North Gold Coast Seahawks and former coach Jordan Mullan are at a crossroads over his redundancy
An NBL1 club that sacked its coach after just two months has now refused to payout money owed to him unless he signs a non-disclosure agreement. Read the latest here >>>
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An NBL1 club that sacked its coach after just two months has now refused to payout money owed to him unless he signs a non-disclosure agreement.
It’s another hammer blow to coach Jordan Mullan who has been tabled an offer by Seahawks management but told he won’t see a cent unless he signs the confidentiality agreement in another bizarre twist for a club that has been under siege in recent times.
More Seahawks news; NBL1 Future | Walmsley opens up | BQ confirms Seahawks in NBL1 | ‘Pushed Out’ | Seahawks founder speaks out | ‘Family Club’ rebuild |
The former coach was axed in early December, just two months after he joined the association in preparation for the 2024 NBL1 season.
Now, six weeks after he was let go, the association and Mullan have hit a roadblock.
Seahawks president Robert Sleaford confirmed the NDA was put in place and said they are working to an agreement.
“We have put an offer to him and are wanting him to sign a confidentiality agreement and he has neglected to do that,” Sleaford said.
“So that is where we are at a bit of a stalemate at the moment.
“We’re happy to pay him out but we just want him to sign a waiver to say he can’t go outside and have anything untoward said about us.
“At the moment he is not signing that and it has been dragging out 100 per cent.”
The redundancy of Mullan’s was never announced to the general public and it was only by word of mouth, members became aware of him departing.
“I know at the start when the agreement went through that we sort of said to him we were happy to give him a reference,” Sleaford said.
“You know because we are going in different directions, which does happen.
“And then after all the stuff that sort of started coming out in the papers, we had some lawyers look at it.
“And (we) just said sort of a confidentiality clause and once we had gone back to him he hasn’t agreed with that.
“We have come to a figure which we are all happy with and we want it signed and done with.”
A ‘non disclosure agreement’ is something you will find is common practice in most contracts, especially within the NBL1.
“We are not in the game for throwing around accusations or mistruths and that is what we don’t want,” Sleaford said.
“We don’t want to start building some momentum and then something is said.
“I am not saying he will, he might not.
“But he isn’t signing the paper holding him to that.”
Jordan Mullan declined to comment.
Seahawks detail vision to make club a basketball force
It hasn’t taken long for the new Seahawks president to make his mark, announcing a new coach ahead of the NBL1 2024 season.
Robert Sleaford was announced as president of the Seahawks on January 17 and it took him eight days to announce Colby Stefanovic as the new head coach.
Sleaford said Stefanovic’s experience led him to be the crowned the man for the job.
“He is a seasoned coach with a deep understanding of the NBL1 league,” Sleaford said.
“His experience and mentorship, under icons like Pero Cameron and Mick Conlon, make him an ideal candidate for our coaching role.
“I know a lot of clubs say this but it is true, our focus is and will be the development of our juniors.
“I have spoken to the president’s of our clubs in the association and confirmed with them how I want to go about this organisation.”
Stefanovic signed a two-year deal with the Seahawks, taking over from former coach Jordan Mullan.
The newly appointed coach arrives after a two-year stint with RedCity Roar, who won’t be participating in the NBL1 North league in 2024.
RedCity’s management team were in discussions with Basketball Queensland, who eventually rejected the clubs submission for 2024.
“These things happen and I looked at taking up an assistant coaching position but the Seahawks position was available, so I applied,” Stefanovic said.
“All I have known is this league.
“I watched my sister become a champion player in it.
“I played a high level of basketball as well, but I have coached in it, been an assistant in it as well.
“It was an opportunity for me that I knew I had to take because we (Seahawks and Stefanovic) want to go in the same direction.
“I can see they want to go down the path of junior development and that is what I am all about.”
Stefanovic was an assistant coach at Ipswich basketball for three years under Mick Conlon before moving with him to Gold Coast Rollers where he spent a further three years.
He eventually moved to RedCity Roar as the head coach, signing a contract extension before the association was removed from the NBL1 North.
“We didn’t have the big funds to be able to afford a lot of NBL players at RedCity but it was good because it gave us the chance to bleed through the younger players,” Stefanovic said.
“And that is what myself and Rob (Sleaford) have both spoken about.
“Playing the young talent, developing the kids coming through.
“I have tried to reach out to the current contracted players just to talk to them about this season and what I can do to help them.”
The Seahawks take on Logan Thunder in the first game of the 2024 season.
Seahawks lose a decorated junior to rival NBL1 North club
The North Gold Coast Seahawks will farewell Cameron Goldfinch in the coming weeks and begin their search for a new Basketball Development Manager.
Goldfinch resigned from his position shortly after the New Year, signing a contract to play for the Rockhampton Rockets’ NBL1 side in 2024.
“It’s been good being back at the Seahawks,” he said
“I’ve built a lot of good relationships with the members and I would like to thank them.
“I’m looking forward to the next step in my journey.”
Carrying the genes of former NBL players Neil and Frank Goldfinch, Cameron himself debuted for the Brisbane Bullets during the 2019/20 NBL season and appeared in three games.
Goldfinch spent his junior years as a Seahawk before having stints at the Brisbane Bullets, Gold Coast, Logan Thunder and Brisbane Capitals.
He returned at the end of the 2023 NBL1 North season after two years with the Ipswich Force where he secured the NBL1 North Championship in 2023.
Former head coach Jordan Mullan had a clear vision of bringing Goldfinch back to the Seahawks during the recruitment phase for 2024.
It comes just days after the new president Robert Sleaford was announced to take over the reigns from interim president Andrew Price.
More to come.
‘Family club’: Seahawks interim president overwhelmed by support
North Gold Coast Seahawks interim president will step away due to personal reason’s but has backed the association to have a massive 2024 following a period of turmoil.
Andrew Price has been acting in the role since December while the Seahawks search for a new leader.
Price said despite what has been said over the past month, the association is in a strong position going forward.
“We have had five new members jump on the board at the last AGM which was early December,” Price said.
“That shows that we, as an association, want to grow and keep striving forward.
“It is upsetting the things that have come out but we aren’t focusing on that.
“All we can focus on is what we can do now and that is preparing for a big 2024.
“I do wish everyone who has left us, the best of luck with what they choose to do going forward.”
The Seahawks came under fire in December after former general manager Brady Walmsley and president Darren Mackenzie resigned following the clubs first committee meeting after the AGM.
The two figureheads resigned amid accusations of unrest within the association and financial crisis.
Since then, Basketball Queensland CEO Josh Pascoe has confirmed that the Seahawks remain in the top five per cent of associations from a financial perspective.
Still on the hunt for a new president and general manager, Price said interviews will likely start next week.
“Applications for general manager close this week and we are likely to name a new president soon,” Price said.
“I am stepping away for a bit, my house got torn up during the Christmas Eve tornado.
“Then the New Years rain did not help at all.
“But the support from the clubs and the association have been incredible since they found out about it.
“I have had people come help out from all over the association and just offer help here or there.
“And that is exactly what this organisation is all about, the family, friendly culture that it has always been.”
Price has been the association’s vice president before stepping in as the interim president last month.
In what would have been his sixth year on the board, Price said that there is a real focus on returning the focus back to basketball.
“We plan to get out to every club and just make sure they are all supported for the 2024 season and going forward,” Price said.
“As I said before, we are a family orientated association and we care about one another.
“We can’t change what has been said or what has been done, we can only focus on the future.
“I am excited to see what happens at the Seahawks this year, but my priority is my house and people respect that.
“I will still watch and support this great club.”
PREVIOUSLY
’Shocked and stunned’: Seahawks founder speaks out
Founder of North Gold Coast Seahawks basketball association, Greg Fox has revealed he was ‘shocked and stunned’ at the recent resignation of Brady Walmsley and redundancy outgoing coach Jordan Mullan.
Brady Walmsley resigned in early December following the annual general meeting, along side newly appointed president Darren Mackenzie and before coach Jordan Mullan was made redundant later this month.
Fox said it was concerning to see another general manager leave the association.
“When I saw that Brady and Jordan had been named as general manager and the coach, I was so excited to see where this was going to go,” Fox said.
“They are both have a strong knowledge in the sport and have some really exciting ideas.
“But then to see that they had both left, I was stunned, and concerned.
“It is worrying that they have had four general managers in five years.
“The members are now starting to ask questions about what is the big issue within the association.”
Fox played for Brisbane Bullets between 1989 to 1992 before joining the Gold Coast Rollers in the NBL in 1993.
Now, Fox looks after the development of junior programs for the NBL1 competition.
“The Seahawks are sitting on an absolute goldmine with the junior pathway, just have a look where the association is sitting,” Fox said.
“That northern Gold Coast sector along the M1 is a perfect location for families who have young basketballers.
“But it won’t work if the association isn’t run properly, so something needs to be done.
“They do need to come out and speak about what has happened in the past, clear what has happened this time around as well.
“The members want to know why the things that have come out have been said and the members deserve to know what is actually happening.
“Otherwise families and players will move to different associations and clubs and then we run the risk of folding and no one wants that.”
Outgoing coach Jordan Mullan was contacted for a comment about his redundancy.
’Pushed Out’: Former GM speaks about why he left the Seahawks
Former North Gold Coast Seahawks general manager Brady Walmsley said he was “pushed out” due to a “toxic” work environment during his time at the association.
Walmsley resigned in early December after just six months as general manager of the Seahawks.
It came just hours after the immediate resignation of president Darren Mackenzie, who walked out on the Seahawks following the annual general meeting on December 2.
The 2022 Administrator of the Year said he never felt backed by the club.
“I worked as police officer for five years, I have dealt with a lot of things being thrown at me” Walmsley said.
“It wasn’t anything specific but I just had this overarching feeling that I wasn’t backed by the club.
“I never felt supported, usually in a workplace you do have the support around you and I never felt that.
“Here I was sitting here thinking, well is anyone going to check if I am actually OK?
“That is just one instance, there were plenty of other times that I was singled out.
“It is such a toxic environment, to the point where it is either their way or you are pushed out the door like I was.”
Walmsley moved to the Seahawks earlier this year after spending time at Ipswich Basketball Association as the general manager.
“My experience was when I started everything was really good,” Walmsley said.
“Then I had a couple operational decisions that were voted by at board meetings.
“But the minority on those were people who were previously able to influence decisions in their favour and weren’t able to these times.
“That turned what was a positive working relationship into a really negative one that deteriorated really quickly.”
Basketball Queensland CEO Joshua Pascoe said they are working with the Seahawks to find out every detail of what has transpired.
“The resignation from Brady from our understanding, was never to do with the NBL1, whether they were going to be in it or not,” Pascoe said. “The resignation was about an inability to work with the committee and there was probably faults on both sides to that.
“But it was a deterioration in their working relationship.
“The contracts for players and spending the club’s money, there are delegations in budgets for a GM to work with.
“And the association are now without the GM, after he has recruited his team.
“They have gone are these now the players we want at our association, we now have to reflect that and figure out what we want to do.”
Basketball Queensland CEO Josh Pascoe confirms Seahawks will play in NBL1 North in 2024
Basketball Queensland has put its faith in the under siege North Gold Coast committee and confirmed the Seahawks continued presence in the second tier NBL1 North league in 2024.
The club was put under the microscope this week when questions were raised about its financial health and ability to pay players on the money offered by former general manager Brady Walmsley in the wake of his resignation this month.
Walmsley suggested the Seahawks would look to remove themselves from the NBL1 but BQ CEO Joshua Pascoe confirmed the club would not drop out of the league.
“To nominate into the NBL1 we have oversight of the their finances, governance and go through the risk policies and everything we need to,” Pascoe said.
“There are about 15 documents that a team needs to submit to meet the criteria.
“And from a financial perspective, they are operating well.
“We would love for them to have a GM (general manager) that would last for a long time because we know that it means they are more stable and more successful.
“But even through everything that has happened, the Seahawks are still growing and still financial.”
Walmsley said he operated on an agreed budget that was later changed but North Gold Coast Seahawks interim president Andrew Price said the financial year operational budget was adjusted after being announced five months late.
Price also said the club was still in negotiations with players that have been signed for 2024.
Basketball Queensland were made aware of Walmsley’s resignation at the beginning of the month and are continuing to work with the association around the situation.
BQ are also working closely with the club on its recruitment process as the association prepares to look for a new general manager in the new year.
“When this sort of stuff happens, we first contact the association and ask them what happened and can they give us an overview basically,” Pascoe said.
“We ask the questions similar to ‘what was the reason they left? Us there more going on behind the scenes that we can’t see?’ and we have done that.
“They came to us and told us we had a GM leave, we are coming into the NBL1 season, what are some recommendations from BQ as to what we should do.
“And from our perspective, it was about them ticking the boxes of the financial situation, what is the plan on replacing the GM and so on.
“From a financial perspective they would be in the top five per cent of associations as to how they monitor finances at the moment.”
Pascoe said the North Gold Coast committee had the ability to cover the general managers role in the interim.
“When you don’t have an operational person doing something then the committee has to step in and be that GM for periods,” Pascoe said.
“Which they have had to be over the past, when you look at the gaps when they haven’t had someone.
“They have operational staff now that can continue to do the day-to-day stuff which is a benefit for them.
“Where if another association’s GM was to walk out the door, for whatever reason, there has been times when BQ have had to step in and help out because the GM was doing everything.”
Ex-gm Brady Walmsley opens up during Basketball Queensland’s Seahawks investigation
Concerns have been raised by North Gold Coast Seahawks members and affiliate clubs about a lack of transparency involving critical information as fractures continue to surface at the under siege NBL1 basketball club.
It’s understood members have recently asked for details that would shine a light on the financial health of the club as well as minutes taken at board meetings.
Both requests have been declined. Minutes are widely made public across organisations as standard practice but under the Seahawks constitution they do not disclose them.
Eleven feeder clubs are within the Seahawks association, and the crisis gripping North Gold Coast threatens to affect their own upcoming annual general meetings.
It comes as Brady Walmsley exits as general manager, along with president Darren Mackenzie, with a likelihood that more could follow.
Since the Bulletin’s story on the departures the Seahawks have moved to remove information about the make up of the management committee from its website.
It’s understood North Gold Coast found itself in financial strife recently after players were offered deals for the 2024 season that the Seahawks couldn’t deliver on financially.
Walmsley said it was his role to recruit players but that he was acting within a budget that changed once contracts were signed.
About 150 players trialled for the club’s men’s and women’s NBL1 teams for 2024 over multiple weeks and it’s understood more had expressed their interest in joining the club from rival sides around Queensland.
Among the men’s recruits are Seahawks junior Cameron Goldfinch and Tasmania JackJumpers player Jarred Bairstow, who hailed figures like Walmsley when he joined.
“I’m excited by the vision and direction that the club has put forward,” Bairstow told the club upon signing.
“From a management perspective bringing in guys like Brady Walmsley and Cam Goldfinch, with the success they’ve had building in Ipswich the last few years, it’s a great opportunity to be a part of a club with a mindset focused on continued sustainable growth.
“I’ve known (men’s coach) Jordan Mullan for a long time and know the high character guy that he is and the type of culture he is looking to drive.
“That culture is what really interests me the most. X’s and O’s only get you so far. It’s the culture of mateship and accountability to the guy next to you that I think can separate us coming into this year.
“I’m looking forward to building a program that all of the North Gold Coast community can be proud of and aspire to be a part of.”
The NBL1 playing lists have been overhauled multiple times in the last couple of seasons, with disputes between players and management occurring over those years to do with terms of player deals.
North Gold Coast has so far chosen not to comment on the matter.
NBL1 future at stake: North Gold Coast financial crisis hits as two quit
North Gold Coast Seahawks future in the NBL1 second tier basketball competition has become murky amid a financial furore and management in-fighting.
Two Seahawks figureheads have quit while the situation has drawn the attention of Basketball Queensland who are in discussions with the club following the unrest.
It’s understood North Gold Coast found itself in financial strife after players were offered deals for the 2024 season that the Seahawks couldn’t deliver on financially.
The club announced this week that general manager Brady Walmsley had resigned but the outgoing official said both he and president Darren Mackenzie quit after the club’s annual general meeting at the beginning of December.
Walmsley said it was his role to recruit players but denied overspending and dropped a bombshell by declaring the Seahawks were reconsidering it’s position in the NBL1.
“The management committee at the Seahawks agreed to a budget allocation for the mens and women's teams in a meeting in August,” Walmsley said.
“That was prior to the financial year operational budget being presented by the treasurer and approved by the management committee.
“(That) didn’t happen until November 15, that is a financial year operational budget that is five months late.
“That was unanimously supported, which included all relevant costs associated with NBL1.
“A management committee were considering its position in terms of being involved in NBL1 in December when it had committed to be involved in it since August”
“There were team budgets for the mens and women's teams and then I would go an act within our budget to recruit players.
“We hadn’t over spent on the budget which was approved by the management committee, I think there were some operational financial concerns from the management committee which made it reconsider its position on playing in the NBL1.”
Walmsley was awarded the 2022 Administrator of the Year while working as the Ipswich Basketball general manager.
He then interviewed for the general managers position at the Seahawks with former president Ben McGrath and started in the position at the beginning of 2023.
Outgoing president Darren Mackenzie has thrown his support behind Brady, claiming he resigned due to the lack of support.
“The reason I resigned was because the board did not support the general manager, which was Brady,” Mackenzie said.
“I was nominated as interim president back in about May when the previous president stepped down. Then at the AGM I nominated and was voted in as president.
“We then had the committee meeting straight after where I threw my support behind (Walmsley).
“The board didn’t support him so I resigned then and there and then Brady resigned about two hours after.”
Walmsley becomes the fifth general manager to walk away from the club within the last five years.
Basketball Queensland declined to make an official statement but are aware of the matters and are working to ensure the club is in a stable position in 2024.
The Seahawks chose not to make a comment at this time.
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