Hawthorn AGM: Don Scott finally accepts Hawks legend status as new board members elected
The departure of Alastair Clarkson still irks some Hawthorn members, with president Jeff Kennett forced to address the situation again at the Hawks’ AGM.
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Hawthorn great Don Scott will officially be recognised as a Hawks legend after finally accepting the esteemed honour he’d knocked back previously.
Scott will become just the ninth legend at Hawthorn, with Peter Knights being the last inductee in 2017.
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He said previously he would refuse to accept the induction unless it happened at a club dinner, rather than at an annual general meeting.
The induction was announced at the virtual Hawthorn AGM on Tuesday night.
Hawks president Jeff Kennett said it would be awarded to Scott at a Hawthorn event sometime next year.
Scott, who played 302 games and three premierships for Hawthorn, was also instrumental in rallying Hawks members to vote not to merge with Melbourne in 1996.
Questions from members to Kennett were put through virtually, with the president asked to confirm which board members had voted for four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson not to continue as coach.
“The board made a unanimous decision, and it wasn’t arrived at easily, that we wouldn’t extend his contract beyond next year,” Kennett said.
“We honestly thought he would coach next year, but as you know he had a change of mind.
“We accept that based on what he has done for the club over the past 17 years.
“It was a tough decision and a hard decision, and we understood a lot of people would be upset.
“But it was a board decision.”
Kennett also answered a question about poker machines, and said the club remained committed to getting out of them “at a time that advantages the club.”
He said the club had to think about the “financial implications” to the club and to find replacement streams of income.
Meanwhile, former AustralianSuper boss Ian Silk has been elected to the Hawthorn board.
Silk, who had been backed by the Hawks for Change group, was vying for one of the two available board positions.
He was voted in alongside current director Tim Shearer, who has been backed by Kennett, after Hawthorn’s first election in a decade.
Lawyer Jennifer Holdstock, who recently raised “cultural issues” at the Hawks and claimed she’d been pressured to withdraw her bid in favour of more preferred candidates, missed out on a board spot.
Hawthorn skipper and two-time premiership player Ben McEvoy was also awarded life membership.
Inside Hawks’ secret weapon in recruiting race
—Jay Clark
Hawthorn director Tim Shearer says the club’s new facility in Dingley can provide a competitive advantage for its men’s and women's teams as the Hawks attempt to catapult back up the ladder.
News Corp can reveal the AFL has committed to contribute $5 million to the start-of-the-art home base which the Hawks hope will become an attraction for potential recruits under new coach Sam Mitchell.
And former coach Alastair Clarkson is set to be recognised in Hawthorn’s avenue of honour which will aim to pay respect to the club’s legendary figures at the Dingley headquarters.
Clarkson parted ways with the club this year when he aborted the succession plan, but Shearer says the entire club was now aligned on its list strategy to rebuild through the draft.
Shearer, who is one of three candidates fighting for two board positions at the December 14 annual general meeting, is leading the fundraising effort for the $100 million centre.
Along with Hawthorn champion Peter Hudson, Shearer has raised $17.5 million but needs another $22.5 million to deliver the precinct which will feature two ovals, a community pavilion, men’s and women’s indoor training facilities including pools, change rooms, and an administration space.
Shearer said it was crucial to continue the momentum of the “Time To Fly” campaign which was designed to become a key weapon for the club in an era of AFL equalisation.
The Hawks have already paid another $10 million to purchase the site, meaning they own the land they will train on.
“We have got a draft, a salary cap, and you have got a soft cap on expenditure around equalisation,” Shearer said.
“One area that hasn’t been limited at this stage is your facilities that you deliver for your players, so we hope this will be a point of difference to help get us back up to the top of the tree.
“We hope it will become attractive for players in terms of recruitment and retention of players and we hope it will really deliver to that, so we do hope it will give us a competitive advantage in time.”
The Hawks have had to temporarily pause fundraising efforts due to the pandemic, but will pick up the campaign again as significant ground work continues on the Dingley site.
It comes as the Hawks enter a new era and hit the draft under Mitchell.
Hawthorn tried to remain in the premiership mix under Clarkson throughout 2019-20 after making bold moves to trade for Chad Wingard and Jaeger O’Meara, among others.
Wingard and Liam Shiel were two players who knocked back trade requests to Greater Western Sydney Giants this year which would have netted another high draft pick.
Shearer said it was clear the Hawks had to prioritise top-end talent in the draft after watching the star onball brigade at Melbourne lead the Demons to a brilliant premiership this year.
“The existing coach and some of us had felt for some time now that we should be going back to the draft and rebuilding a list that will compete for sustained success,” Shearer said.
“We have had an outstanding coach for 18 years, but there is now fresh energy in the room and fresh ideas.
“There will be changes to the game plan and change of environment. I think that will be healthy for the experienced players as well.
“We will have a path now. We are clearly committing to rebuilding through the draft, it’s a clear vision – that we are rebuilding on and off the field and it is really exciting.
“We have got some terrific support. We are part of a wonderful community.
“I am really looking forward to them investing in this which is our road to our next wave of success.”
Voting closes on December 12. Ian Silk and Jennifer Holdstock have also nominated for the two vacant positions.
Shearer, who is director of development at Scotch College, said he felt very fortunate as a lifelong Hawthorn supporter to have enjoyed the golden premiership reign which delivered four flags under Clarkson.
President Jeff Kennett has also agreed to step down next year in a key transition phase for the club following the departure of highly-respected footy manager Graham Wright.
Shearer said he was looking forward to continuing the fundraising work.
“Some continuity I think is important. You don’t want all the IP walking out the door at one time because that can be really detrimental in terms of how you advance,” he said.
“I am renominating and I think it is critical we maintain the momentum with our fundraising, because we have raised $17.5 million, we have $22.5 million to go and it would be unfortunate if that momentum was broken.
“So I am really hoping the members re-support my nomination, so we can keep that momentum and deliver this amazing project.
“I like asking people to invest in visions and our future success. It is a great thing to do, and to be part of.
“Whatever amount they can, we will be totally inclusive. Everyone will be given the opportunity to participate and we will greatly appreciate everyone’s support.”
Diversity battle? Hawks board candidate to fight on
-Nick Smart
Hawthorn board candidate Jennifer Holdstock has raised “cultural issues” at the Hawks, claiming she’s been pressured to withdraw her bid in favour of more preferred candidates.
The leading litigation lawyer, who is the principal at Holdstock Law, said she’s been asked to drop out of the race by both club officials and the Hawks for Change group to avoid Hawthorn’s first election in a decade.
Holdstock is in a field of three vying for two seats on the board.
Her opponents are current director Tim Shearer, who has been backed by Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett, and Ian Silk, who’s been put forward by the Hawks for Change group.
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The independent said she’d been taken aback by the tactics employed against her, but has vowed to fight on.
“I’ve been asked to stand down by representatives from both Hawthorn and from Hawks for Change, so that there wasn’t an election and also so they got the candidates that they wanted to put forward,” she said.
“They obviously have thought long and hard about the candidates they want and why, and they wanted their chosen candidates for various reasons.
“And definitely the club did not want to have an election … it’s been disappointing and it’s made me question the culture of the club.
“In respect to Hawks for Change, I’ve found it a bit amusing because they say one of their platforms is they want board diversity and they’ve put up two middle-aged white male candidates.
“And they’ve also said they want to encourage the ordinary member to stand and they’ve done the exact opposite by discouraging me.
“But I’m a litigator and I like a battle.”
Holdstock is a long-time passionate Hawthorn supporter, who is running in honour of her grandmother, Clare, who died last month at the age of 96.
She is determined to exercise her right to stand, spurred on by Alastair Clarkson’s “undignified” departure as coach earlier this year.
“The problem I think is that the members don’t really know internally what happened (with Clarkson),” she said.
“We know we got very mixed messages, and that’s discouraging from a club that calls itself ‘the family club.’
“What was depicted to members was a really messy tumultuous time, and that somebody who’d given us four flags and was seen out in a very undignified way.”
She said the handling of Clarkson’s exit raised “cultural issues” at Hawthorn.
“The Clarkson issue is definitely a demonstration of that,” she said.
“I think the way I’ve been treated is a demonstration of that.
“Also, we have the AFLW players joining and I want them to feel welcome and well supported when they start.
“I don’t want them to come into a club that has cultural issues.”
Voting in the Hawthorn board election opened last week and the two successful candidates will be announced on December 14.
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