AFL Media’s Damien Barrett expects Kevin Sheedy to be asked to resign from the board of the Essendon Football Club.
Following the appointment of Brad Scott as the next senior coach of the Bombers, Sheedy told the Herald Sun that was against the decision, being the only board member to disagree with decision.
Sheedy was outvoted 1-6 in determining the coach, instead voting for James Hird to be the club’s senior coach going forward.
Following the release of these comments, Barrett told AFL Trade Radio’s The Late Trade that his position on the board is in jeopardy.
“I would expect that at some stage today, and if not today within the next 24 hours, that he will be asked to resign from the board because you cannot tolerate this type of public utterances when you are trying to be a united football club,” he said.
“This is not the way boardrooms operate in any form of business, let alone football clubs.
“He’s gone public with his vote as a board member being for James Hird and not Brad Scott, for me it’s the kind of action that Brad Scott wanted to avoid in going to the Essendon Football Club.”
With Sheedy not being a member of the initial coaching selection committee, Barrett believes Sheedy’s preference was always for Hird regardless of other candidates.
“He wasn’t part of the subcommittee that went part of the whole process anyway so he clearly he predetermined James Hird, regardless of outcome of process, was going to be his choice,” he said.
“It was very political and pointed that he wasn’t (part of the coach selection committee) in my eyes… because of the allegiance he had and the preconceived notion that in his eyes it had to be James Hird.”
There's a difference between 'fully endorsed' and 'unanimous vote'.
— Callum Twomey (@CalTwomey) September 30, 2022
It is impossible to see how Kevin Sheedy remains a board member at Essendon.
Former Carlton list manager Stephen Silvagni believes these comments could not have come at a worse time.
“It’s not a great day for the Essendon Football Club when a director comes out and says that,” he said.
“It’s not ideal is it really, when you’ve just unveiled your new coach.
“Maybe (Sheedy) would have got a better understanding of why they went Brad Scott (if he was on the selection committee).
“It’s not ideal and it doesn’t sit well for that football club either, particularly for Brad who’s going in there, you’d want that fresh start, you don’t want factions and you want everyone on board.”