How Susan Alberti helped save the Western Bulldogs from extinction and turn the club into a success

[bornadog]

The story is continued in the HUN again, apparently our man Coons on SEN has called the situation disgraceful.

As far as I can tell, Alberti - who has no official role at the club - is trying to repeatedly use an entrance that is reserved for club officials, players, and AFL/AFLW personnel. Is this correct?

Apparently so.

HUN just trying to sensationalise something that is not even news worthy

[jeemak]

Apparently so.

HUN just trying to sensationalise something that is not even news worthy

Then wouldn't Alberti just use another gate?

[Greystache]

The story is continued in the HUN again, apparently our man Coons on SEN has called the situation disgraceful.

As far as I can tell, Alberti - who has no official role at the club - is trying to repeatedly use an entrance that is reserved for club officials, players, and AFL/AFLW personnel. Is this correct?

That's the sound of it. With the addition that she has a film crew following her around (assuming making a documentary of some sort about women's football), and the security wouldn't let them all in via the player's entrance.

[LostDoggy]

Cooney was one of my favourite players of all time. Can't stand the bloke now. Tries to bring the club down any chance he gets

[jeemak]

That's the sound of it. With the addition that she has a film crew following her around (assuming making a documentary of some sort about women's football), and the security wouldn't let them all in via the player's entrance.

From an article I read today, the film crew was from a community TV outfit that has ties to the western suburbs. I wonder if she sought prior approval from the club to use a special entrance rather than the general entrance.

[Happy Days]

From an article I read today, the film crew was from a community TV outfit that has ties to the western suburbs. I wonder if she sought prior approval from the club to use a special entrance rather than the general entrance.

Aren't the entrances next to each other?

Like, within 20m of one another?

[jazzadogs]

Given that she had to use a different entrance in round one, I would have thought the solution was simple - until she received word from the club that she had regained access through that gate (which she clearly hadnt) then she needed to use the general access gate.

Whether she deserves to be able to access the ground via the main entry is debatable, but not a front page story. It's disappointing that after a record breaking match this is what got put on the front page.

[jeemak]

Here's an article talking about the incident. Apparently things were really bad last year, not least of all because of how our womens team performed........funny, no mention of how well it's performing this year!

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/sus...ef58c8ccb1425c

[Flamethrower]

Apparently Susan was upset at being denied access to the player rooms straight after the round 1 game against Fremantle. This was a request from the team to keep all non-officials out of the rooms immediately after the game to allow the players some time to recover. It was a very hot day and the rooms get very hot and stuffy when full of wellwishers.

Then to make matters worse, Susan was denied access via the players and officials entry on Friday night (Easton Wood was also denied entry through this access point - he didn't have a hissy fit) as extra security was required for the attendance of Linda Dessau (Govenor of Victoria), and the security firm hired by the venue apparently went a little overboard in denying entry to anyone not "on the list".

So there we have it - our football club has plummeted into crisis yet again (apparently), this time due to GateGate.

[Twodogs]

And now ve shall examine ze lisssst.

[bornadog]

Apparently Susan was upset at being denied access to the player rooms straight after the round 1 game against Fremantle. This was a request from the team to keep all non-officials out of the rooms immediately after the game to allow the players some time to recover. It was a very hot day and the rooms get very hot and stuffy when full of wellwishers.

Then to make matters worse, Susan was denied access via the players and officials entry on Friday night (Easton Wood was also denied entry through this access point - he didn't have a hissy fit) as extra security was required for the attendance of Linda Dessau (Govenor of Victoria), and the security firm hired by the venue apparently went a little overboard in denying entry to anyone not "on the list".

So there we have it - our football club has plummeted into crisis yet again (apparently), this time due to GateGate.

Thank you for that. I think it is fair enough of the security firm to follow instructions. But the issue for me is who spoke to the HUN and made this a big deal

[BulldogBelle]

The Article below has been taken from the Herald Sun. There was a main page spread in the weekend papers.

I went to the first AFLW Bulldogs match and tried to go through the main entrance (where the reception desk is), as I had done in previous years. I showed my Bulldogs Women's membership card but was told 'not today' and asked to go in through the gate near Barkley Street.

The security guard was only letting AFL officials in through that door, and no-one else. You could exit through that door though, but if you wanted to come back in it mean the long round trip.

I think that the same happened to Susan Alberti and her entourage. It happened in match one and again for match four. I don't know if anything else happened. I do remember the crowd in the E J Whitten Stand giving Susan a standing ovation when she went to sit there last year.

So Susan got a little bit upset and embarrassed, she probably thought that she deserved a little more respect, had some clout. But apparently not.

The incidents then found their way into the newspaper. Peter Gordon made a public statement on Sunday basically saying that she has to go around and can't come in through the official's entrance. He would like to talk to her about that.

My opinion - let her go in through the main entrance - strewth. What do you guys think?



Herald-Sun Article

EVER SINCE winning the AFL premiership in 2016, the Western Bulldogs troubles have continued to pile up.

They followed up their historic Grand Final victory by missing the 2017 finals series on the back of going 11-11 throughout the season.

The failure made them only the second team since the AFL adopted an eight-team finals system to miss the finals after winning the flag. The first was Hawthorn in 2009.

Sadly the misery of the 2017 season also hit their AFLW side as the team only managed two wins from seven games and finished third last on the ladder.

While many were hoping the 2018 season would bring about a new outlook and fresh hope, it has started off on shaky ground.

Former vice president of the Bulldogs and founder of the AFLW, Susan Alberti, has voiced her displeasure with the club after an incident during Friday night’s game.

Alberti was denied entry into the AFLW game between the Bulldogs and Carlton at Whitten Oval as she tried to walk through the main entrance.

The denial of entry makes it two times already this season she has been turned away.

While the main entrance into Whitten Oval is not for the general public, Alberti’s long serving tenure and close relationship with the club shouldn’t have led to this situation.

Alberti celebrated the premiership with the team on the MCG turf.
Alberti celebrated the premiership with the team on the MCG turf.Source:News Corp Australia

“I’m sad, extremely disappointed, but most of all humiliated,” Ms Alberti told the Herald Sun.

“I can’t believe it’s happened at my home of 66 years.”

Alberti is said to have a long-running feud with the Bulldogs current president Peter Gordon and this incident has reignited the tensions.

While the duo helped saved the Bulldogs from a merger, Alberti has chipped in more than $4 million to help the club’s financials.

But after stepping down from the board following the Bulldogs premiership triumph, Gordon reportedly isn’t happy with the preferential treatment Alberti receives.

Driving the impact of the AFLW into existence Alberti’s place in football history, not just the women’s game, has earned her the right to be considered more than just a member of the general public.

Gordon responded to the incident and stated he has reached out and hopes to discuss the matter privately.

“It is still my hope and judgment that the matter is best resolved by a frank discussion between me and Sue, and the club will make no further comment until after that meeting has taken place,” Gordon said in a statement.

Sadly those discussions could be a little bit turbulent with Alberti firing back at the president’s statement and the simple fact he did not address the incident at hand.

“I’m disappointed in the comments made by Peter Gordon, they don’t address the issue that I was denied access to an entrance I’ve always used,” Alberti said to the Herald Sun.

For a team hoping to turn their fortunes around heading into the 2018 season, a fractured relationship between the club’s president and a long tenured board member isn’t an ideal starting place.

Fans of the team will be hoping the feud doesn’t turn into a complete divide among the club and potentially derail a surge back up the AFL ladder.

Peter Gordon's reply
I became aware this afternoon of a statement Sue Alberti made to Michael Warner of the Herald Sun today.

The Board and senior management of the club had previously been made aware of a number of issues at our first AFLW home game related to Sue and her support staff and her film crew.

Because of our relationship and her history, I had reached out to her to meet to discuss these matters privately over a coffee. The Board unanimously supported this approach.

Sue was unavailable to meet until after this weekend.

The matters of which she has now publicly complained occurred in the context of the first game. When I became aware of last night’s incidents, I reached out to her again to meet to discuss the position and she agreed this morning to meet early next week.

I regret that she has ventilated one part of the story in the media.

I stand by the policies and actions of our staff and management. No-one was excluded from the Whitten Oval last night.

It is still my hope and judgment that the matter is best resolved by a frank discussion between me and Sue, and the club will make no further comment until after that meeting has taken place.

I want to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to all of our paid and volunteer staff who once again catered for 9000 people at VU Whitten Oval last night, including a number of different events in our function areas, as well as media, AFL and football department operations.

I want to express the club’s gratitude to everyone from the LGBTIQ community and the Bulldogs’ own Pride Group, who generated so many community activities, all at our home ground last night.

And of course, I hope that appropriate attention will be focussed on the magnificent record-breaking achievements of our players last night.

[jeemak]

There’s discussion within the Alberti thread already......a little more context to take in too.

[MrMahatma]

Apparently Susan was upset at being denied access to the player rooms straight after the round 1 game against Fremantle. This was a request from the team to keep all non-officials out of the rooms immediately after the game to allow the players some time to recover. It was a very hot day and the rooms get very hot and stuffy when full of wellwishers.

Then to make matters worse, Susan was denied access via the players and officials entry on Friday night (Easton Wood was also denied entry through this access point - he didn't have a hissy fit) as extra security was required for the attendance of Linda Dessau (Govenor of Victoria), and the security firm hired by the venue apparently went a little overboard in denying entry to anyone not "on the list".

So there we have it - our football club has plummeted into crisis yet again (apparently), this time due to GateGate.

GateGate

Gold!

[bulldogtragic]

The world works in roundabouts. So on these occasions, Sue needed to walk around the ground a bit. On GF Day, she got to go onto the ground at the MCG immediately after the siren and celebrate the premiership. Over the past 18 months, I don't see too much to write about in terms of overall club access. Sue has been a god send to this club, but giving up an 'own goal' to a media outlet with an axe to grind doesn't befit her tremendous legacy. With any luck that's the end of it.