{"id":297684,"date":"2023-11-21T08:09:34","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T08:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/?p=297684"},"modified":"2023-11-21T08:09:34","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T08:09:34","slug":"kennett-takes-aim-at-gowers-as-hawks-life-membership-put-on-hold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellmysport.com\/rugby-league\/kennett-takes-aim-at-gowers-as-hawks-life-membership-put-on-hold\/","title":{"rendered":"Kennett takes aim at Gowers as Hawks life membership put on hold"},"content":{"rendered":"

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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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Unhappy: Former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett is disappointed his life membership has been put on hold, and that the club\u2019s AGM will be held at Waverley Park.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>The Age<\/cite><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand why he has done it \u2013 it\u2019s just silly. We are working for the one thing,\u201d Kennett said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand why he does it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in the constitution. They have awarded me life membership, that\u2019s constitutionally the way it goes. It\u2019s normally always awarded at the AGM but, for some reason … it\u2019s madness.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just silly. Unfortunately, it\u2019s very petty, it may even be vindictive… I won\u2019t lose any sleep over it, I can tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kennett said the conversation between the pair had been brief.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he rang me up and said: \u2018Congratulations, you have got it, but we are not going to give it to you\u2019. I said: \u2018How silly is that?\u2019\u201d Kennett said.<\/p>\n

Hawthorn and Gowers were contacted for a response to Kennett\u2019s comments. In an earlier statement distributed by the club, Gowers maintained the time was not right to award life membership.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn line with the club\u2019s 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,\u201d Gowers said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, given the club\u2019s legal matters, a decision was made to postpone presenting the life membership until those matters are concluded.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Kennett said this had also been a poor decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never worked for recognition. I am more upset they have downsized the availability of members to go to the AGM, to be quite honest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat to me is totally unacceptable. It\u2019s only because they don\u2019t want to be spooked by us [former board members] … It\u2019s self-protection, it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gowers said club members would now have a chance to tour the club\u2019s home base.<\/p>\n

\u201cBunjil 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. 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. 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