By Jon Pierik
New Hawthorn president Andy Gowers unveiled a three-point plan to rebuild the club after edging Jeff Kennett’s anointed successor Peter Nankivell for the top job in a club-member vote.
Gowers has succeeded the retiring Kennett, who has completed his second stint in charge. He captured the strong support of club members, and had the backing of the influential Hawks for Change movement in what was a heated election campaign.
Kennett insisted Nankivell, his deputy, was the right man for the job, but this was not enough to sway agitated members, who have endorsed major change in what has been a tumultuous year for the club.
Andy Gowers has said his first act as Hawthorn president will be to organise a peace summit.Credit: The Age
The handover was confirmed at the club’s annual general meeting at the Hawthorn Arts Centre on Tuesday night.
Speaking after the AGM, Gowers said a three-point plan based on uniting the club, regaining its “family club” values, and reclaiming on-field success would be the backbone of his presidency.
“My first point of a three-point plan is unity. If there is any division at all, I have called for a summit. We will release details of that as they come to hand. I want to get the club back in one piece, the family club ... united, moving ahead with a common purpose,” he said.
Gowers said “putting members back at the middle of the club” was his second priority.
While Kennett refused to release the polling numbers of the presidential vote, Gowers said he favoured the release, because he “wants to bring us (Hawks) back to being open and transparent about things”.
“The members are the ones who voted - I am leaning towards doing that,” Gowers said.
He also thanked members for voting in “historically large numbers”.
Gowers said it was too early to say whether he would make changes at an executive level, particularly after the Egan report examining the club’s handling of First Nations players.
He said he wants the Hawks to again be a “destination club” for players, and fun for the fans.
Peter Nankivell was involved in a heated election campaign against 1991 premiership hero Andy Gowers.
“I know our future is incredibly bright. That will begin with our summer,” he said.
Kennett said he “accepted” the result of the vote, but was heckled by some members, as he rued the loss of Nankivell and his legal expertise from the board.
Former Victorian deputy premier James Merlino also had a successful night, having been elected as a board director, although there was one jeer from the crowd. Current board members Katie Hudson and Anne-Marie Pellizzer were re-elected, but Box Hill president Ed Sill and lawyer Maria Lui, the chair of the Hawks Foundation, failed in their bids.
Gowers played 89 games for the Hawks and was an important member of their 1991 premiership team. The 53-year-old was the board’s director of football during the 2013-2015 three-peat, and has run a successful business.
Voting closed last week, with members voting for three director candidates and one candidate for president. This campaign divided club members and former premiership greats, but Gowers had the important support of the Hawks for Change faction.
After weeks of campaigning which involved private media briefings and the use of public relations agencies, Gowers now faces the task of repairing strained relationships - something he has said he will do.
Gowers is seen as a fresh start after the fall-out of the damning First Nations report conducted internally by the Hawks, with claims of bullying, racism and other inappropriate behaviour between 2008-16. This is now the subject of a wider independent investigation under the remit of the AFL.
He will also need to secure more funding for the club’s new $100 million home base in Dingley. Kennett recently acknowledged that his anti-Dan Andrews tweets hadn’t helped the club secure an expected $15 million from the state government.
Gowers added Kennett’s tweets had also deterred wealthy benefactors from contributing a further $10m, leaving Hawthorn with a shortfall of $25 million. However, the Hawks are likely to get the expected $15 million in funding now Gowers has been elevated to power.
Kennett challenged the new-look board to deal with the funding shortfall.
“With James [Merlino] coming on board the $15 million that the government’s been holding back from us, I expect to be delivered tomorrow, James,” Kennett said.
“And Andy said when fighting for the election that he knew of another $10 million. So Andy put up or shut up - we want that other $10 million quickly.”
Nankivell had insisted he would govern in a more consultative manner than Kennett, but it wasn’t enough to drag him to victory. A well-connected lawyer who has been on the board since 2014, Nankivell had publicly tried to distance himself from the unpopular president during his campaign.
Gowers and Nankivell were united on one topic - backing coach Sam Mitchell’s vision to rebuild the playing list and again have the Hawks in the premiership mix. The Hawks, having finished 15th last season, have since lost stars Tom Mitchell, Jack Gunston and Jaeger O’Meara, with more on-field pain expected next season as they eye top-end draft talent.
Before the club faithful, club chief executive Justin Reeves said the Hawks had declared a surplus and were in a strong position, insisting the club’s exit from gaming would provide a strong financial platform. He said 2022 had been a “strong and historic” year, but there was no mention of the racism scandal. Kennett, however, later said he had been “surprised and terribly disappointed” by the findings of the club’s report.
The handover to Gowers marks the end of Kennett’s second stint as president, but the former Victorian premier is still likely to be an outspoken supporter of the club, and critic of the AFL.
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