A potential board challenge may be in the works at Essendon with key Bombers figures keen on former club President Paul Little returning to the role according to AFL Media’s Damian Barrett.
The Bombers have been under constant duress since current President David Barham took over in mid-August, with a club-wide external review, failed pursuit of Alastair Clarkson, sacking of Ben Rutten and Andrew Thorburn fiasco keeping the club in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Barrett believes the controversial appointment and sacking of Andrew Thorburn as CEO may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back as key figures push for Little to take over.
“It (the Thorburn debacle) got people who are connected to that footy club active,” Barrett said on AFL Trade Radio.
“I can tell you that today there’s a lot of people at that footy club wanting Paul Little to return as President of the Bombers.
“I’ve spoken to Paul Little today about this, I kept having his name come to me, I put it to him, and the simple response was a very blunt one, ‘No comment’.
“You can read into that or you can read out of that, you can do whatever you want to that.
“But I did put it to him that he was considering an approach from people connected to the club, who want him to come back of a serious nature and come back on the board and bring his own team in.”
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While Little refused to comment on his next move, Barrett says key figures held genuine discussions with the former President across last weekend into Monday in hopes he engages in a takeover bid.
“He was just not engaging in any part of that conversation … it’s not to say it’s on or it’s not to say it’s off, it’s just to say that’s what I’m hearing,” Barrett said.
“I gave him an opportunity to say something about it and the response was, ‘No comment’, but I can tell you up until the weekend and inclusive of yesterday as well there were people speaking to Paul Little about this possibility.”
Given the seriousness of these talks, Barrett expects Little to make his position known publicly and expects a challenge to be made to Barham’s position even if the former President opts out.
“I expect something formal in terms of an official announcement around that or a withdrawal of possibilities from Paul Little at some stage soon.
“If it’s not him, there are enough people working behind the scenes keen to explore a formation of a new football club board given the events of the last eight weeks under the David Barham watch.”
The billionaire held the Essendon position from mid-2013 to the end of 2015.