Andrew Thorburn quits: New Bombers CEO stands down after controversial church link

Essendon’s CEO Andrew Thorburn has quit after just one day after differences between his faith and the Bombers’ values hit breaking point. Read statements from both parties in full.

Andrew Thorburn is the new chief executive of Essendon. Picture: Stuart McEvoy/The Australian

Essendon is searching for its third chief executive in 40 days after the bombshell resignation of Andrew Thorburn just one day after he was appointed.

Revelations in the Herald Sun that Thorburn was also chairman of a church organisation with controversial views on abortion and homosexuality made his position untenable.

On another dramatic day for Bombers, Thorburn was faced with the dilemma of choosing between his faith and football.

The 57-year-old, who has attended City on a Hill church since 2014 and joined the board two years ago, decided his Christianity was more important than the club he grew up supporting.

Essendon president David Barham conceded Thorburn couldn’t serve both roles after reading a sermon from the City of Hill in the Herald Sun on Tuesday morning which likened abortion to concentration camps.

SCROLL DOWN TO READ FULL STATEMENTS FROM THORBURN AND ESSENDON

Andrew Thorburn has resigned from Essendon.

“I want to stress that neither the board nor Andrew was aware of the comments from the 2013 sermon until we read about them this morning,” Barham said.

It is an embarrassing situation from the Bombers, who will face questioning from their 80,000 members over the due diligence it completed when appointing Xavier Campell’s successor.

Barham claimed he had thoroughly “reference checked” Thorburn before the appointment and on Tuesday night owned the calamity.

Remarkably, Thorburn has been leading Essendon’s external review of the football department, which included the search for a new chief executive.

While Thorburn stepped aside from the chief executive search last week when he interviewed for the role, he had been leading the process to find a position he ultimately landed for more than a month.

They are expected to zero in on Richmond’s chief marketing officer Simon Matthews, who is the brother of Greater Western Sydney chief executive David Matthews.

“Yesterday was one of the proudest days of my life. To be offered the role of CEO of the Essendon Football Club - who I have followed since I was a boy - was a profound honour,” Thorburn said on Tuesday night.

“However, today it became clear to me that my personal Christian faith is not tolerated or permitted in the public square, at least by some and perhaps by many.

“I was being required to compromise beyond a level that my conscience allowed.

“Despite my own leadership record, within hours of my appointment being announced, the media and leaders of our community had spoken.

“My faith is central to who I am.

Essendon president David Barham. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Thorburn also said he hoped the external review led to “great change” at the Bombers.

In a bizarre 24 hours, Thorburn addressed the Essendon faithful on Monday night at the club’s Crichton Medal count only minutes after the Herald Sun’s story on his controversial church links was published online.

On Tuesday morning he then attempted to calm outraged supporters in a radio interview.

Thorburn said it was “very important” that his church’s strong views on abortion and homosexuality could be expressed in Australian society.

That failed to stop the backlash and three hours later Victorian premier Dan Andrews hit out at the Bombers.

“There are many reasons to be a somewhat disappointed Essendon supporter,” Andrews said.

“Those views are absolutely appalling. I don’t support those views, that kind of intolerance, that kind of hatred, bigotry. It is just wrong.”

The Thorburn debacle caps a nightmare six-week period for Essendon, which has now parted ways with its senior coach (Ben Rutten), two chief executives (Campbell and Thorburn), its football director (Sean Wellman) and president (Paul Brasher).

Premier Daniel Andrews will be keeping his Essendon membership. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Director Kevin Sheedy’s position is also under pressure after speaking out against the appointment of new coach Brad Scott on Friday.

Thorburn was also on the panel that selected Scott.

There was also Barham’s failed pursuit of coach Alastair Clarkson, which was extraordinarily executed while Rutten was still in charge.

Barham declared he was still the right man to lead Essendon despite “a couple of missteps”.

Senior football figures around the league privately praised Essendon on Tuesday night for making the gut-wrenching call following the Herald Sun’s revelations.

The heat was on the Bombers to cut ties with Thorburn following the launch of the club’s AFLW team just six weeks ago and support for equality.

Essendon board member Dorothy Hisgrove has been lauded for her work on inclusion and has also used social media to promote choice when it comes to abortion as well as women’s rights.

But Hisgrove helped appoint Thorburn and lauded the signing as “another outstanding leadership appointment” when Essendon tweeted the news on Monday.

That tweet welcoming Thorburn from the club’s official account was deleted on Tuesday.

Acting chief executive Nick Ryan will continue in that role until a replacement for Thorburn, who was not due to start until November 1, is found.

“We are deeply committed to our values and support wholeheartedly the work of the AFL in continuing to stamp out any discrimination based on race, sex, religion, gender, sexual identity or orientation, or physical or mental disability,” Barham said.

“I also want to stress that this is not about vilifying anyone for their personal religious beliefs, but about a clear conflict of interest with an organisation whose views do not align at all with our values as a safe, inclusive, diverse and welcoming club for our staff, our players, our members, our fans, our partners and the wider community.”

Forty year Essendon member Jason Tuazon-McCheyne, founder of the Purple Bombers – Essendon’s official diversity and inclusion supporter group – said Thorburn’s appointment was “incredibly disappointing’’.

“We think this is a bad call for us … we’re concerned with this appointment,’’ he said.

“It’s not his personal beliefs, though I’m curious to know what they are, the concern is he is currently the chair of an organisation that actively campaigns against LGBTIQ people.

“So how can you lead an organisation that does that and also be the CEO of a club that is working to opposite values?’’

Port Phillip deputy mayor Tim Baxter has said he is cancelling his Essendon membership. Picture: Chris Eastman

Port Phillip Deputy Mayor Tim Baxter declared Thorburn’s appointment as CEO like “spitting in the face of every queer Essendon member’’ and vowed to cancel his Essendon membership.

“I don’t think the belief that women shouldn’t be able to access reproductive health care or that queer people should go back in the closest are compatible with leadership,’’ he said.

‘‘I won’t be a member of an organisation that makes those kind of decisions.’’

Equality and human rights activist Matt Hall, the first Aussie rules player at any level to come out as gay in 2002, said some supporters would feel marginalised by Thorburn’s appointment.

“There has been so much proactive work done on inclusivity in the AFL in recent years that it’s really disappointing to see that Essendon have hired someone with strong religious beliefs that are homophobic,’’ he said.

Originally published as Andrew Thorburn quits: New Bombers CEO stands down after controversial church link