West Adelaide members to vote on changes to board
WEST Adelaide members will have a crucial vote on Monday, while a restructure has also been mooted as the Bloods seek the best path to a productive future.
WEST Adelaide’s board faces a major overhaul if a recommendation gains approval at a members’ vote on Monday night.
Needing 75 per cent majority to be implemented, the change in constitution would allow the members to elect two members of the board and a nomination committee determine the other five.
However, the current board will remain intact until the annual meeting in February.
And SANFL game development manager Ben Hopkins has been appointed interim chief executive for six month at the Bloods, replacing David Grenvold in the role.
The members’ vote next week follows a recommendation from a sub committee given the job of reviewing the governance of the board.
The board is currently elected by the members, but the proposal from the sub committee would enable people with vital skills who are reluctant to go through the election process have a key role in the direction of the Bloods.
The new constitution would require all board members to resign at the annual meeting. It would then be the responsibility of nomination committee members John Kantilaftas, David Shipway and Adrian O’Dea, who all have a deep history with the Bloods, to name five members of the board.
A restructure of the front office is also being considered.
“We are looking at a possible restructure to see if we can do things better, save a bit of money here and there,” said Bloods president Lee Harradine, who is keen to continue in the position beyond the annual meeting.
“The (Woodville-West Torrens) Eagles have a football manager and commercial manager, we need to see what is best for us.”
Harradine said the changes at the Bloods did not mean there was a crisis at the club and he was genuinely optimistic for the future.
He backed Gavin Colville as the “right coach” and claimed recruiting had been as productive as hoped given the restricted salary cap placed on the club by the SANFL.
“We are reducing debt rapidly,” he said. “We still have to improve the trading model, but we are way out of the woods compared to where we were four or five years ago.
“Off field, I have no doubt about the club whatsoever. Our only long-term debt is to our supporter group Wolfpack and that had been reduced significantly.”
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