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Re: Grant Thomas gets the Sack from Sen Radio
Whilst i have never been a fan of Thomas, i do respect the way he does say what he thinks, and doesn't follow the rules, i think the decision stinks, and what a few other have stated, he is by far a better panellist on Footy Classifieds than Archer [who always looked like he was going to cry every time he spoke].Comment
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Re: Grant Thomas gets the Sack from Sen Radio
I have been told from someone close to SEN that this is purely a cost cutting exercise.
The station has seen a big drop in advertising money coming in (due the economic crisis) and as a result has had to cut costs meaning a number of programs have been shelved as well as the release of GT.Comment
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Rocket Science: the epitaph for the Beveridge era - whenever it ends - reading 'Here lies a team that could beat anyone on its day, but seldom did when it mattered most'. 15/7/2023Comment
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Re: Grant Thomas gets the Sack from Sen Radio
His attitude had a little bit do with it, but his brashness is good for ratings.Originally posted by aker39Comment
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FFC: Established 1883
Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.Comment
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Re: Grant Thomas gets the Sack from Sen Radio
Can't believe this issue has TWO separate threads..[B][COLOR="#0000CD"]Our club was born in blood and boots, not in AFL focus groups.[/COLOR][/B]Comment
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Re: Grant Thomas gets the Sack from Sen Radio
Strongest argument for mergers yet. Do you think we'll lose members from one thread when we merge the two? Should we move the merged threads to the Gold Coast or to West Sydney (or Tassie, as it were)? Would people losing their thread tearfully give up on WOOF altogether?Comment
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Re: Grant Thomas gets the Sack from Sen Radio
I think there'd be a certain amount of angst displayed from experienced threaders, but the younger brigade would be open to a merger, if the forum as a whole was to benefit from it. I think, at the end of the day, in the long run, going forward, it is a done deal.[B][COLOR="#0000CD"]Our club was born in blood and boots, not in AFL focus groups.[/COLOR][/B]Comment
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Re: Grant Thomas gets the Sack from Sen Radio
Mark Robinson has decided to pour some kerosine on this particular spot fire in today's Herald Sun:
Thankfully some journalists out there have decided to fight the good fight on behalf of freedom of speech, as opposed to the far safer, but gutless, option of towing the party line for the sake of appeasment. It's doubly surprising that Robinson and Sheahan are the two that are ruffling the feathers of the AFL in this instance.
Funny how a powerful media organisation like Channel 9 are sticking by Grant Thomas, safe in the knowledge that the AFL desperately needs their coin when the next TV rights are up for negotiation. But a smaller media player like SEN (one that also has the AFL in direct involvement as a shareholder) has seemingly cowered and buckled under the pressure and have thrown their entire reason for existence out the window in the process - I guess they should just change their name to AFLEN and be done with it
This issue is not about Grant Thomas - it is about protecting a basic fundamental cornerstone in our society."Look at me mate. Look at me. I'm flyin'"Comment
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Re: Grant Thomas gets the Sack from Sen Radio
Mark Robinson reveals he was pressured by SEN management
THIS is all wrong. The sacking of Grant Thomas was for financial reasons, SEN say. But I don't think that is the whole truth.
The AFL say they had nothing to do with Thomas's dismissal. But I don't think this is entirely the truth either.
Subtle pressure, or perceived pressure, was at play here. Or at least, that's what I think senior SEN officials must have believed.
My position?
I work at SEN and I'm paid for it. And I, too, felt this pressure from SEN management.
No, Thomas was sacked because his seemingly never-ending ridicule and questioning of umpires and the AFL, as well as his regular snide comments at chief executive Andrew Demetriou and football operations manager Adrian Anderson, annoyed the AFL.
Thomas has said they were never personal, instead, an attempt to uncover flaws in the system and the AFL.
Others believed he had a vendetta.
Despite denials from the AFL, SEN management, headed by station manager Barrie Quick and program director Mark Johnson, was aware that if the ridicule continued its "hand" in the discussions over the next radio broadcasting rights deal, which covers the 2010 and 2011 seasons, would apparently be near worthless.
Made aware by whom is the question.
Made aware to on-air staff is not the question.
I was told by Johnson at the station's season launch at Luke Darcy's pub in Richmond that the station's chances of securing the rights were close to nil.
Be delicate, were the words he used.
Thomas was also told that night.
I/we were also told, or asked, individually and together, to be careful when having on-air AFL debates as the rights discussions were taking place.
Thomas asked Johnson if he was being gagged, and Johnson said no. But Johnson told him to be careful with what he said.
The insinuation was absolute: don't bag the AFL for the hell of it.
I was reminded at least three times since.
Thomas was not the only angst for the AFL.
It is common knowledge SEN staffers were urged to curb their critique of the league.
And it wasn't only its on-air football talent that sometimes annoyed the AFL.
The AFL was said to be non-pleased that non-football programs on the 24-hour sports station - read soccer - frequently took free hits at the AFL, without recourse.
The AFL, quite rightly, wondered why the station should be given the mandate to call footy, the lifeblood of the sports station, when it got smashed every other hour.
A voice of the people more than any other radio network, it was often wondered in-house at SEN if the AFL appreciated the daily talkback extravaganza which didn't miss Demetriou or Anderson, umpires' boss Jeff Gieschen or the rules committee.
Not surprisingly, the AFL's media headkickers - or monitors if you wish - would often text on-air staff and producers, clearly outraged at what had just been said.
The gist was along the lines: That's rubbish. Take him off. Pull your heads in.
The most recent, to my knowledge, occurred last Wednesday when Sam Newman was a guest on the Morning Glory program. Newman, among other issues, urged the people to keep the pressure on the umpires.
Minutes later, host Andy Maher received a text message from the AFL.
The message: Umpire bashing again is not really constructive, or words to that effect.
An inflammatory, controversial and perhaps arrogant commentator, Thomas was SEN's agent provocateur.
He called games on Friday night with Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, among others, and McGuire was never one to discourage Thomas's gunslinger style.
Indeed, McGuire is never one to back down from a fight, or in fact the whiff of one.
On Saturday mornings, on the award-winning Crunch Time program, Thomas, when he thought it was deserved, savaged umpires and the AFL.
He didn't miss players, either. Ask Josh Fraser and Matthew Pavlich. Or coaches. Ask Mark Harvey.
Since the season-opening bash, attended by all the on-air personalities, including Kevin Bartlett, David Schwarz, Francis Leach, Billy Brownless and McGuire, the lingering message was, please, to avoid going too hard on the AFL.
It came to a head last week.
I was told on Friday by a senior on-air staff member that the rights talks were delicate - that word again - so be careful what I said.
Thomas learnt of the mandate about 15 minutes before we began the Crunch Time program last Saturday morning.
As is his wont, Thomas was uppity about the news and when the program began at 11am, he began by congratulating Demetriou, Anderson and Gieschen for their efforts.
To say it was sarcastic was an understatement.
Colleague Mike Sheahan suggested in yesterday's newspaper: "It seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back."
He added: "Hopefully, that straw doesn't carry AFL fingerprints."
Demetriou, when appearing on Fox Sports' On The Couch on Monday night, was angry the AFL had been implicated in Thomas's sacking.
"I've been watching this commentary for the past 24 hours and besides the fact that I find all of this commentary offensive, it's just complete drivel, it's absolute drivel," Demetriou said.
"We have had no involvement whatsoever, not one conversation with anyone that relates to Grant Thomas's employment with SEN and nor should we.
"I sat with an SEN board member last night who explained to me that this was a financial decision, the same comment that I heard Grant Thomas make in fairness last night on Footy Classified.
"They (Thomas's comments on the weekend) mean absolutely nothing. I mean, honestly, if we took umbrage at all the comments that were made and critical of the AFL and we sought to intervene because of that, there would be nobody covering football."
'Mean nothing' is an interesting observation, for the AFL requested a transcript of Thomas's comments made on Saturday.
What they did with them only the AFL knows.
At SEN, Quick and Johnson were said to be furious about Thomas's attitude.
On Monday, Thomas was told he was terminated.
The issues remain:
DID SEN jump at shadows to avoid conflict with the AFL?
DID Thomas push his often anti-AFL views too far and, indeed
CAN the AFL's pursuit of brand management be interpreted as pressure on radio rightsholders, in this case SEN?
It has to be remembered the AFL, a powerful body in this town, is a SEN shareholder under an agreement struck up at the end of 2006.
It was reported at the time, the AFL was given access to share options.
Talking money, it also has to be remembered that Thomas has been paid out despite assurances the decision was solely a "financial" one.
It can only be a financial decision if SEN believed getting the AFL rights would help it financially, and to do that they had to sack Thomas.
For what it's worth, I have worked at SEN since day one, with Mark Doran, the Ox, Huddo, Francis, Derm and, of course, Thommo, and many others.
And during times when no one at the station was being paid.
It makes an outstanding contribution to AFL and to the people, but being a fish finger in an ocean of big fish it can make life difficult.
Mark Robinson works as a footy commentator at SEN.
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What chance Robbo cops a 'Please Explain?'[COLOR="Red"][B][U][COLOR="Blue"]85, 92, 97, 98, 08, 09, 10... Break the curse![/COLOR][/U][/B][/COLOR]Comment
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