AOC president John Coates retained his position yesterday with a 58-35 vote over challenger Danni Roche at the annual general meeting.
And so he should despite his detractors claiming the 67-year-old’s used by date had arrived after 27 years in the chair.
But there are two crystal clear facts that need addressing.
Coates has always been a rock solid supporter of Australian sport, with his administrative skills recognised by the IOC where he’s the first vice president.
Just as crystal clear is the constant sniping by the Australian Sports Commission chairmen John Wylie towards Coates when both should be on the same page for the benefit and goodwill of Australian sport.
Bloody hell, fix the problem pronto.
That’s easier said than done, with both Coates and Wylie having to give some ground, no matter how much it hurts.
Coates has made it easier for Wylie by saying he’ll retire as AOC president after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which would end his stellar IOC career as well.
More’s the pity as Coates will be mighty hard to replace.
NSW Cricket found that out when Alan Davidson ended his 33-year career as president.
Top class sporting administrators don’t grow on trees, they are as scarce as hen’s teeth.
But the 35 votes for Roche did clearly say it’s time for change, and Coates accepts that challenge.
Yesterday was the first time he’s been challenged in those 27 years, and Roche has proved she will be a genuine contender for the top job in 2020.
But she will have to prove she’s not a Wylie puppet which is the general consensus of opinion.
It has been widely reported Wylie, who is also chairman of the MCG, had approached John Bertrand, Jeff Kennett, and James Tomkins to have a crack at the AOC residency, but all three knocked Wylie back.
So Roche was Wylie’s fourth cab off the rank to rattle Coates; cage, but Coates is as tough a political fighter as he is a top class administrator.
He was never going to lose yesterdays vote.
But once the dust settles after the last six weeks of carnage no sport should suffer, I’d expect John Wylie to bury the hatchet and link with John Coates for the common good.
It’s farcical that the president of the Australian Olympic Committee, and the chairman of the Australian Sports Commission detest one another.
Nobody wins that standoff, but sport suffers.
So it’s worthwhile repeating – fix it.
But I’ve left the most intriguing part ’til last.
John Coates will stand down as AOC president in August 2020.
John Wylie’s appointment as chairman of the Australian Sports Commission ends in September 2020.
Does that suggest Wylie will stand up for the AOC presidency?
Mark
Guest
Are you kidding??? He was the point person in bringing the olympics to sydney. He has worked very hard to get sports that Australians are good at into the Olympics. Sorry how does he have any responsibility for the Atlanta olympics in any way?
HarryT
Guest
Gravy train, yes. Six years ago I was involved in track and field. In NSW there were 4 athletes on the top 'gold scholarship' of $35K. To qualify for this level of scholarship you had to be ranked in the world top 8. Silver scholarships paid $5K and bronze got a tracksuit. These amounts are pathetic and represent about a quarter of what an equivalent athlete from the UK was receiving. So if you are a world class athlete on a gold scholarship that barely pays the rent in Sydney, and you hear Mr Coates, who is earning $700K+, tell all what a godsend he is to all athletes, you feel a bit nauseous. The reality is that they don't do a whole lot more than the governments of Kenya and Ethiopia. The galling issue for me is that there are scores of sporting bodies with highly paid executives that look after these 4 elite gold level athletes. Such as: AOC, ASC, AIS, NSWIS, NSW Athletics, Australian Athletics, Commonwealth Games Committee, Little Athletics, NSW Sports Commision just to name a few. It should be pointed out that the lowest paid junior in any of these bodies would be getting more than the world class athlete. Danni Roche was scathing about Coates' salary and vowed to take a pay cut of $600K with the understanding she would still be earning twice as much as the current top elite Australian athletes.
Zero Gain
Guest
He has been in the role too long. He should have stepped down. He complains about damage to the brand but it is him that has done the damage by refusing to go with dignity. We all suspect it is just a big gravy train. His insistence on staying on power strengthens that perception and does great harm to the organisation.
bozo
Guest
Just as well funding an Olympic team no longer relies on raising funds with a telethon. They would not get the public to give them a peanut. But there are funds there to get the team away and ton pay John's salary. That is an Olympic achievement
BrainsTrust
Guest
What exactly does Coates do? Where was he when the Australian team was put into the worst Olympic village building in the worst Olympic village in RIo. Where was he when the US ran its el cheapo Olympics and all the substandard facilities given to the other nations. Australian tax player splashed the cash to give everyone else the best Olympics in Sydney with VIP treatment for everyone. What exactly has COates done that has been to Australias benefit.
Carl
Guest
"It’s farcical that the president of the Australian Olympic Committee, and the chairman of the Australian Sports Commission detest one another". Well through out human history people who worked together closely, don't necessarily like each other. Recent Australian Politics Hawke-Keating, Howard-Costello, Rudd-Gillard, Abbott-Turnbull. Is the Olympics something that is passe in the 21st century. The costs involved in hosting the games and the amount of money these bureaucrats make while going around the world feeling important. For the sports that don't get a lot of media coverage I understand that they would like the Olympics to continue. But does the general public, especially as it only lasts a couple of weeks for the Summer and Winter every four years. I think the Paralympics is much more worthy of the time and effort these days. But I'm not an athlete, only an observer.
Cleveland
Guest
Good article David but, based on current evidence, I hope your final point doesn't come to pass. One of the outcomes of the Sydney Olympics was that John Coates was able to build an AOC that is financially independent of Government. I suspect that besides centralising more power in the ASC, John Wylee was also trying to get his hands on that "nest-egg". It maybe a bit simplistic but it also seemed a fair bit of Melbourne v Sydney in the AOC President challenge with most of the editorials and opinion pieces against Coates coming out of Victoria. I don't think the ASC has done a very good job to date. The AOC has many more runs on the board with respect to achieving excellence in Australian sport and at least John Coates has his job via a ballot rather than just being appointed by a Minister as is the case with John Wylee. So while where is need for reform in the AOC, there is also need for reform within the ASC and I don't think having John Wylee move from the ASC to the AOC as being a solution worth considering...