NSW Hockey board facing no-confidence motion
The Hockey NSW board will face a no-confidence motion after Olympic champion Brent Livermore was sacked, allegedly ‘unlawfully’, and at a time of ‘substantial ongoing financial pressures’.
The Hockey NSW board will face a no-confidence motion after Olympic champion Brent Livermore was sacked for alleged misconduct, including the misuse of a washing machine.
Northern Sydney and Beaches Hockey Association president Mark Berwick has submitted a formal notice of motion proposing Hockey NSW president Adriana Care and all directors be removed.
It comes after ex-Kookaburras captain and Olympic gold medallist Livermore launched a Fair Work case against the organisation in the Federal Court over claims he was unfairly dismissed from his role as director of hockey in 2024.
Livermore is suing for financial compensation and damages upwards of $300,000 for his claims of a “sham redundancy” following two misconduct complaints, including the alleged misuse of a company washing machine.
He claimed Hockey NSW acted unlawfully in removing him because it did not give him a chance to reply to the allegations or appeal the outcome of an investigation he was not made aware of at the time.
But sources say issues extend beyond Livermore’s dismissal and that there have been claims made about the performance of the board. Critics have claimed the sport is in decline in NSW – financially and on the field.
The performance of representative teams has decreased, while pathways and coaching for associations are reported to be lacking. The sport was recently dropped from the NSW Institute of Sport program for the first time in its history.
Additionally, high-performance training sessions at Olympic Park for up-and-coming players have ceased.
There are now calls for an overhaul of the Hockey NSW board, with calls for all the current directors to resign.
The motion put forward by Mr Berwick is to be heard at the organisation’s annual general meeting on March 29.
“After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that there is a need for a new direction for our sport in NSW,” Mr Berwick said.
“Current members will always remain encumbered with current issues and strategies being employed to deal with the substantial ongoing financial pressures, diminishing resources, reduction in participation numbers and extensive toxic fragmentation at every level within our community.”
He said there “must be a circuit breaker” and urged the other 26 associations to help restore hockey to its previous standing in the state.
“We need to select a team that brings home gold for our sport and that is why I am inviting the member associations to have the chance to select the right team,” he said.
“We need to become unified as ‘one’ urgently under a new and highly effective board and executive in the best interests for the future of hockey in NSW.”
The proposal would require more than 50 per cent of the associations to agree to the motion in order for the change to take effect.
The Australian sought comment from the Hockey NSW board but received no response.
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