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Sydney Morning Herald
16 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Agitated presidents consider move to oust Goyder from AFL's top job
The key candidates to join the commission are Jeff Browne, Craig Drummond and David Koch. Browne (Collingwood) and Drummond (Geelong) are former club presidents who presided over premierships and Koch has overseen the resurrection of Port Adelaide since he took over with the strong support of the AFL in 2012. Browne, the former long-time AFL general counsel, brings strong media credentials at a time when that landscape looks unpredictable. Loading Although both Eddie McGuire and investment banker and former Australian Sports Commission chairman John Wylie have been floated as candidates, neither has been contacted by the AFL's global recruiters Spencer Stuart, and they are not expected to be interviewed. Neither, contrary to recent reports, is former Bulldogs chairman Peter Gordon in the running for a commission role. 'I've had a number of approaches from people about commission-related things in the past few months,' Gordon said. 'But I've had no official approach, have made no application and I'm not even aware there is a forthcoming commission vacancy. 'If they approached me, I'd consider it.' Former commissioner and ex-governor of Victoria Linda Dessau is also not expected to be a candidate in what is emerging as less a power struggle between the three candidates, but between the key club presidents and Goyder. Three commissioners, Goyder, leading businessman and company director Paul Bassat and retired army officer Simone Wilkie, are coming to the end of their terms. Only Bassat, a key Goyder supporter, looks certain not to seek another term. Wilkie's position remains unclear, but she appears to have support to stay on and continue her role as the commissioner in charge of the challenging AFLW competition. Both Goyder and Wilkie sit on the nominations committee alongside a third commissioner, Andrew Ireland. The club representatives are Andrew Bassat (Paul's brother, St Kilda), Hood (North), former South Australian premier John Olsen (Adelaide), Andrew Pridham (Sydney) and Andrew Wellington (Brisbane Lions). Pridham was seen as a commission chairman candidate and had some support among the clubs but chose not to nominate and has reaffirmed his commitment to the Swans following the appointment of his CEO Tom Harley to the role of Andrew Dillon's deputy at the AFL. Attempts by some in AFL circles to frame Browne as a stalking horse for Pridham, due to their friendship and strong business connections, have been firmly shut down by Browne's supporters. Not only have the clubs been frustrated by the lack of clarity and the slow-moving process, but primarily at Goyder's failure to put in place a commission succession plan during his almost decade-long reign as chairman. Not one of his eight fellow commissioners have shown any keen interest or been strongly encouraged to consider replacing Goyder. This has never occurred before in the history of the commission. Loading Of the key candidates, all have support in certain club and commission circles, but Browne appears to be the leading contender. Whether he would be prepared to serve on the commission for two to three years before becoming chairman is unclear. Goyder supporters insist that he is unlikely to serve the full three years of his next term as chairman, which would extend his time at the helm of the game until the start of 2029. While the clubs' mutinous angst against the AFL has been alleviated following the recent popular appointments of Harley and Greg Swann, who took over as football boss this week, the presidents remain determined to have a bigger say in the selection of the game's governors. While they remain divided on equalisation measures and key issues, notably including the northern academies and the father-son rule, they are united in pushing for better governance at commission level including a more professional process for selecting those governors.
The Age
16 hours ago
- The Age
Agitated presidents consider move to oust Goyder from AFL's top job
The key candidates to join the commission are Jeff Browne, Craig Drummond and David Koch. Browne (Collingwood) and Drummond (Geelong) are former club presidents who presided over premierships and Koch has overseen the resurrection of Port Adelaide since he took over with the strong support of the AFL in 2012. Browne, the former long-time AFL general counsel, brings strong media credentials at a time when that landscape looks unpredictable. Loading Although both Eddie McGuire and investment banker and former Australian Sports Commission chairman John Wylie have been floated as candidates, neither has been contacted by the AFL's global recruiters Spencer Stuart, and they are not expected to be interviewed. Neither, contrary to recent reports, is former Bulldogs chairman Peter Gordon in the running for a commission role. 'I've had a number of approaches from people about commission-related things in the past few months,' Gordon said. 'But I've had no official approach, have made no application and I'm not even aware there is a forthcoming commission vacancy. 'If they approached me, I'd consider it.' Former commissioner and ex-governor of Victoria Linda Dessau is also not expected to be a candidate in what is emerging as less a power struggle between the three candidates, but between the key club presidents and Goyder. Three commissioners, Goyder, leading businessman and company director Paul Bassat and retired army officer Simone Wilkie, are coming to the end of their terms. Only Bassat, a key Goyder supporter, looks certain not to seek another term. Wilkie's position remains unclear, but she appears to have support to stay on and continue her role as the commissioner in charge of the challenging AFLW competition. Both Goyder and Wilkie sit on the nominations committee alongside a third commissioner, Andrew Ireland. The club representatives are Andrew Bassat (Paul's brother, St Kilda), Hood (North), former South Australian premier John Olsen (Adelaide), Andrew Pridham (Sydney) and Andrew Wellington (Brisbane Lions). Pridham was seen as a commission chairman candidate and had some support among the clubs but chose not to nominate and has reaffirmed his commitment to the Swans following the appointment of his CEO Tom Harley to the role of Andrew Dillon's deputy at the AFL. Attempts by some in AFL circles to frame Browne as a stalking horse for Pridham, due to their friendship and strong business connections, have been firmly shut down by Browne's supporters. Not only have the clubs been frustrated by the lack of clarity and the slow-moving process, but primarily at Goyder's failure to put in place a commission succession plan during his almost decade-long reign as chairman. Not one of his eight fellow commissioners have shown any keen interest or been strongly encouraged to consider replacing Goyder. This has never occurred before in the history of the commission. Loading Of the key candidates, all have support in certain club and commission circles, but Browne appears to be the leading contender. Whether he would be prepared to serve on the commission for two to three years before becoming chairman is unclear. Goyder supporters insist that he is unlikely to serve the full three years of his next term as chairman, which would extend his time at the helm of the game until the start of 2029. While the clubs' mutinous angst against the AFL has been alleviated following the recent popular appointments of Harley and Greg Swann, who took over as football boss this week, the presidents remain determined to have a bigger say in the selection of the game's governors. While they remain divided on equalisation measures and key issues, notably including the northern academies and the father-son rule, they are united in pushing for better governance at commission level including a more professional process for selecting those governors.
New York Post
21 hours ago
- New York Post
Music teacher accused of giving lap dance, kissing teen girl takes the stand as twisted emails are revealed
A music teacher who was photographed kissing an underage teen girl in a cinema photo booth has taken the stand to defend herself at trial, claiming it was a 'pretend kiss' that she did not want or expect. Janelle Colville Fletcher, 40, is contesting the allegations that she groomed and sexually abused a teen girl some years ago and testified this week at the South Australian District Court before Judge Joanne Fuller. Advertisement The prosecution, led by Chris Allen, allege Fletcher abused the girl in various locations and also that she communicated with her and another teenage girl to make them amenable to sexual activity. 6 Janelle Colville Fletcher is contesting the allegations that she groomed and sexually abused a teen girl some years ago. 7News Some of the alleged offending happened when the two girls and Fletcher were alone together in a room, the prosecution said, with the teacher allegedly performing a lap dance on a chair. She then allegedly 'dared' the two girls to kiss each other and asked if they would 'date' each other. Advertisement That same night, Allen said, Fletcher then spent time alone with one of the girls and touched her genital area. The alleged grooming and abuse of the girl then went on for months at various locations, the prosecution said, including the home of Fletcher and in Fletcher's car. This week, the prosecution presented emails and messages between the girl and Fletcher and also various photographs that they allege demonstrate Fletcher was in a sexual relationship with the child. 6 The prosecution allege Fletcher abused the girl in various locations. YouTube/ So Flutatious Advertisement A photo taken from a photo booth at a cinema shows the pair kissing, but Fletcher, under questioning from defense lawyer Andrew Culshaw, said she was 'pulled in and the photo went off'. 'In the second photo from the bottom … we can see you and (the girl) appear to be kissing … can you explain to Her Honour what happened,' Culshaw asked. 'It was meant to be a pretend kiss like we had done previously where our lips don't actually touch, and in that particular photo we got close and she did sort of pull me in and the photo went off, yeah,' Fletcher said. 'When you say 'she pulled you in and the photo went off', what happened?' Culshaw pressed. Advertisement 'Just like around my neck sort of thing, just like, just so we would touch, yeah. 'Did you voluntarily engage in a kiss with her?' Culshaw pressed 'No, I did not,' Fletcher said. 6 The alleged grooming and abuse of the girl then went on for months at various locations, the prosecution said. 7News Other photos, exhibited in court, show the girl at Fletcher's house. 'You appear to be leaning against her (the girl),' Allen said. 'Yes,' Fletcher replied. 'Is that a selfie taken by you?' Allen asked. Advertisement 'It does appear that way, yes,' Fletcher said. 'Does it appear that it is taken in your house?' Allen continued. 'Yes,' Fletcher said. 6 This week, the prosecution presented emails and messages between the girl and Fletcher. YouTube/ So Flutatious Advertisement In a series of emails read out in court, Fletcher appears to express strong feelings for the girl. In one, Fletcher wrote: 'My feelings for you are not lust but love.' 'In your mind, what is the difference between the two?' Culshaw asked. 'Lust is like with you are attracted to someone. You have the hots for them, so I guess similar,' Fletcher replied. Advertisement 'Love is not necessarily sexual or romantic, it is love.' In other emails, Fletcher told the girl: 'I am being selfish wanting you to myself when I need to let you live your life with someone your own age', and also 'right now, we can't be open. Right now we will have to continue as we are in secret …' 6 In a series of emails read out in court, Fletcher appears to express strong feelings for the girl. 7News But Fletcher argued these messages were written to keep the girl happy and also to guide her away. Advertisement 'Really, all the emails, the intention behind it was to try and make (the girl) feel that she is not abandoned, she is loved, she is wanted and that in another time or place, maybe she could entertain that she could be with me, but my sole intent of all of these was to slowly get her to think it was her idea to not be with me but to be with … someone her own age and I wanted her to think it was her idea,' Fletcher said. She told the court the girl had expressed romantic feelings for her and that she was struggling with her sexual identity. Fletcher said the girl started exhibiting 'concerning behavior' and she sought to point her in the direction of a more age-appropriate relationship. In one email, she told the girl she was 'completely in love' with her, but she told the court that was a lie. 6 Fletcher argued these messages were written to keep the girl happy and also to guide her away. YouTube/ So Flutatious 'I did think she was a beautiful person,' Fletcher said. 'It wasn't true that I was in love with her.' 'Why did you write it there,' Culshaw asked. 'Because that's what I knew she wanted to hear,' Fletcher said. Allen, in his opening cross-examination of Fletcher, reiterated the prosecution's allegations of extended sexual abuse at various locations and Fletcher flatly denied each allegation. When Allen said Fletcher was grinding on a chair inside a room with the girl and another girl present, Fletcher appeared to giggle. 'Do you think that's funny?' Allen said. 'Sorry, I don't mean to be rude. No, that's not,' Fletcher replied. Fletcher holds a PhD in music education. She told the court that she was heterosexual and believed in the Catholic faith. She was still legally married to a man, though the pair had separated, she told the court. Closing arguments in the judge-alone trial are expected on Monday.
