Peter Gordon - New President?

[LostDoggy]

Interested in people's thoughts on Peter.

Heard Terry Wallace call him challenging and tough to work with and clearly preferred Smorgo who was more hands off. If Terry doesn't like him that may be in his favour?

Got the impression that Fantasia and Garlick will be kept on their toes.

[bornadog]

Love Peter, saved the club, loved his work outside the club, I just wonder whether a fresh new president would have been better.

[1eyedog]

I think he's been away from the club long enough to be fresh and to have fresh, contemporary ideas.

Smart man and his passion cannot be questioned. A good, strong personality to have at the helm.

[jeemak]

Retrospective commentary is something Peter and our club is going to have to deal with until things heat up towards the start of the 2013 season, and most likely beyond.

I take with a grain of salt anything any person who dealt with Peter back in the early to mid 90's says, that goes for the AFL administrators, ex-coaches, ex-players, ex-fellow board members, ex-members and so fourth.

17 years is a long time in life, football, politics or whatever. We needed a change, and without any credible alternative successor putting their hand up, I'm happy for Peter to take it on.

[Eastdog]

I was born the year the Doggies were saved by Peter Gordon and his task force in 1989. David Smorgon did an outstanding in his time making us better financially compared to what we were when he took over from Gordon. After 17 years I too agree its time for change and I'm sure Peter with his experience having been there before will do a good job. How long do you guys think he'll be at the club for?

[LostDoggy]

Steve Jobs came back to Apple.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Steve Jobs came back to Apple.

Great post BAS

Peter has commented he was 32 at the time he took charge and has learnt a lot from life experience since. He'll be on a learning curve but Smorgo and Gordon are legends of the club.

To think Gordon could save the club at 32. I'm excited that fresh eyes will be cast over the operations of the club.

[Maddog37]

I liked what I read in the Hun today. He definetly sounds motivated and having past experience he will not be coming in with rose coloured glases.

I really commend Smorgo on recognising his time was up and moving earlier than was planned. A wonderful servant of the club.

[LostDoggy]

I think he's been away from the club long enough to be fresh and to have fresh, contemporary ideas.

Smart man and his passion cannot be questioned. A good, strong personality to have at the helm.

I'm with you 1ed, 16 years away is well and truly enough time to refresh and come up with new ideas. Reading the HUN this morning is encouraging. Sounds like the board were blown away by his plethora of ideas for new sponsorshoip and revenue streams. Also states that he will dip into his own pocket.

I'm excitied about Peter's appointment and think he will promote the club well and instill some much needed relevance back into the club.

[Bulldog4life]

I think it is great that we have Peter Gordon wanting to lead the Club again. He is an inspirational leader and mover & shaker. Can't wait to find out more of what he has got in store for our Club.

[DragzLS1]

Peter knows how to talk and is not affraid to, its what lawyers do best! Think it will be very positive for the club and am proud of both Smorgon and Peter for what they have done in teh past. I think the future looks bright :)

[Eastdog]

We are know longer the battlers of the competition anymore and we have moved on from all of that. There are plenty of challenges still ahead but I'm hopefully as I
mentioned before that this new leadership can get the right results.

[Cyberdoggie]

We are know longer the battlers of the competition anymore and we have moved on from all of that. There are plenty of challenges still ahead but I'm hopefully as I
mentioned before that this new leadership can get the right results.

* Lowest Victorian membership
* 10million dollars in debt
* Team finished second last of the Vic clubs this year
* Starting rebuilding phase of team
* club seems to be in disaster control to keep members after poor year on the field
* lack of sponsors,
* Bulldog hilton

I'd say we are still pretty much the battlers of the comp.

Sure we have improved a heck of a lot, and that is probably what you are referring to, but the opposition has improved even more, and they continue to.

The gap is widening.

I think Peter Gordon has got a huge task in front of him.

[bornadog]

* 10million dollars in debt

Last balance sheet showed $4 million.




The gap is widening.

I think Peter Gordon has got a huge task in front of him.

Agree

and yes he has a huge task

[LostDoggy]

Last balance sheet showed $4 million.



Agree

and yes he has a huge task
I thought $5 Million was the figure being thrown around when we contributed to the Bulldoze The Debt Scheme. We wiped $1 million from that with that scheme, so should only be $4million now ?
I have also seen the references in the current articles saying $10 million as well. Which is it ?

[bornadog]

I thought $5 Million was the figure being thrown around when we contributed to the Bulldoze The Debt Scheme. We wiped $1 million from that with that scheme, so should only be $4million now ?
I have also seen the references in the current articles saying $10 million as well. Which is it ?

Which articles

[LostDoggy]

I think you'll find the $10 mil probably takes into account "good debt". As far as lowest Vic membership goes, this changes every year. In years when we have been up and North and Dees have been down, our membership has been higher than their's.

[bornadog]

I think you'll find the $10 mil probably takes into account "good debt". As far as lowest Vic membership goes, this changes every year. In years when we have been up and North and Dees have been down, our membership has been higher than their's.

We need to get to 40,000 members at minimum. That is the big challenge for Gordon.

[LostDoggy]

Which articles
I can't recall, but maybe it was on one of the radio reports. Hopefully it was inaccurate reporting which would not surprise. I'am real concerned about our Membership dropping, hopefully a new President may help with some new found optimism.

[Eastdog]

We need to get to 40,000 members at minimum. That is the big challenge for Gordon.

That needs to be our aim for our membership target.

[azabob]

We need to get to 40,000 members at minimum. That is the big challenge for Gordon.

In all seriousness how many supporters do we have? (not including the 30 odd thousand members).

[bornadog]

In all seriousness how many supporters do we have? (not including the 30 odd thousand members).

I think we do have alot, but many reluctant or can't afford a membership, or wait till we become succesful then they committ.

[SonofScray]

I am really eager to see Peter back in charge. I bemoaned the way we rolled over, were too conservative and at rimes timid in recent years. Peter has a much more combative nature, which seems to have been tempered with time but remains a very strong and strategic facet of his leadership style. That is my initial assessment, I am hopeful this time next year we'll have very strategically picked a fight or two.

[GVGjr]

We need to get to 40,000 members at minimum. That is the big challenge for Gordon.


Agreed. With that level of membership a lot of other things fall into place.

[Sedat]

I am really eager to see Peter back in charge. I bemoaned the way we rolled over, were too conservative and at rimes timid in recent years. Peter has a much more combative nature, which seems to have been tempered with time but remains a very strong and strategic facet of his leadership style. That is my initial assessment, I am hopeful this time next year we'll have very strategically picked a fight or two.
This. We have lacked insipration and influence at the top level of our administration for the last couple of years - that's not to diminish the Smorgon legacy over the course of his 15-odd years in charge, as for the majority of this time has been wonderful and astute leader. But the time is absolutely right for a change at the top, with some fresh ideas and perspectives desperately needed at our club for the challenging 5-10 years ahead.

[F'scary]

We need to get to 40,000 members at minimum. That is the big challenge for Gordon.

Will Western Bulldogs lose the support of Prime Minister Gillard because Peter Gordon is the new President?

[azabob]

Will Western Bulldogs lose the support of Prime Minister Gillard because Peter Gordon is the new President?

Other than her high profile what "support" does she offer us?

[bornadog]

Other than her high profile what "support" does she offer us?

Publicity

[AndrewP6]

Will Western Bulldogs lose the support of Prime Minister Gillard because Peter Gordon is the new President?

I doubt it. Didn't she used to work with S&G?

[Twodogs]

I doubt it. Didn't she used to work with S&G?



Yup. And Peter Gordon showed her the door after she allegedly set a Union slush fund up for her then boyfriend without telling the firm about it.

[AndrewP6]

Yup. And Peter Gordon showed her the door after she allegedly set a Union slush fund up for her then boyfriend without telling the firm about it.

Oh. Didn't know that bit!

[Sedat]

Yup. And Peter Gordon showed her the door after she allegedly set a Union slush fund up for her then boyfriend without telling the firm about it.Sackable offence I would have thought.

[bornadog]

Yup. And Peter Gordon showed her the door after she allegedly set a Union slush fund up for her then boyfriend without telling the firm about it.


Sackable offence I would have thought.

There is more to it than that, but this is a footy forum so I won't be commenting any further. Needless to stay nothing illegal was done.

[Murphy'sLore]

Wasn't it Peter Gordon who turned her onto the Bulldogs in the first place?

[LostDoggy]

Wasn't it Peter Gordon who turned her onto the Bulldogs in the first place?

It was indeed!

[F'scary]

Wasn't it Peter Gordon who turned her onto the Bulldogs in the first place?

No, she latched onto the local football club as part of the cover story designed to smooth over the uncomfortable fact that she was parachuted into a safe seat that she had no connection with.

[The Coon Dog]

No, she latched onto the local football club as part of the cover story designed to smooth over the uncomfortable fact that she was parachuted into a safe seat that she had no connection with.

Nice try at rewriting history but it was infact Peter Gordon who got her onboard when she commenced at Slaters back in the day.

[hujsh]

No, she latched onto the local football club as part of the cover story designed to smooth over the uncomfortable fact that she was parachuted into a safe seat that she had no connection with.

Hard to tell if this is an ironic joke or a serious opinion.

[jeemak]

Hard to tell if this is an ironic joke or a serious opinion.

Refer to the awkward moments on Star Trek Next Gen towards the end of episodes where Data learns a lesson in humour and delightfully bamboozles everyone in the process.

[Raw Toast]

Yup. And Peter Gordon showed her the door after she allegedly set a Union slush fund up for her then boyfriend without telling the firm about it.

Surprisingly, a piece today by Mark Latham helps show why these allegations are likely baseless (http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4329728.html):

I welcome Gordon's enthusiasm and am very thankful for the huge investment of time and more that David Smorgon put into the club.

[Remi Moses]

No, she latched onto the local football club as part of the cover story designed to smooth over the uncomfortable fact that she was parachuted into a safe seat that she had no connection with.

Hmm, like a politician hasn't done that before.
The alternate is in fact Scary( how apt)

[ledge]

Hmm, like a politician hasn't done that before.
The alternate is in fact Scary( how apt)

Facts are she turns up at family days, goes to games and pushes the fact she supports them at every opportunity, she is a supporter how she came to be isn't important.

[ledge]

If Peter GOrdon can get the prime minister to do all that,
Hopefully he can get other business men to do the same thing.

[F'scary]

Nice try at rewriting history but it was infact Peter Gordon who got her onboard when she commenced at Slaters back in the day.

I am sorry, I did not realise that even if Gillard had been parachuted into another safe seat on the other side of town - somewhere near Moorabbin, for example - Gillard would still be supporting us.

[ledge]

I am sorry, I did not realise that even if Gillard had been parachuted into another safe seat on the other side of town - somewhere near Moorabbin, for example - Gillard would still be supporting us.

And if you were born in Asia the chances are you wouldn't even have heard of Aussie rules, what's your point? She ended up supporting us and is a very good one unlike some who bag the club, coach and admin but claim to be supporters.

[GVGjr]

Guys the thread is about Peter Gordon not on the merits of Julia Gilliard. Lets stay on track please.

[bornadog]

BUMP from 2013


We need to get to 40,000 members at minimum. That is the big challenge for Gordon.

Achieved, now for the next decade


Dogs president eyes decade of opportunity (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2016-08-31/dogs-president-eyes-decade-of-opportunity)


ON THE eve of the Western Bulldogs' second consecutive finals series under Luke Beveridge, club president Peter Gordon has described the next 10 years as a period of unprecedented opportunity for the club.


With 41,000 members, revenue on the up, average crowds above 30,000 for the first time since 2010, a women's team in the AFL's inaugural national women's league, an exciting young list, profits and a home game planned in Ballarat next season, Gordon is bullish.


The 58-year-old sees this as the chance for the club to push not only for a flag but to establish the sort of security it has craved for decades.


"We now look to a period of the next 10 years where, for the first time in 100 years, we can move and make a significant shift out of the bottom quartile size-wise," Gordon told AFL.com.au.


Gordon has had his knockers, questioning his involvement in the negotiations to land Tom Boyd, a decision that revived hope in the minds of many Bulldogs supporters during a tumultuous time.


The level of his involvement in the club has also been questioned and the departure of former chief executive David Stevenson a month ago raised eyebrows.


However, all the indicators point to a club on the rise with Marcus Bontempelli, Easton Wood, Mitch Wallis, Tom Liberatore, Jake Stringer, Luke Dahlhaus, Jack Macrae, Tom Boyd, Jason Johannisen, Lachie Hunter and Caleb Daniel the envy of supporters of many clubs.


Gordon said he's more than happy for the club to be judged on its achievements during his second stint as president and that claims he is too hands-on are an external perception rather than reality.


"We have got a range of people with different skills and none of them are shrinking violets. The position we (the board) have taken on key issues, including David Stevenson [leaving] have been unanimous positions," Gordon said.


"If there was significant unrest in the management or the governance of the Bulldogs about any particular individual and excessive influence, you would see the result of that in all sorts of ways including unrest in the football department, unrest on the board, factionalism in the board and diminution in results."


Gordon confronts such questions, which arose about a month ago before going quiet, head-on, and he doesn't accept that criticism is valid.


After relinquishing the acting chief executive role he held last year, he said he now spends one and a half days a week on football matters but he makes no apology for getting involved when his skills can benefit the football club.


"I will make judgments on how hands on I need to be in any given situation based on what I think is in the best interests of the club. I will listen to my CEO and my board and my coach and my captain and people whose judgments I respect as to whether I am crossing the line," Gordon said.


He said it is a mistake to think the only robust discussions happening at the Bulldogs in 2016 were between the president and the former CEO.


"I have robust discussions with other board members and so did Dave. We are a robust organisation. We don't fear robust discussions with each other and challenging the norm. In fact a club that has perennially been in the bottom quartile needs to disrupt the status quo," Gordon said.


He said the club, which has not won a premiership since 1954 or played in a Grand Final since 1961, has a mindset that gives it a chance.


"We have been through decades and decades where decisions have been dictated by our lack of revenue, lack of capacity to pay, lack of capacity to compete and the concomitant lack of preparedness to make a risky decision because if it goes wrong the consequences might be catastrophic for the club," Gordon said.


"There was a certain reserve or fear as to how it will be perceived if we take that risk and it goes wrong. All of our decision making these days is with the single-minded view (of) how do we continuously improve in order to have that opportunity to win a second flag."


Gordon said he is now in a financial position to invest in opportunities but he has used that circumstance to also convince other wealthy Bulldogs members – who he does not name - to get behind the club.


He said that has engendered confidence throughout the Western Bulldogs.


And a hope that he can one day see his team in a Grand Final, with an outside possibility it may even happen this season, despite the continuous setbacks the club has faced with injury to key players.


So what is a pass mark for 2016?


"I am not a teacher. I don't believe in pass marks. What I can say is that I am immeasurably proud of Luke Beveridge and the players and everyone who has contributed to the on-field effort."

[ledge]

I like

[Remi Moses]

Peter Gordon got smashed for his so called interference in the Boyd deal , yet the Collingwood president can bang on about not paying anything if Cloke gets traded . Talked about a few other deals in which he clearly had a say in also .

[Eastdog]

Great article. Thanks BAD.

[Eastdog]

Peter Gordon got smashed for his so called interference in the Boyd deal , yet the Collingwood president can bang on about not paying anything if Cloke gets traded . Talked about a few other deals in which he clearly had a say in also .

Yes we hear from Peter quite a bit in the media but not as much as Eddie, Mick and Kevin.

[Axe Man]

Peter Gordon got smashed for his so called interference in the Boyd deal , yet the Collingwood president can bang on about not paying anything if Cloke gets traded . Talked about a few other deals in which he clearly had a say in also .

Apparently getting Gubby Allen back was a captains pick from Eddie and others in the club aren't happy about it. The Whitfield drug saga could see it blow up in his face.

[bulldogtragic]

Apparently getting Gubby Allen back was a captains pick from Eddie and others in the club aren't happy about it. The Whitfield drug saga could see it blow up in his face.

We can only hope.

[Twodogs]

Apparently getting Gubby Allen back was a captains pick from Eddie and others in the club aren't happy about it. The Whitfield drug saga could see it blow up in his face.

I heard somewhere else that it was Eddie who insisted on Gubby Allen too. Eddie's OK but he's been in the job a very long time.

[bornadog]

I heard somewhere else that it was Eddie who insisted on Gubby Allen too. Eddie's OK but he's been in the job a very long time.

Can we now call him Grubby Allen

[BulldogBelle]

Is this the same Graeme Gubby Allen who kicked the ball across the goalface in the dying seconds of a game against Collingwood only to have The Beaser mark it and goal and win the game?

[ledge]

Is this the same Graeme Gubby Allen who kicked the ball across the goalface in the dying seconds of a game against Collingwood only to have The Beaser mark it and goal and win the game?
Yes it is :-)

[Twodogs]

Is this the same Graeme Gubby Allen who kicked the ball across the goalface in the dying seconds of a game against Collingwood only to have The Beaser mark it and goal and win the game?


We should get Jimmy Edmond to run past pointing at his brain again.

[LostDoggy]

We should get Jimmy Edmond to run past pointing at his brain again.

While screaming at him what a dumb F#$%&ing idiot he is!!

[merantau]

I can't feel too harsh towards Gubby - he played for Sunshine so I think he's a Western suburbs boy. Plus his act of madness is etched indelibly on the minds of all those who witnessed it and, no matter how hard they try to erase it, Collingwood supporters will never be able to forget it. Sad that.

[Webby]

I can't feel too harsh towards Gubby - he played for Sunshine so I think he's a Western suburbs boy. Plus his act of madness is etched indelibly on the minds of all those who witnessed it and, no matter how hard they try to erase it, Collingwood supporters will never be able to forget it. Sad that.

Although he played in the VFA for Sunshine, he's actually from around Preston way.. It's okay to hate him!
However being that his clear indiscretion involves both the AFL's love child (GWS) and their biggest foe (Eddie and the Pies), you will see that nothing is done on it....

This despite the Essendon saga, as well as the fact that Manchester United player, Rio Ferdinand, famously received a nine month ban for the same offence as Whitfield around a decade or so back... There were no officials involved in that one, either..

[Twodogs]

That Ferdinand ban worked out nicely for Arsenal. He was done only a week or so after we transferred him. Man Us big recruit, the one who'd given them so much grief it was just easier to get him on to their side couldn't play.

[Webby]

That Ferdinand ban worked out nicely for Arsenal. He was done only a week or so after we transferred him. Man Us big recruit, the one who'd given them so much grief it was just easier to get him on to their side couldn't play.

Arsenal??

Ferdinand was a West Ham boy who transferred to Leeds and then onto United. He was there for several years prior to the missed drug test.

Anyway, point is, missing a drug test is no small deal. The consequences should be huge, yet the AFL seems strangely disinterested...