Cornes or Mark Robinson?
Gale came to the club as CEO when we were a basket case. He put together a plan and judged by any metrics, has been wildly successful.
Suggest you’re taking the pI$$
