Awkward scenes in Simon Goodwin's kitchen, and a power play in the boardroom
It has also raised questions about just how readily and wholeheartedly the Demons' directors are to embrace Steven Smith, the 200-gamer and former Melbourne Cricket Club president who was, in recent years, also sounded out for a position on the AFL Commission.
Melbourne actively pursued Smith after Kate Roffey's departure at the end of the 2024 season. He initially refused, having just retired and in the midst of planning a European sabbatical, but was ultimately convinced to step up, with interim president Green happy to remain in the role until the end of the 2025 season. Smith was elected to the board in December last year.
He returned home about a week and a half ago, just days after Green led a delegation to Simon Goodwin's house on the Monday night after Melbourne's 83-point victory over West Coast to tell him he had been sacked. The expectation was that Smith would take over as soon as the board could ratify the planned leadership handover.
But Green, in a move that has raised eyebrows among Smith's supporters and across the club, said he wanted to remain until December and apparently has the backing of his fellow directors to do so.
This means he wants to remain in charge until after a new coach has been appointed and also help oversee a full-scale review of the Demons' football operation. Despite rumours that have cast doubt over the scheduled presidential handover, Green has told directors he still intends to relinquish the presidency.
He declined to answer questions put to him by this masthead, or to publicly guarantee that he would step down as president. Although the expectation remains that he will do so, no one in a position of authority at Melbourne was prepared to publicly guarantee the handover this week. Smith, who was back at the footy last Sunday for the Demons' clash with the Western Bulldogs, did not return calls.
Green has bristled on several occasions during this season when he has been introduced or described as Melbourne's interim president, and certainly he has relished the leadership role, with the Melbourne board largely running the club all season in the absence of a permanent chief executive.
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9 News
34 minutes ago
- 9 News
Trump's 'abrupt' ceasefire deal reversal after Putin talks
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here In talks with European allies after Friday's summit in Alaska, Trump said Putin reiterated that he wants the key Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas. But Putin appeared open to the possibility of halting the stalemate in two other regions, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, with a freeze along the front lines. President Trump and Russian President Putin meet in Alaska. (Getty) That is according to European officials familiar with the calls who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks at a US military base between the American and Russian presidents. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously rejected giving up the territory in the Donbas. The aftermath of the summit offered little clarity about the next steps, other than Trump's commitment for more meetings, including with Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday. It was unclear among those briefed on the exchanges whether Trump saw Putin's desire for the Donbas as acceptable, with Trump's blunt but elliptical way of speaking only adding to a sense of confusion. The White House had yet to provide a public summary of the calls as Trump played golfed Saturday at his Virginia club. The most transparent takeaway was Trump's abrupt reversal on a ceasefire, raising questions of how peace talks can proceed if attacks continue. Trump's abandoning a ceasefire as a requirement for further negotiations aligns him with a position held by Putin. The Russian leader has long said Moscow is not interested in a temporary truce and is seeking a long-term settlement that takes the Kremlin's interests into account. Trump speaks during an event at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC. (Getty) After the calls with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump said Saturday on social media that 'it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told ZDF television that Trump said 'Russia seems to be prepared to conduct the negotiations based on the so-called line of contact and not the administrative boundaries.' It was unclear from the comments how issues pertaining to the Donbas had been resolved. Zelenskyy has previously refused to withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of the Donetsk region that Ukraine controls. He says that would be unconstitutional and the territory could be used as a staging ground for later Russian attacks. In a statement after the Trump call, major European leaders did not address whether a peace deal was preferable to a ceasefire, saying they 'welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia's war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.' Putin described his talks with Trump as 'very frank.' 'We, of course, respect the position of the American administration, which sees the need for a speedy end to military actions,' he said at the follow-up meeting at the Kremlin, a clip of which was posted to the Kremlin's Telegram channel. 'We would like to move to resolving all issues by peaceful means.' Trump's suggestion that a peace agreement should be reached before a ceasefire appears to indicate his thinking is 'shifting towards Putin,' an approach that would allow Moscow to keep fighting while negotiating, said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. Putin has 'broken out of international isolation' and 'wasn't in the least challenged' by Trump, who also ignored an arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court, said Laurie Bristow, who was British ambassador to Russia from 2016 to 2020. But the US isn't a member of the court and thus doesn't have an obligation to arrest him. 'Unless Mr. Putin is absolutely convinced that he cannot win militarily, the fighting is not going to stop,' Bristow said. 'That's the big takeaway from the Anchorage summit.' Zelenskyy has previously refused to withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of the Donetsk region that Ukraine controls. (Getty) Zelenskyy, who was not invited to Alaska for the summit, said he had a 'long and substantive' conversation with Trump early Saturday and that they would 'discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war' on Monday. It will be Zelenskyy's first visit to the United States since Trump berated him publicly for being 'disrespectful' during an extraordinary Oval Office meeting in February. Trump confirmed the White House meeting and said that 'if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.' Zelenskyy reiterated the importance of involving European leaders, who also were not at the summit, 'to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America.' 'We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine's security,' he said. The Ukrainian leader did not elaborate, but he has previously said European partners put on hold a proposal to establish a foreign troop presence in Ukraine to deter Russian aggression because it lacked an American backstop. In apparent effort to bolster Zelenskyy's hand before the White House meeting, France, the United Kingdom and Germany will co-host a video call today of 'coalition of the willing' nations that could help monitor and uphold any deal to end fighting, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said. Trump greets Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky as he arrives at the White House on February 28, 2025. (China News Service via Getty Ima) The French, German, Italian, British, Finnish, Polish and European Union leaders said 'Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees' and they welcomed US readiness to provide them. 'It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory,' their statement said. 'International borders must not be changed by force.' During an interview with Fox News Channel before returning to Washington, Trump insisted the onus might be on Zelenskyy 'to get it done,' but that there also would be some involvement from European nations. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said 'the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon,' noting that Moscow launched new attacks on Ukraine even as the delegations met. 'Putin continues to drag out negotiations and hopes he gets away with it. He left Anchorage without making any commitments to end the killing,' she said. Ukrainian and Russian forces are fighting along a 1000km front line. Since spring, Russian troops have accelerated their gains, capturing the most territory since the opening stages of the war. Zelenskyy voiced support for Trump's proposal for a meeting with the US and Russia. He said that 'key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.' But Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian state television Saturday that a possible three-way meeting 'has not been touched upon yet' in US-Russia discussions. Zelenskyy wrote on X that he told Trump "sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war.' CONTACT US
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Europe on edge as Trump risks his biggest TACO moment
There is no public shift in the core demands from Putin. First, Ukraine must withdraw from the eastern regions now under Russian control. Second, it must accept strict limits on the size and power of its military. Third, it must give up its dream of joining the NATO defence pact with the United States and much of Europe. There may, of course, be a signal from Putin in private that he may be willing to be flexible on some of these demands, and this might in theory allow Zelensky some scope to make concessions. There is no sign of this, at least so far. The emptiness in Anchorage was apparent in what was not said at the end. Trump did not mention 'severe consequences' for Russia, something he threatened just before the summit. Trump did not mention secondary tariffs on China, either. This move would place pressure on Russia and its key economic partner. Only later, when asked on Fox News, did Trump acknowledge the China question. And then he suggested this was a matter for a later date. Putin, in other words, gained more time. At no cost. He played the White House team and made them look like amateurs. Trump will be judged by his actions, not his words. He has reduced American support for Ukraine. US military supplies have slowed and US aid funding has also been scaled back. The claims about putting pressure on Russia are all in the headlines, not in the hard power on the ground. Europe was cut out of this negotiation. Leaders such as Sir Keir Starmer of Britain, Emmanuel Macron of France and Friedrich Merz of Germany tried to back Zelensky but were left watching from a distance as an American and a Russian held a summit to decide the biggest war in Europe in eight decades. This is humbling for European leaders and reminds them that they cannot rely on America – or, at least, America under Trump – to enforce any peace agreement with Putin. They will have to do that themselves. Western Europe is scrambling to rearm so it can face Putin in a world without American safeguards. It is late, of course. Starmer and Macron will hold a meeting on Sunday, their time, to discuss their willingness to enforce a peace deal in Ukraine. While Starmer is willing to put 'boots on the ground' to do this, few others send this message. The benign view of Anchorage is that Trump was 'feeling out' his Russian counterpart before getting a peace deal, and that he will hear from Zelensky on Monday before deciding the next steps. Nobody can be sure about the full story of the Anchorage summit until this happens. Loading Even so, there are good grounds to think that Trump's decision to shift focus from a ceasefire to a long-term peace agreement means he is open to Putin's demands. After all, the dynamic was clear in Trump's attempt to humiliate Zelensky in the White House in February, and then in his generous treatment of Putin in August. The US president would prefer Ukraine to give ground, not Russia. And he seems intent on pursuing this approach in his quest to secure the Nobel Peace Prize. Loading Trump hates the four-letter barb that is often used to mock his tough talk: TACO, for Trump Always Chickens Out. He countered the critics by bombing Iran in June, but there is no sign he wants to take genuinely firm measures with Russia. Trump said he could end the war. Now he discovers it is harder than he thought, and he tries to put the onus on others to make it easier for him. 'Now, it's really up to President Zelensky to get it done,' Trump told Fox News. 'And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit.' The easy option for Trump is for Zelensky and the European leaders to nod in support as he trades away large parts of southern and eastern Ukraine. All the risks are on them if this simply emboldens Putin to start another war in a year or two. The Alaska summit may be remembered as Trump's biggest TACO moment. And he will not win the Nobel for that. Everything depends on whether he has the stomach to stand up to Putin and force a lasting peace in Europe.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We will lose this part of the game': Why Roosters coach fears for future of the kick-off
Rabbit invasion angers rivals The Roosters and Storm are the fiercest of rivals, but they have a common enemy in the area of player development – South Sydney. The Storm are fuming that the Rabbitohs have tried to pick the eyes out of their slim but growing junior playing ranks. The Storm have been working overtime to kick-start their pathways programs, and they are making progress. They have been stunned to watch the Rabbitohs complain that the Roosters have invaded their space by using Matraville Sports High School as a base for their rising stars. The Storm feel the Rabbitohs are being hypocritical. Souths are making a major incursion into Melbourne, and have not tried to hide it. On their website, they boast: 'The South Sydney Rabbitohs have kicked off their partnership with the Victorian-based Iron Armour Academy for season 2025, with players, coaches and staff visiting both organisations in the early weeks of the year.' Rabbitohs head of pathways David Furner visited the Iron Armour Academy in Melbourne in January, taking players, coaches and staff through a training session and a presentation about what it takes to make it to the highest levels of the game. Iron Armour Academy is a not-for-profit organisation focused on sporting development through high-performance training, mentoring and scholarship programs. 'The ground-breaking partnership between the oldest club in rugby league in Australia and the long-established Melbourne-based academy is unique, with players, coaches and staff from Iron Armour coming to Maroubra to check out the USANA Rabbitohs Centre [of excellence] in February.' There are photos on the Rabbitohs website of Melbourne youngsters dressed in South Sydney gear at the Rabbitohs' Maroubra facility. It is a clear effort to tap into a new area of junior development. South Sydney's expansion into other areas is smart, but expressing anger at rival teams for doing something similar leaves them open to criticism. The Gold Coast Titans are also unhappy about Souths making inroads into their heartland. Again, it's a smart move, but it makes their criticism of the Roosters harder to digest. The Rabbitohs announced their move this way: 'The South Sydney Rabbitohs are delighted to announce the commencement of a three-year exclusive affiliation agreement with renowned rugby league school Keebra Park State High School [on the Gold Coast], which will see the expansion of the Rabbitohs' elite male and female pathways into south-east Queensland. 'Keebra Park State High School is regarded as one of the premier sporting schools in Queensland, with a particular focus on rugby league through the school's male and female academies. This partnership will enable the Rabbitohs to expand its reach into Queensland for elite young players and coaches to add to the talent from the South Sydney district and other recruited players from New South Wales and beyond.' 'I had a good meeting with [Storm CEO] Justin Rodski on Thursday and explained our position,' South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly said. 'There is one major and fundamental difference here: we are not training our Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg teams in Melbourne – the Roosters are training all their girls and boys representative pathways teams in our district.' Roosters making space for DCE Those doubting whether the Roosters would fulfil any obligation they may have to Daly Cherry-Evans don't understand the character of chairman Nick Politis. If Politis has done a deal to bring DCE to Bondi, there is no way out for the Roosters. He would not dud Daly. If Cherry-Evans plays on next year, it will be with the Roosters. The season was only three rounds old when Cherry-Evans dropped the biggest bombshell of the year, announcing he would be leaving Manly at the end of their current campaign. He also hinted he may play on in the NRL. Moves are already being made to accommodate DCE's potential arrival at Bondi Junction. Rising star Hugo Savala is being told to ignore offers from elsewhere, on the promise that he will learn from DCE. Sandon Smith has been told he can go to another club. Also, the Roosters are set to part ways with the man who helped deliver them the 2018 and 2019 titles, Cooper Cronk. Cherry-Evans will be positioned as a coach down the track. Roosters have last laugh Brandon Smith has been in the headlines recently, and behind the scenes, the Roosters are breathing a sigh of relief. They are also having a bit of a chuckle at their arch-rivals South Sydney, who took Smith off their hands. The Rabbitohs have had to deal with questions about why Smith was spoken to by police last Sunday. No charges have been laid. The Roosters now concede they made a significant error in signing Smith, who is being warmly received by the South Sydney playing group. The Roosters did not do their due diligence into his character away from football before signing him to a very rich deal. Smith has had a number of off-field issues during his career. Melbourne were also happy to see the back of Smith, not because of his football ability, but because he was not seen as someone who passed the Storm's character test. At the time, this column was heavily criticised for suggesting that. Unfortunately, the Storm's judgment was better than the Roosters'. To the credit of the Bondi-based club, they went to great lengths to try to get the best out of Smith as a player and a person, including appointing a mentor to help him through some off-field issues. It is unclear whether all of that work benefited Smith. Now Wayne Bennett has the challenge of dealing with this latest matter and getting the best football out of him, because there is no doubt he is a talent. Smith needs to keep his nose clean for the remainder of his career so that he can take advantage of his obvious media talent. He could make a significant living as a television identity if he can finish his career off well. Brook-fail: Sea Eagles growing restless The talk of dissatisfaction with the coaching style of Anthony Seibold is coming from the Manly playing group. It is not made up, nor is it a criticism of him as a person. While there are some on the fringes of the club with personal gripes or agendas, it is not those views that are the biggest issue for the club – it is the opinion of the players that is of concern. The Sea Eagles were tipped as potential premiership threats at the start of the season, but have slumped to 10th heading into Sunday's clash with Wests Tigers and are in real danger of missing the finals altogether. The situation has not been helped by Manly's admission that there is a succession plan in place for Seibold. Nor does it help that there is dissatisfaction in some quarters with chief executive Tony Mestrov, and even chairman Scott Penn. One thing that is certain is that respected player agent George Mimis is not sitting in the background trying to have clients Michael Ennis and Matt Ballin take over from Seibold. Mestrov has already admitted Ennis is being looked at as part of a succession plan. Ballin has strong support from past players, but he needs to work out if his future is going to progress while he is an assistant at Brisbane. Silva mettle Tallyn Da Silva and Mitch Moses came together at full-time after the Eels halfback gave his hooker one of the all-time on-field sprays last Sunday in their win over the Cowboys. They had a quiet word and there was no conflict between them after that. Da Silva might look like a flashy player who is not from the school of hard knocks, but he can absorb what Moses dished out, and plenty more. There is a tough side to a player with all the tricks. When the players came together again during the week at training, Da Silva picked Moses in his walk touch team to show there is no ill feeling between the pair. Sharpe operator The appointment of Mal Meninga as head coach of the Perth Bears is considered the most significant acquisition for the new team – but they are close to securing a vital backroom signing, with Meninga pushing for David Sharpe to be general manager. Sharpe has worked for the Raiders, but was also the chief executive of Sports Integrity Australia. It was a huge job and a great stepping stone into a role where he has to help build a club from the ground up in a hurry. Especially in a market where clubs are trying to lock down their stars and sure up their juniors. Bailey mail under scrutiny Parramatta are privately mystified by the way Bailey Simonsson has reacted to being made to play his way back into the first grade team. They also want to know how news of his request for a release made its way onto NRL Tonight – a show that rarely breaks news – on Fox Sports. It is worth noting that Simonsson's partner works for Fox. She is a reporter who is held in high regard by her colleagues. Simonsson was re-signed by Eels coach Jason Ryles, but insiders say he has behaved his way out of the club. London calling for Kev's Kangaroos It is clear that the Kevin Walters Kangaroos coaching era will involve a heavy input from his players. Walters has already consulted leading players in the game, predominantly from the Panthers and Storm, about the Kangaroo tour in October and November. Walters consulted the players before deciding where they will be staying. The players want to largely base themselves in London, rather than in the north of England. Walters has also been speaking to players who are undecided about their availability, and he has started assembling his team. He has considered Australians coaching in England to be part of his staff. Names that have been mentioned include Willie Peters (Hull KR) and Adrian Lam (Wigan). Walters is believed to be moving away from that idea, however, preferring coaches who can help get his team ready without focusing too heavily on the English side. Staff from the Mal Meninga regime have been waiting anxiously to find out if they have a role under Walters. Zac race: Kelly successor locked in The departure of Roz Kelly from the Channel Nine newsroom left a gap in the sports department, and Kelly's role as back-up sports reader has just been filled by one of the best and most respected journalists in the NRL media, Zac Bailey. He will now be the understudy to the smoothest host in sport, James Bracey. Loading Bailey's rise to the Friday and Saturday night role is a deserved one. 'I grew up watching and admiring the great Ken Sutcliffe and to be doing the role that I've been given behind someone as accomplished and respected as James Bracey is a pinch-myself moment,' Bailey said. 'As someone who watched Nine news with my family all my life, I can't explain what this opportunity means to me.'
