Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

[Bornadog]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Not at all, I've almost never had anything to do with him. I just scratch my head at the way he works the system and has some people fall all over themselves to hand him control of the club. All flair, no substance.

Isn't this just media trying to make stories out of nothing?

[Greystache]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Isn't this just media trying to make stories out of nothing?

The story gets started and the media adds fuel to the fire regardless if there's any substance to it. Some people know how the system works and use it to their personal benefit.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

I don't like the idea of a bloke chosen because of money, surrounded by his mates.
Sounds like Carlton!
But I respect the fact he actually played for us - was a good player too.

[LongWait]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Do you thinks it's good publicity then?

Dimma might be a cracking good President but the publicity over the past three years can hardly be good for the club. Perhaps it is good publicity for Dimmatina Inc.

[Remi Moses]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Wouldn't have anything to do with publicity, I'd reckon.
Interesting that the two daily's have complete conflicting stories!

[GVGjr]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

The way I read it. Dimma has more passion now for the club than Smorgan has displayed in the last 12 months. Can't be a bad thing.

Passion is great but are you sure it is genuine? No one is saying Dimma isn't up to it but I want a bit more than a passionate person to be the president of the club.
Peter Gordon stepped aside because Smorgo and a few others had a better plan that he could produce and that's what I want to hear from Dimma.

If he has sponsors where are they? If he has a plan then what is it?

[GVGjr]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

And he needs the publicity why, exactly?

Perhaps the successful business man tag that the papers use after every tilt sits well with him.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Probably because they haven't seen evidence of his ability to run businesses other than restaurants.

He may well be a very capable people manager, and he might have skills to make him capable of running a diverse business such as a football club.

I haven't seen that though, but I'd be happy to be shown otherwise.

Actually, running multiple restaurants (whcih is what Dimma does) is a pretty good match to a footy club. A large part fo the club's business is essentially food and drink - Social Club, The Pound, Edgewater, the Peninsula Club - Dimma can provide pretty good experience there.

In any case, the role of a President is not to "run the club day to day", that is what he has Garlick & co for. The role of the President is to lead the Board of the club in setting the strategic direction of club as a whole and ensuring that those tasked with carrying out the strategy are actually performing. If anything Dimma's restaurant background will provide more expertese in the area's which the club is looking to diversify into - hospitality. This can only be a good thing.

As for Smorgon, what did he know about a football club before becoming President?

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

I don't know where this $4mil figure comes from. Garlick has been quoted in the local papers saying $8mil-$9mil, the balance sheet has the club's liabilities at $14mil.

That it took 13 years to even begin a bulldoze the debt campaign is a story in itself, but whatever the figure is, when it's adjusted for inflation, the club is in a worse debt position than what it was during the fightback of 1989. This is despite over the last ten years the club receiving over $15 million in discretionary assistance from the AFL.

Kudos for the effort that Smorgon and this board have put in, but when it comes down to it, Andrew Demetriou's policies (tens of millions in assistance towards weaker clubs) and nous (outstanding negotiation in broadcast rights and player wages) have saved this club.

I don't know if Dimma is the man for the job, but we need a president with and a plan and vision towards the club becoming truly independent and completely in control of its own destiny. On the back of a "woe is us" attitude and a number of poor (to stupid) decisions, Smorgon had the club give up on this goal a long, long time ago, leaving us completely and hopelessly reliant on the AFL for our day to day survival.

It's all well and good now with a "friendly" CEO and AFL commission, but whether it be 5, 10 or 20 years down the track, there will eventually be a "change of outlook" at the top, and our current financial situation has us completely and utterly at the AFL's mercy (merged or dead at the stroke of a pen - no romantic "fightback" can save the club if there isn't a fundamental change to its finances).

This is not where I want the club to be, so as long as they a present a valid and viable platform, I would vote for almost any presidential challenger.

There is debt and then there are liabilities. The two are very different. I haven't seen the balance sheet, but I would hasten to suggest that the Debt which Garlo is referring to is Core Borrowings (Debt) with one or more financial institutions. Why it is so important to reduce this is that this type of debt rolls periodically (matures and reborrowed). The lender however is under no obligation to re-lend, which puts the club at risk.

I'm not going to give a capital finance lesson, suffice to say that there is good debt and bad debt. Bad debt is borrowings taken out 20 years ago to fun player purchases. Good debt is something like the debt around the Edgewater Investment, provided that investment is returning at or above the level expected.

Is not as simple to say that we have $14m of liabilities on the balance sheet therefore it is bad.

[jeemak]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Actually, running multiple restaurants (whcih is what Dimma does) is a pretty good match to a footy club. A large part fo the club's business is essentially food and drink - Social Club, The Pound, Edgewater, the Peninsula Club - Dimma can provide pretty good experience there.

In any case, the role of a President is not to "run the club day to day", that is what he has Garlick & co for. The role of the President is to lead the Board of the club in setting the strategic direction of club as a whole and ensuring that those tasked with carrying out the strategy are actually performing. If anything Dimma's restaurant background will provide more expertese in the area's which the club is looking to diversify into - hospitality. This can only be a good thing.

As for Smorgon, what did he know about a football club before becoming President?

There's certainly synergies from a catering and hospitality perspective, I would never say otherwise. One thing that needs to be remembered is that Docklands pretty much has this stitched up though, and I'm not sure they'd be too flexible. If we had a clean stadium like the Cats do then he'd certainly be able to draw on contacts to get great deals for match day events. Not sure running restaurants is the same thing as running social clubs and pubs, but I suppose we're getting a little bogged down discussing that, aren't we?

I've already acknowledged that being president of a football club is largely a facilitation role. He would need to surround himself with good people to be effective, and he'd need to be capable of managing egos (least of all his own) as well as understanding the balance between being overbearing with his influence and opinion and not letting people off the leash too far.

All I've said is I've not seen evidence that he has the qualities. I haven't said he doesn't have them. As for Smorgon, I was a little younger when he took over from Gordon and I honestly don't know a great deal about his experiences prior to taking over the reins.

[Bornadog]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

As for Smorgon, what did he know about a football club before becoming President?

His father was vice president which may have helped.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Smorgon was on the bulldogs board as early as in 1983 as he is the mag that came out for the 100 year celebration.

[boydogs]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

I don't know if Dimma is the man for the job, but we need a president with and a plan and vision towards the club becoming truly independent and completely in control of its own destiny. On the back of a "woe is us" attitude and a number of poor (to stupid) decisions, Smorgon had the club give up on this goal a long, long time ago, leaving us completely and hopelessly reliant on the AFL for our day to day survival.

Yeah, that's why our debt reduction money went straight towards funding the Peninsula Club to generate revenue

[chef]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Isn't this just media trying to make stories out of nothing?

It is.

[Bornadog]

Re: Smorgon Leadership Challenge update

Yeah, that's why our debt reduction money went straight towards funding the Peninsula Club to generate revenue

Is this true?