Box Hill Hawks president Ed Sill, a business partner of Sam Mitchell’s who is running for the Hawthorn board, has endorsed Andy Gowers to be Hawthorn’s new president.
Sill, who negotiated Mitchell’s contract with the Hawks when he became senior coach, is running as an independent for the Hawthorn board and will, regardless of the election result, also remain Box Hill Hawks president.
Sam Mitchell.Credit:AFL Photos / Getty Images
“The board at Hawthorn put up the shutters pretty quickly in the way they were going to manage the election, how they were going to utilise Hawthorn’s website and email resources for their own benefit, which they are entitled to do under the constitution, but it certainly meant that someone standing as an independent was quickly sidelined from any of the conversations,” he said.
“Speaking to Andy for an extended period of time everything he is suggesting I think aligns with me and is pretty relevant and as a result, I am happy to endorse him for the presidency.
“It [the resourcing] isolated me to the point where my ability to stand as an independent was gone and it coincided with the fact I think Andy has got a great platform.
“Sam and I have been good friends for the best part of 15 years. He is a partner in a capital advisory business we have.”
Sill said he consulted Mitchell as a business partner before nominating for the board. Mitchell was comfortable it was Sill’s right to nominate but has remained independent of the process and had not endorsed Sill or any other candidate for the board or presidency.
Hawthorn has two coinciding elections. A choice between Gowers and Peter Nankivell for president and a separate board election where five candidates are standing for three available places.
Current board members Katie Hudson and Dr Anne-Marie Pellizzer are seeking re-election along with Maria Lui, Sill and former deputy premier James Merlino, who is part of the Hawks for Change group with Gowers.
Gowers said he had also endorsed Sill for one of the places on the board.
“I’m very grateful to have Ed Sill’s support for my presidency bid. Ed’s significant business acumen along with his experience running the Box Hill Hawks as president, contributing to the development of talent for the Hawthorn Football Club, has him well positioned to positively contribute to the board if elected,” Gowers said.
“We need to have strong ties to Box Hill and Ed as a board member will ensure that is the case. His concerns around governance and membership engagement mirror mine and so just like James Merlino, Ed has my support and will be a huge asset to the board.”
Gowers in a fan rally on Sunday criticised outgoing president Jeff Kennett for leaving the club with a $25 million funding black hole for the Dingley development because of his alienating social media tweets about the state government.
