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Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett seems to have made rubbing people up the wrong way into an art form.
The outspoken figure and authority on matters everything last week fired a shot at perceived Melbourne savior Garry Lyon. Not for the first time, Kennett has stuck his substantial nose in where it is neither wanted nor requested.
Our beloved former Premier has a significant history when it comes to shooting his mouth off, and for many his last day in office at Hawthorn couldn’t come any sooner.
Over the past couple of years, Kennett has allowed himself to become involved in too many issues that simply don’t concern him. His list of priors gets longer every season as he continues to ruffle the feathers of those he shouldn’t, including those within the confines of his own football club.
But worse still, Kennett seems to take a distinct liking to broadcasting his thoughts and feelings in matters involving other clubs.
In 2010, after the much publicised defection of Mark Thompson to Essendon, Kennett labeled him as arrogant whilst claiming he had damaged his reputation with the way he handled his exit from Geelong.
A pot calling the kettle black situation if ever I saw one. He also went on the record by voicing his concerns at North Melbourne’s decision to abandon possible plans to relocate to the Gold Coast.
Earlier in the same year, Kennett slammed the AFL for their handling of the Brendan Fevola and Lara Bingle affair and labeled the NAB Cup as a ‘disgrace’. As an AFL president, he is more than entitled to voice his opinions on the pre-season competition, but one wonders how these other issues are of any concern to him whatsoever.
In April of this year, it was Gary Ablett on the receiving end of yet another public spat by the Hawthorn president. With ridiculous suggestions that Ablett’s commitment to the Gold Coast wasn’t what it should have been, Kennett weighed in to the debate by suggesting the former Cats star should make a more concerted effort to become part of the Gold Coast community. He even wrote as such in an open letter to Hawthorn members on the club website.
Would Ablett’s commitment to the Gold Coast really cause Kennett sleepless nights?
He has since slammed AFL boss Andrew Dimetriou as a benevolent dictator and now feels it best to give Garry Lyon and the Melbourne Football Club a piece of his mind.
He believes that Melbourne tanked in 2009 and it has gone unpunished by the AFL in sympathy for ailing president Jim Stynes.
“I guarantee you if it had been any other club, the AFL would have come down on them like a ton of hot bricks.”
“If it had been Hawthorn that had admitted to it or any other club I’m sure the AFL would have jumped down on them very very heavily, as the AFL has jumped down very heavily on exceeding the salary cap.”
“They have no hesitation in trying to uphold their interpretation of the rules.
“This is an absolute conflict… I’m sorry for Melbourne for whole range of reasons but the reality is this is an abuse of the system and there should be a very heavy penalty.”
For what it’s worth Jeff and knowing that you are someone that will only take advice from yourself, why not think about this. Your role is to run the Hawthorn Football Club, end of story.
With only a couple of months to go before your tenure is over, is there any danger of keeping your opinions to yourself? Particularly those that do not concern you.
Garry Lyon was right to feel aggrieved after your comments last week and he joins a long list of others before him.
Hawthorn is on the verge of another finals campaign and one that with a little luck could be a successful one. The last thing they need right now is another distraction courtesy of the president.
Come on Jeff… enough is enough.
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