St Kilda president Peter Summers denies club is in crisis after poor season but change is coming

THERE have been reports of board room brawling and major upheaval at St Kilda as the club struggles through a very poor season. One thing is for sure, President Peter Summers won’t be there next year but he attempts to set the record straight.

The Saints have had a poor season and have won just four games. Picture: Michael Klein

ERUPTION. Board room brawling. Upheaval.

You’d think the St Kilda Football Club was about to implode.

Clearly, change is coming at the Saints. The question is, will there be change or will there be carnage.

Change will start at the top. President Peter Summers won’t be president next year.

He’ll leave 12 months ahead of time and it’s a reasonable assumption that that might not be the case if the Saints were not mired in such a disastrous season.

Four wins when finals were expected has created dismay among the Saints faithful and as the season has lurched on with no change of fortune, the calls for change, for something to happen, have gown stronger.

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But Summers this week described as ludicrous suggestions the club was in crisis.

Alan Richardson personifies the uncertainty surrounding the club.

On Friday he said his team, not his future, remained his sole focus and the president said he would coach for a sixth season in 2019.

As to his own future, Summers won’t be drawn on who will succeed him, but it will almost certainly be current director Andrew Bassat.

It’s planned a changeover will be announced after the season and ratified at the club’s annual general meeting in December.

It won’t be a bloody coup or revolution, which has traditionally surrounded board change at the Saints.

Peter Summers won’t be St Kilda’s president next year.

“Orderly change doesn’t make for very good reading, does it?’’ Summers told the Herald Sun.

An eruption at Moorabbin? “It’s simply not going to happen.’’

At the start of this season, his fifth as president, Summers put succession plans in place for himself and football director Andrew Thompson on the board nominations committee’s agenda.

The four-person committee is chaired by director Russell Caplan and includes external members.

Summers made a change to the constitution several years to mandate maximum terms for directors (nine years) and the president (six years).

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“I said to them, please, can you include my succession planning on the agenda?’’ Summers said.

“I wanted to do that because I wanted to make sure we were really thorough in our process and be prepared for our succession planning, and that’s been going for a year.

“And I would’ve thought other than the season we’ve had, this process to most people would seem really boring. So to talk about power struggles and anything else is ludicrous.

“I can’t stress any more all the changes we make will be very well considered and they certainly won’t be a reaction to all the noise going on right now.

“You just shake your head in disbelief with all the media going on, it’s completely ludicrous.”

Names such as Jim Watts and Gerry Ryan have been mentioned in relation to the top job but it will be billionaire Bassat who will assume the role, unless Bassat has a change of heart.

Coach Alan Richardson is under extreme pressure. Picture: Michael Klein

After such a disappointing season there is agitation, no doubt, from fans through to powerbrokers, and this week former captain Nick Riewoldt and high-profile supporter Shane Warne expressed their concerns.

It’s understood Bassat has met Riewoldt and Warne to gauge their interests in taking roles at the club.

Saints insiders say Summers has been a selfless and inclusive president.

Asked if he would be president next year, Summers said: “The whole timing of transition depends on who the person is.

“All the noise about this year or next year is … getting the question the wrong way around. The question is not when and then who, the question is who and then when.’’

All will be revealed in the coming weeks, which Summers supports.

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“It would be in the best interests of the club to know where the direction is going without being pushed … I think sooner rather than later is a better outcome.’’

Part of the succession planning includes two to three changes at board level, which includes Thompson.

Summers disputed Thompson had resigned.

“He’s been one of the best directors I’ve ever worked with, but the fact was Andrew had reached the maximum term,’’ Summers said.

“He actually went to 10 years, but fact is we’ve been transitioning Andrew for a period of time. We’ve spoken to other potentials in that area. I read the other day he had resigned and, again, the language used around this has been absolutely ludicrous. The fact is Andrew’s role was transitioning before my role.”

Footy boss Simon Lethlean has raised eyebrows at clubs by commenting publicly on interest in players from rival clubs. Picture: Michael Klein

Confirming Richardson’s tenure next year, he said the club’s position was unequivocal.

“It’s been consistent from the head of football, the CEO and from myself — we believe he’s the right person,’’ Summers said.

He refused to discuss clauses in Richardson’s contract, mainly the triggers for him to coach the second year of his extension — 2020.

“I’m not going go talk about contracts and certainly not because it’s been raised in the media.

“The moment you start looking at contracts, you start thinking about contracts and then you’re doing the wrong thing.

“We didn’t go into that renegotiation with Alan thinking of downside, we went into it thinking: Is this the right person to lead us forward and the answer was yes.’’

Summers backed chief executive Matt Finnis and said there was no tension between him and new football boss Simon Lethlean, the one-time AFL footy boss.

He said he had “enormous respect’’ for Finnis.

He cited membership growth, commercial revenues at record highs, the move back home to Moorabbin and the new Etihad Stadium deal.

“It’s really the first time we’ve had a financially stable base,’’ he said.

“We’ve got clear scope to invest, we’ve got a clear path to address our debt ($12 million), that’s all been achieved under Matt. He will continue to be a brilliant CEO of this football club, I have no doubt.’’

The Saints have had a poor season and have won just four games. Picture: Michael Klein

Of Lethlean’s aggressive discussions about players at rival clubs, which has raised the eyebrows of other clubs, Summers said Lethlean had the imprimatur to act boldly.

“You are who you are, and we back Simon,’’ he said.

“I’d have a problem with that if Simon woke up the next morning and said, ‘why did I do that for.’

“I let Simon be the football manager he wants to be. I’m comfortable. He’s a very smart operator and I’m not going to second-guess Simon.’’

No second guessing, but similarly there can be no equivocation about a year the Saints were, according to the plan, supposed to be enjoying, but instead are enduring.

“There’s no doubt the disappointment of our on-field performance has been unsettling and I get that,’’ Summers said.

“I have been member for 49 continuous years, I haven’t missed a Saints game in the past five years. I doubt there’s been a supporter who has been to more Saints games in the past 10 years than me.

“I get the disappointment this year. But our job really isn’t to react to that. We understand what we need to do. The most important thing for us is … this is a period where we need to lead and not be led.”

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Originally published as St Kilda president Peter Summers denies club is in crisis after poor season but change is coming