Tigers blame leak on director
By Caroline Wilson
August 07 2003
Richmond president Clinton Casey has told his board that he believes last month's damaging communications memo was probably leaked by a director.
Casey and Tigers chief executive Ian Campbell believe they could be just days away from proving beyond doubt that a board member leaked the details of a club circular that embarrassed both the club and its coach, Danny Frawley.
The Tigers board met on Tuesday night and was updated on Campbell's search, which has already gone to considerable lengths to trace the source of the leaked memo. It is believed the president had even held faint hopes for a confession at the meeting. None was forthcoming.
Should one of the Tigers' nine-man board be named as the culprit, Casey will demand his resignation.
The memo was released to all nine Tiger directors and department heads by communications manager Paul Maley and leaked to 3AW's Sports Today program via email at 5.38pm on July 23.
The club has established the memo was not leaked by CEO Campbell, football operations chief Greg Miller or football manager Greg Hutchison, all of whom received a copy. All three senior administrators have had their computer and fax records checked.
All nine directors, including Casey, have submitted themselves to similar investigations in a determined search that has left an uneasy atmosphere around certain areas of the club. Campbell remains intent on identifying the source of the leak.
It is understood the key to discovering the source lies in a number at the top of a facsimile copy of the memo that has been traced to a company linked to one of the club's directors. Campbell, who was not available for comment last night, has requested more time to confirm his findings.
It has not yet been established whether the memo was leaked in a bid to embarrass any individual.
Two club directors have admitted to The Age that the suspicion upon one of them has left them with a "sick feeling".
Maley's memo detailed plans of how the club could win back the faith of its disgruntled supporters.
It demanded "no further reference to lack of loyalty, fickleness or bandwagon" - a direct reference to comments made during the season by the club's new football boss, Miller.
Maley wrote: "Make no mistake, our supporters are angry. In particular, their ire is being directed at Danny Frawley. The opinion of Danny is widespread and at an all-time low."
Maley added that comments regarding Frawley "must be a measured mixture of support without a perceived blind faith".
He said Frawley needed "to re-introduce some recognisable and palpable emotion/passion/appreciation for the RFC and its supporters".
Casey, Miller and Frawley all addressed the memo - its detail and its leaking - with Maley after the incident.
The coach is understood to have told the communications manager: "I'll be doing it my way."
Sports commentator for 3AW and Victorian cricket coach David Hookes was originally blamed, via his link with Punt Road's training facilities, for obtaining the memo.
It has also been suggested Maley's circular appeared on an unofficial Richmond website three hours before it went to 3AW.
By Caroline Wilson
August 07 2003
Richmond president Clinton Casey has told his board that he believes last month's damaging communications memo was probably leaked by a director.
Casey and Tigers chief executive Ian Campbell believe they could be just days away from proving beyond doubt that a board member leaked the details of a club circular that embarrassed both the club and its coach, Danny Frawley.
The Tigers board met on Tuesday night and was updated on Campbell's search, which has already gone to considerable lengths to trace the source of the leaked memo. It is believed the president had even held faint hopes for a confession at the meeting. None was forthcoming.
Should one of the Tigers' nine-man board be named as the culprit, Casey will demand his resignation.
The memo was released to all nine Tiger directors and department heads by communications manager Paul Maley and leaked to 3AW's Sports Today program via email at 5.38pm on July 23.
The club has established the memo was not leaked by CEO Campbell, football operations chief Greg Miller or football manager Greg Hutchison, all of whom received a copy. All three senior administrators have had their computer and fax records checked.
All nine directors, including Casey, have submitted themselves to similar investigations in a determined search that has left an uneasy atmosphere around certain areas of the club. Campbell remains intent on identifying the source of the leak.
It is understood the key to discovering the source lies in a number at the top of a facsimile copy of the memo that has been traced to a company linked to one of the club's directors. Campbell, who was not available for comment last night, has requested more time to confirm his findings.
It has not yet been established whether the memo was leaked in a bid to embarrass any individual.
Two club directors have admitted to The Age that the suspicion upon one of them has left them with a "sick feeling".
Maley's memo detailed plans of how the club could win back the faith of its disgruntled supporters.
It demanded "no further reference to lack of loyalty, fickleness or bandwagon" - a direct reference to comments made during the season by the club's new football boss, Miller.
Maley wrote: "Make no mistake, our supporters are angry. In particular, their ire is being directed at Danny Frawley. The opinion of Danny is widespread and at an all-time low."
Maley added that comments regarding Frawley "must be a measured mixture of support without a perceived blind faith".
He said Frawley needed "to re-introduce some recognisable and palpable emotion/passion/appreciation for the RFC and its supporters".
Casey, Miller and Frawley all addressed the memo - its detail and its leaking - with Maley after the incident.
The coach is understood to have told the communications manager: "I'll be doing it my way."
Sports commentator for 3AW and Victorian cricket coach David Hookes was originally blamed, via his link with Punt Road's training facilities, for obtaining the memo.
It has also been suggested Maley's circular appeared on an unofficial Richmond website three hours before it went to 3AW.
