Essendon CEO crisis: Calls for president David Barham to go in wake of Andrew Thorburn saga

The fallout from Bombers’ Andrew Thorburn saga continues, with questions raised about Essendon president David Barham.

Essendon president David Barham’s position is under pressure, with James Hird’s father saying “he has to go.”

Barham has had a disastrous start to his job.

He has overseen the debacle of 24-hour chief executive Andrew Thorburn and the failed chase for Alastair Clarkson which led to Ben Rutten’s departure as senior coach.

The former TV executive took the top job at Essendon after former president Paul Brasher was pushed out in August.

Allan Hird told the Saturday Herald Sun the club had lurched from crisis to crisis since Barham was put in charge.

“David Barham has blown the place up and he’s finding it difficult to put back together again. He has to go,” Allan Hird said.

“David Barham is a cowboy who thought he could get away with things but a football club can’t be run by a cowboy.”

Mr Barham did not respond to calls or texts regarding Mr Hird’s claims.

Essendon Football Club president David Barham gives a press conference at the club house. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Essendon has been at the centre of a storm after it was revealed the church where Mr Thorburn was chairman had compared abortion to the Holocaust and had homophobic comments on its website.

The City on a Hill church has since removed some of the offensive remarks.

It comes as questions were raised about the top-tier firm Ernst and Young, who were asked to take part in the recruitment process for Essendon’s new chief executive.

Essendon insiders were furious that EY, which will be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a wider review of the club, failed to pick up the references on the City on a Hill website.

The details of the controversial sermons were publicly available in four clicks from a Google search.

The sermons were sorted under topics, with “Abortion” being near the top of the list, which was ordered alphabetically.

There are questions about whether EY was the appropriate organisation to run a CEO recruitment process, when its main business was accounting services.

Insiders suggested an executive recruitment like firm Egon Zehnder would have been a more suitable firm to find a replacement for former chief executive Xavier Campbell.

Ernst and Young’s spokeswoman Melanie Kent said “no comment from us” when asked whether the company was qualified to run executive recruitment.

The company, which turned over $2.75 billion last year, also declined to answer how much it was paid for the work, or if they would be involved in finding a new Bombers chief.

Ernst and Young remains under a cloud of its own.

Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick was appointed in September to do a wide-ranging review of EY’s workplace culture.

Ms Broderick was put in place following the suicide of a 27-year Ernst and Young employee, who died at the company’s Sydney office on August 27.

SafeWork NSW has also launched a probe into EY.

Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick. Picture: Supplied

EY Oceania chief executive David Larocca. Picture: Jane Dempster/The Australian.

EY Oceania chief executive David Larocca told staff in a video last month to share “both good and bad” experiences.

“While we’re proud of many aspects of our culture we recognise we can always do better to make sure our workplace is as safe and positive as it can be for our people,” Mr Larocca said.

The resignation of Thorburn has sparked a nationwide debate about religious freedom.

He claimed he was forced to choose between his faith and his job, ultimately making the decision to walk away from a salary worth more than $850,000 a year – higher than his predecessor.

Kevin Sheedy backed James Hird returning to the Bombers as senior coach. Picture: David Crosling

Barham was appointed with the support of Essendon legend Kevin Sheedy, who had wanted James Hird to return as senior coach.

Sheedy revealed he voted against the appointment of Brad Scott to Essendon’s coaching job last week, which Barham had described as a “another important step forward in the progress of our club.”

A coaching subcommittee that included Mr Thorburn, Robert Walls, Jordan Lewis and board member Dorothy Hisgrove and football general manager Josh Mahoney, recommended Scott.

Sheedy, who is on the Essendon board, was not available for comment on Friday.

His decision to go public with criticism of Scott’s appointment adds to the pressure on Barham.

James Hird, former Essendon coach and Brownlow medallist, was interviewed but missed out on the job.

James Hird’s father Allan Hird

Allan Hird said he was disappointed in the way that Barham handled Mr Thorburn’s resignation.

“I wrote to David Barham and said I was brought up a Catholic, my mother gave me the faith and my father gave me the Essendon football club. Am I not welcome at Essendon any more?,” he said.

And he questioned why the club had sought out consultants.

“If you bring in a consultant you pay them a lot of money for them to do what you want them to do – that’s why you’re paying a lot of money for them,” Allan Hird said.

BOMBERS’ FURY OVER THORBURN FAIL

Essendon insiders are furious at top tier firm EY for what they describe as a failure to pick up the controversial comments that cost Andrew Thorburn his job as CEO.

The sermons on the website of the City on a Hill church that compared abortion to the Holocaust and said homosexuality was a sin could be found in four clicks on Google.

Herald Sun journalist Sam Landsberger, who broke the story, uncovered the information within less than 10 minutes.

The sermons were sorted under topics, with “Abortion” being near the top of the list, which was ordered alphabetically.

However, the EY employee charged with checking Mr Thorburn’s background did not uncover the sermons from City on a Hill, which has left insiders angry and disappointed.

Andrew Thorburn quit the Bombers.

There are questions about whether EY was the appropriate organisation to run a recruitment process, when its main business was accounting services.

EY was called in by Essendon to run an external review of the club, which has not won a final in 18 years and recently lost its coach Ben Rutten and former chief executive Xavier Campbell.

Insiders suggested an executive recruitment like firm Egon Zehnder would have been a more suitable firm to find Mr Campbell’s replacement.

Melanie Kent, EY’s communications spokeswoman, said “no comment” in response to questions.

EY Australia trumpeted that it had a 19 per cent jump in profits in the 12 months to June 30, 2022, recording revenue of $2.75 billion.

City on a Hill founder and pastor Guy Mason speaks with Andrew Thorburn. Source: YouTube

“By any measure this is an outstanding result, particularly given the ongoing disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic,” David Larocca, EY Region Managing Partner and CEO Oceania said in August.

“It is a testament to the hard work, innovative-thinking and dedication to exceptional client service from all of our people. The results we’ve achieved in recent years demonstrate

the very strong momentum we have at EY Australia.”

However, EY remains under a cloud itself following the suicide death of one its Sydney staff members.

The 27-year-old woman died at the company’s Sydney office on August 27.

Former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick was appointed in September to do a wide-ranging review of EY’s workplace culture.