TOPIC:

Ron Alexander has stuck up for members of AFL clubs and grass roots footy by strongly suggesting deals are done in secret to elect board members of both AFL clubs and WAFC commissioners. It's about time someone high up in sport said what we've all been saying. It's the WAFC being run by the AFL and our two AFL clubs. In effect our WAFC is a puppet of the AFL who pulls the strings.

And AFL clubs and the WAFC are very powerful units that attract powerful and popular people and I think big Ronnie is suggesting there's a You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours culture embedded in the WAFC and the two AFL clubs, or as we like to put it, a Boys Club.

From my point of view, the WAFL needs strong representation of the WAFL on the WAFC and I don't think we have that. I think this story will be in tomorrows West for those that don't subscribe.

thewest.com.au/sport/afl/former-west-coa...etive-ng-b881653461z

Yep...just read the article online and good on Ron and SD for getting stuck into the WAFC, Eagles and Dockers hierarchy. He makes a good point that between WCE and Freo they have 148k members but not one of them vote for who is the club Pres or on the board which I'm not sure is right as I thought members voted on board appointments ...maybe I'm wrong but if it is, it's extraordinary. I mentioned SD because apparently they lodged a submission to the parliamentary enquiry which was scathing of the WAFC....I hope all the other clubs did similar including mine. Let's hope there's some changes for the better as a result of this enquiry.

Maybe big Ronnie is the man to take the helm of the WAFC. Plenty of experience as a top level administrator plus played and coached at both levels, so an actual real football person.

Senior Seagull wrote: Maybe big Ronnie is the man to take the helm of the WAFC. Plenty of experience as a top level administrator plus played and coached at both levels, so an actual real football person.

Not a bad suggestion and I'd say Mossy as well on the commission and I'd nominate our president Bob Shields would be a very good addition although he's doing a very important job at Perth at the moment.

anybody whom goes on the board gets co-opted; as people have suggested before, you actually need to split WA football. TOO said it right the other day: it is not in the interests of the Eagles to have a strong WAFL unless state zones are brought in to the AFL

DD wrote: Ron Alexander has stuck up for members of AFL clubs and grass roots footy by strongly suggesting deals are done in secret to elect board members of both AFL clubs and WAFC commissioners. It's about time someone high up in sport said what we've all been saying. It's the WAFC being run by the AFL and our two AFL clubs. In effect our WAFC is a puppet of the AFL who pulls the strings.

And AFL clubs and the WAFC are very powerful units that attract powerful and popular people and I think big Ronnie is suggesting there's a You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours culture embedded in the WAFC and the two AFL clubs, or as we like to put it, a Boys Club.

From my point of view, the WAFL needs strong representation of the WAFL on the WAFC and I don't think we have that. I think this story will be in tomorrows West for those that don't subscribe.

thewest.com.au/sport/afl/former-west-coa...etive-ng-b881653461z

Sounds like a good idea. Heard a story he was in charge of the Dept of Sport and Recreation, doing a damn fine job and well respected. That was before it combined with some other departments. He'd still be floating around there somewhere.
Whoever is appointed has a bloody mess and a half on their hands!

Big Ron has always had an opinion on things and certainly hasnt held back here, lost his job when McGowan came in.
mates with Barnett so always was going to go but speaks his mind and is a footy person.
Shields is no chance, also a mate of Barnett and he put him on a few govt projects that went badly very quickly and had to be moved on, hopefully he's not in charge of the books at Perth.

MarkOlsen wrote: Big Ron has always had an opinion on things and certainly hasnt held back here, lost his job when McGowan came in.
mates with Barnett so always was going to go but speaks his mind and is a footy person.
Shields is no chance, also a mate of Barnett and he put him on a few govt projects that went badly very quickly and had to be moved on, hopefully he's not in charge of the books at Perth.

Yes Big Ron was the type of WA footy person I was thinking of the other day when looking for a candidate to replace Taylor as CEO.
He has a playing, coaching, umpiring (Yes 1 game during the umpire strike in 1988), administration in sports management etc background that is well rounded for the role and it would seem he is not beholden to the current 2 afl/WAFC "purple circle/old private school boys club" that it has become!

Beasley Hutton wrote:

MarkOlsen wrote: Big Ron has always had an opinion on things and certainly hasnt held back here, lost his job when McGowan came in.
mates with Barnett so always was going to go but speaks his mind and is a footy person.
Shields is no chance, also a mate of Barnett and he put him on a few govt projects that went badly very quickly and had to be moved on, hopefully he's not in charge of the books at Perth.

Yes Big Ron was the type of WA footy person I was thinking of the other day when looking for a candidate to replace Taylor as CEO.
He has a playing, coaching, umpiring (Yes 1 game during the umpire strike in 1988), administration in sports management etc background that is well rounded for the role and it would seem he is not beholden to the current 2 afl/WAFC "purple circle/old private school boys club" that it has become!

The election of WAFC Commissioners has always been a gerrymander system.
Many well qualified business types with strong football backgrounds have seen their applications not get to the vote stage as existing Commissioners get to decide first if the applicant is what they are looking for.
Hence WAFL interests have been predominantly EP and Subi reps.

How many former Subi people besides Randy have been commissioners and what are the numbers of reps from other clubs by comparison? I had no idea Subi was so dominant at the WAFC. Must be why we had those draconian recruiting restrictions placed on us!!