By Michael Gleeson
Ex-AFL commissioner and Hawthorn great Chris Langford has castigated his former club’s board and executive for its “bewildering” lack of leadership, the handling of its cultural safety review and failure of governance and process.
Langford, a four-time premiership player and club captain, and as a member of the club’s team of the century one of its most revered players, is the latest Hawthorn figure to speak up in the lead-up to the contentious board election next month. He said he was “gobsmacked at the failings of the current board executive and leadership”.
Chris Langford played over 300 games and won four AFL premierships with Hawthorn.Credit:Jack Atley
He criticised the club’s handling of the cultural safety review, authored by Phil Egan, that has since become an AFL investigation.
“Like everyone I was dismayed at the report into Indigenous players. I was dismayed to read it, I was dismayed by the leaking of it and by comments on it by everyone but the absolute silence on it by Hawthorn,” Langford said.
“They have handed it over to the AFL and said nothing and done nothing. The absence of leadership from anyone at the club – the board, the CEO and others – was bewildering.
“The fact people like Cyril Rioli said he didn’t want anything to with people at the club and then to have no acknowledgement of any of the issues. All their response was, was to ask what happened and not do anything, not change anything.
“Now there is an election and members receive all sorts of commentary from Jeff Kennett and the board. There’s no shortage of things to say now about how well the club has gone – where were they back then?”
Langford was highly critical of the incumbent board members using the club database to communicate with members for the election but denying that same opportunity to other candidates.
“These are the members, it is a members club, it’s their database. I am appalled,” he said.
“People are saying until there is change we don’t want anything to do with this club and the board is saying, ‘just elect us all again’. It’s incongruous. It’s rubbing people’s noses in the stupidity.
“I am calling out the failings of the current board, not just those up for re-election but those who led the club. There has been no proper governance or process.
“Every member of the board who has failed to be outspoken has been complicit. The big issues have not been talked about.
“They have failed to advise the public of what they intended to do [with the report by Egan into First Nations players’ experiences at the club], what the results were or how they think they have changed the club for the better. What has the club done to be proactive and improve and better itself?
“I take no pleasure in pointing out people’s shortcomings. Directors have been told by one individual how to behave and what things should be done. It’s one thing to have good leadership and another to have people silenced.”
Meanwhile, as the board election draws clear fault lines among Hawthorn people, presidential hopeful Andy Gowers has called for a peace summit after the election.
He said the “family club” needed to behave like a family and after an argument, settle differences and move on.
Andy Gowers says his first act as Hawthorn president, if elected, will be organising a peace summit.Credit:The Age
“When I decided to put up my hand to be president of our club, it was because I could see Hawthorn’s board and leadership were out of touch with members. I jotted down what I would change if elected and the first word was ‘unity’,” Gowers said in a statement released on Sunday.
“It’s clear to me that the club needs leadership if we are to come together and be united.
“That’s why, if elected president, my first priority will be to hold a summit of Hawthorn people; past players, club legends, coaches, coterie leaders, administrators, directors, and members – including interstate.
“It’s time to unify our club and heal the divisions that have emerged over the past five years.
“We are the family club at Hawthorn. Most families have arguments, and they work it out and move forward. That will be my first act, if elected president.”
The proposed summit was supported by Gwen Crimmins, the widow of premiership star Peter Crimmins, who has not endorsed either Gowers or Peter Nankivell for president but backed the summit to bring peace to the club.
“After discussions with Andy Gowers, if he is elected our next president, I absolutely welcome and support his plan to hold a member summit, so that Hawthorn members can come together and discuss the club they would be proud to be a member of,” Crimmins said.
The move comes after the club drew deeper into division on Saturday with Don Scott leading a group of former premiership players – Peter Hudson, Peter Knights, Jarryd Roughead, Jordan Lewis, Nathan Thompson, Joel Smith and Campbell Brown – in backing Nankivell as president.
Former president Ian Dicker, meanwhile, joined former premiership players Peter Schwab, Gary Ayres and Bruce Stevenson in backing Gowers.
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