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Jeff Kennett has labelled successor Andy Gowers petty and potentially vindictive after the former Hawthorn president had his life membership of the club put on hold.
Gowers rang Kennett on Monday to confirm the former state premier would be awarded life membership, but it would not be granted at next month’s annual general meeting because of the ongoing legal issues the club is facing as a result of an internal cultural safety review conducted during Kennett’s tenure.
Unhappy: Former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett is disappointed his life membership has been put on hold, and that the club’s AGM will be held at Waverley Park.Credit: The Age
The review, also known as the Binmada report, was conducted to look into grievances from First Nations players and their families at the club between 2008 and 2016.
Indigenous former players and their families have taken their case to the Human Rights Commission, while the Hawks are facing a significant financial settlement with four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson. Clarkson and his former football boss Chris Fagan also want public apologies from the club over the impact of the cultural safety review on their professional and private lives. Clarkson, Fagan and former club welfare boss Jason Burt have always denied any wrongdoing.
Kennett, who had two separate terms as president at Hawthorn from 2005-11, and 2017-22, said on Tuesday Gowers had been petty in withholding the life membership.
“I don’t understand why he has done it – it’s just silly. We are working for the one thing,” Kennett said.
“I don’t understand why he does it.
“It’s in the constitution. They have awarded me life membership, that’s constitutionally the way it goes. It’s normally always awarded at the AGM but, for some reason … it’s madness.
“It’s just silly. Unfortunately, it’s very petty, it may even be vindictive… I won’t lose any sleep over it, I can tell you.”
Kennett said the conversation between the pair had been brief.
“When he rang me up and said: ‘Congratulations, you have got it, but we are not going to give it to you’. I said: ‘How silly is that?’” Kennett said.
Hawthorn and Gowers were contacted for a response to Kennett’s comments. In an earlier statement distributed by the club, Gowers maintained the time was not right to award life membership.
“In line with the club’s constitution, the board has formally endorsed former president Jeff Kennett being awarded life membership. His contribution to the club over a number of years is significant,” Gowers said.
“However, given the club’s legal matters, a decision was made to postpone presenting the life membership until those matters are concluded.”
The Hawks will hold their AGM at their administrative and playing base at Waverley Park, rather than at the Hawthorn Town Hall, where it typically is staged.
Kennett said this had also been a poor decision.
“I never worked for recognition. I am more upset they have downsized the availability of members to go to the AGM, to be quite honest,” he said.
“It’s just ridiculous, moving it from our heartland to a place where there is no public transport, and when you have got to register to get in. The whole point of Gowers standing for election was more transparency, more opportunities for members for better governance. He is closing the whole bloody club down.
“That to me is totally unacceptable. It’s only because they don’t want to be spooked by us [former board members] … It’s self-protection, it’s not openness. At a time when you come out of COVID, most organisations are opening up to members, and the Hawthorn Football Club are closing down. That upsets me more than anything else.”
Gowers said club members would now have a chance to tour the club’s home base.
“Bunjil Bagora [Waverley Park] is our current home. Given members are rarely given the opportunity to be inside the facility we wanted to have our AGM coincide with tours of the facility, open our museum and make it a more modern opportunity to engage our membership,” he said.
“We know our membership base spans a significant area. This is why the meeting will also be live-streamed so more members can attend as well.”
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