by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago
Former club champion Jim Stynes was appointed the new Melbourne chairman after the resignation of Paul Gardner, who announced last week that he would step aside. Seven other directors, including Beverley O'Connor, also stepped down. O'Connor was the first female to join a club board when she came in under the reign of mining magnate Joseph Gutnick over 10 years ago. One resigning board member, John Phillips, will stay on with the finance subcommittee. Stynes brought in six new board members, while three current board members, including fellow former Demon player Andrew Leoncelli, retained their positions. Former players and current media players Gerard Healy and Garry Lyon will also join the effort in an advisory capacity.
At a board meeting last week, Gardner said he believed Stynes had the energy and expertise to get the club out of its off field and onfield difficulties. He and Stynes, in their respective addresses to the board, called on members to and supporters to show their faith in the club and also called on supporters who were not members to sign up. Stynes believes he can turn around the club's fortunes to stave off a possible future relocation and pledged to work with members, sponsors, the AFL, the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC, which controls the MCG) and the wider community to restore the club's stature as well as retain the annual blockbuster Queen's Birthday match against Collingwood.
An emotional Stynes, who held back tears, told of how he arrived in Australia as a teenager from Ireland with doubts about his ability to make it as a player and how he went from the airport to the MCG where he was told by club officials that the MCG would be his home.
On Friday, June 13, the day after Stynes took over, he revealed that the club's debt is $4.5 million and said one of the first priorities would be to reduce that debt. To that end, part of his plan is to boost membership, sponsorships and other revenue streams.
It was also reported that shortly after Stynes' appointment, 300 fans signed up for memberships, increasing membership to 27,658 -- 419 short of the club record. Stynes would like to see the club achieve a membership of 28,000 and believes that figure is attainable before the official June 30 cut-off date. He already has his sights set on a 30,000 membership figure for 2009. He pointed out that even another 1000 memberships would add $100,000 to the club's coffers.
The Demons received a bit of help from two unexpected sources with former Hawk champion and Auskick ambassador Robert 'Dipper" DiPierdomenico buying a membership. A family who has Collingwood memberships also bought memberships to Melbourne. When Stynes heard this, he commented that "....if it is good enough for Hawthorn and Collingwood people....it is good enough for Melbourne people...".
The new board members will still have to be ratified at the club's AGM in December.
Off Field Activities & Honors
2005-current: Member, Federal Minister for Education’s NYCT Advisory Group Current Assistant Coach, AFL Australian Team (since 1999)
2004: Entrepreneur of the Year Victoria and Tasmania (social non-profit category)
2000-2003: Assistant coach with Melbourne
2004: Member, Federal Minister for Youth’s YACF Committee
2000: Prime Minister’s Australian Sports Medal
2003 & 2001: Victorian of the Year
2003:Centenary Medal recipient
2000: Paul Harris Fellowship Medal, Rotary International
1999: Appointed AFL’s Racial & Religious Vilification Officer
1997: Member, Victorian Premier’s Youth Suicide Taskforce
1996 White Flame Award, Save The Children Foundation
1988 Bachelor of Education
2007: Awarded an OAM (Order of Australia Medal) for his work with youth and contribution to Australian Football
Source: Melbourne Age & Leigh Newton, Club Media Release
Article last changed on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 - 2:52 AM EDT
