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Michael Jones’ decision to call into question the future of the ACT Brumbies, in doing so reminding everyone of the dire consequences such a move would have for the ARU, was a bold move.
It didn’t work.
The Brumbies’ decision to stand down their CEO on Monday was surprising, but at the same time it validated the rumours that Jones had little support behind the scenes in Canberra.
More:
» Jones taking Brumbies to court over improper dismissal
Ultimately, it was a severe punishment for an extraordinary interview this past weekend.
Jones’ appearance on ABC Grandstand certainly raised eyebrows, his criticism of rumour-mongers over the past few months scathing.
“If it [the rumour-mongering] persists, it’s not a veiled threat it’s a very real threat, I only know how to act and that is you can’t fight half a war,” Jones told ABC’s Tim Gavel.
“I think this cancer that’s currently affecting us is only bad for the Brumbies and unless it’s turned around, is ultimately going to be terminal for the Brumbies. You just can’t withstand this stuff perpetually, it will eat away at the organisation.”
The implications for the ARU raised by Jones only added to the controversy.
“It will have a major impact on Australian rugby, because if the Brumbies cease to be an entity, which is one of the very foreseeable outcomes – and has been a stated outcome of some of the people having a hack at us – if that is allowed to happen, the ARU will be in default of the SANZAAR agreement, because they are required to field five teams every week.”
Explosive they may have been, but it’s entirely possible that Jones’ comments have been misinterpreted, particularly when you consider the position the Brumbies find themselves in.
The franchise is currently under investigation from the Australian Federal Police. The investigation, which came at the behest of Jones, is focused on a number of dubious transactions between 2009 and 2013 which relate to the 2013 sale of the club’s old headquarters in Griffith.
Jones was named CEO in 2015.
With that in mind, it’s not much of a stretch of the imagination to think there are some faceless powerbrokers in Canberra with plenty to hide, people who would benefit from Jones being silenced.
“They are big stakes games that a lot of these guys are playing, and it’s fairly irresponsible of most of them to do it,” Jones told Grandstand.
“They are looking at self-interest rather than the interest of the organisation. I’m trying to avoid the fight; I’ve been taking hits since December, I weathered the storm, and it’s the same guys again.”
Evidently Jones was not the most popular CEO; his standing down proves as much. That Stephen Parker, vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra (the location of the Brumbies’ current headquarters), is pursuing defamation proceedings against Jones is only further evidence.
But was Jones genuinely threatening the ARU with the demise of the Brumbies? His comments clearly displeased ARU boss Bill Pulver, who was in Canberra on Monday night ahead of the Brumbies board’s decision, but Jones’ actions as CEO indicate he was preoccupied with the health of the franchise, and nothing more.
The Brumbies have been in a precarious financial position for many of the past seasons. But Jones’ signing of Aquis as the club’s major sponsor instigated a $2 million turnaround for the club, and they currently sit in their strongest position in recent memory.
To instigate an investigation by the AFP against his own company is a decision Jones would not have taken lightly, nor it is a choice he would have made unless there were very serious and genuine issues with the club’s finances.
We won’t know for certain until the investigation reaches its conclusion, but it looks to have been a decision made with nothing but the club’s best interests at heart.
It’s hard to argue Jones didn’t deserve a reprimand for his interview. Idle warning or not, his language was combative enough to earn a sanction.
But Jones had enjoyed a successful first year as CEO, and standing him down won’t necessarily do the Brumbies that much good.
If there are faceless men behind the scenes worried about the findings of the AFP, silencing Jones is nothing more than a temporary solution. They certainly won’t be able to silence a police report.
The decision could also lead to a big pay-out to Jones, who still has two years left on his contract. For a club finally looking at getting back into the black for the first time in years, that’s a significant blow.
Plenty of questions still remain. Will Jones appeal the decision? Does he have a defamation case to answer? What dirt, if any, will the AFP dig up on the Brumbies?
Rugby fans don’t know what’s really going on at the moment. Hopefully the Brumbies do.