Former Hawthorn coach Peter Schwab feels there is enough “disenchantment” from Hawks supporters to force serious change on the AFL club’s board.
Formidable Hawks president Jeff Kennett is facing a challenge to his position, and last week told the club’s members he aims to find a suitable successor by June next year.
Ex-Australian Super boss Ian Silk is leading a push for upheaval on the board after Kennett’s messy handling of the coaching succession plan involving Alastair Clarkson and Sam Mitchell.
Schwab, who is a three-times Hawthorn premiership player and coached the club between 2000 and 2004, ran an online meeting on Tuesday night for the Hawks for Change group.
“With boards, it just seems to be at times that people get appointed – I’m not saying those people aren’t very good candidates – but there doesn’t seem to be that open transparency,” Schwab told SEN.
“I think this nomination committee working towards finding Jeff’s successor may stay in place.
“This is no slur on anyone on that board, but you have to be careful you don’t drift away from your members.
“Ultimately, they’re the people you exist for so I think too many of them feel a little bit disenchanted about some of the things that have happened.”
After leaving Hawthorn at the end of 2011, Kennett’s second stint as president started in 2017 and was only meant to last for three years.
But he decided to stay on for another three-year term to guide the club through the COVID-19 crisis.
The former Victoria premier’s current term is due to expire at the end of 2023.
Schwab said he was disappointed to see Clarkson depart the club – after winning four premierships in 17 seasons – in the way he did.
“Everyone’s behind Sam (Mitchell),” Schwab said.
“But it wasn’t a good ending for someone who’s been arguably one of the greatest coaches we’ve ever had.
“I don’t think anyone was pleased in the way it was done.
“Let’s be quite blunt to say you don’t want a massive salary being paid to someone who’s no longer at the footy club.”
Thom Roker
Roar Guru
Wow, that is one spectacular leap in flawed logic. Let me sum up for you. Jeff Kennett is not to blame for Hawthorn's miserable list situation, it is all Dan Andrews' fault. Yeah. Right. Maybe you'd like Tim Smith to be the Hawks next president. He'd probably do it for a lifetime supply of pies and some bat poison.
XI
Roar Guru
How hawkward
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Dan’s a bombers fan so of course he won’t give funding to the Hawks. Though that would probably be corrupt haha
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
More like the Dawks amirite?
AJT
Guest
Misleading heading … ‘hawks AFL members’. It’s broader than just Hawthorn FC members/supporters who are also members of the AFL.
Birdman
Roar Rookie
Jeff’s definitely no diplomat so we are well down the pecking order for AFL/Govt largesse while he remains in the big chair. The real issue is there are credible candidates now so there’s no need for Jeff to stay on. I also agree Clarko needed to go after a long downward trajectory but his departure for mine was poorly handled.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Other thing not in the article is that a lot of Hawks members have had a gutful of the club's reliance on pokies - Ian Silk certainly is spearheading those on board who want to wean themselves off those as a revenue stream. I don't think this is so much about Clarkson, that's just a convenient excuse. This is all about Jeffrey Kennett, as has always been the case. If it's not about Jeff he makes sure it is. As someone said below too, Hawks know he's a liability, state government is not going to lift a finger to help the Hawks out while he's running the show. Jeff will make a call to quit hopefully in the off-season - given he's already agreed to go early, if he hangs on into 2022 it's going to roll on in the headlines for months and continue to reinforce the view it's all about Jeff. Which of course it is.
Mat P
Guest
This all feels very... Richmond.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Jeff Kennett's reign as president is eerily similar to Vladimir Putin's.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
If Sam Mitchell gets the team playing well & winning big matches & pushing for finals contention, no one is going to care about the club carrying Clarkson's wages in 2022. What is done is done, so lets move on.
Brian
Guest
As a member my issue is not so much how the Clarko exit was handled. There are very few ways to do it well and after the poor decisions of the last few years Clarko had to go. The real problem were extending his contract to 2022. The Clarko resignation not the problem though, its the fact Dan won't give us any funding whilst Jeff's the president.