The frustrations of voting members of the Football Federation Victoria are set to be alleviated today when the newest Board members are to be announced at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
In December last year, the FFV members coordinated a Special General Meeting at FFV Head Office to address concerns about the composition of the board. Specifically, the board at the time comprised 50% members who had not been elected in by the members. The FFV board openly resisted this meeting and engaged QC legal support to provide advice around if the members had the right to hold their meeting and potentially remove board members.
At the meeting of the members, there was unanimous support for numerous provisions that were tabled. Whilst these provisions have not been made public by the members or the FFV, TCF understands they called for the removal of certain FFV Board members.
The members of the FFV were therefore at a crossroads. They could formally table the outcome of the meeting with the FFV, and then have it rejected as the Board indicated it would be, thus forcing them into the courts to pursue their case. Alternatively, they could wait it out until the March 2016 AGM and table their motions at that forum, one which the board could not block.
Under the leadership of president Kimon Taliadoris, the board did offer an olive branch to the voting members as a means to avoiding a costly legal case. This comprised:
- Conduct an open and transparent process designed to support the Members’ consistent requests that all elected Board Directors positions are filled by Directors that have been elected by the Members;
- For this process to be completed prior to the 2015 AGM scheduled for 21 March 2016; and
- Not to appoint any other Directors into the Casual Vacancy Board positions in the interim.
Thus as the FFV AGM will be called to order later today, the olive branch has been taken and there will definitely be three new faces on the Board. These casual vacancies mean the new board members will serve for one year and then be eligible for re-election at the AGM in March 2017.
Just under three weeks ago, on Thursday 3rd March, the nominations for the new board positions closed. The three casual vacancies to be filled were to replace:
- Mr Sam Prenesti, who resigned on 5 October 2015;
- Mr Cam Cimino, who tabled his resignation in November 2015, to be effective at the AGM in March 2016; and
- Mr John Lewis, who tabled his resignation in February 2016, to be effective at the AGM in March 2016.
There are four nominees for the three casual vacancies. They are:
- Julie Ryan
- Sezar Jakupi
- Antonella Care
- Kenneth Walter John Steel
The background and portfolio experiences of these nominees can be found in their Candidate Statements published by the FFV here.
Voting closed last Wednesday 16th March and the ballots have remained under lock and key at FFV Head Office. The ballot papers will be opened and counted at the 1.00pm today. The ballot will be conducted via the optional preferential voting system.
The FFV Board will meet immediately prior to the AGM to consider the results of the election-like process and appoint successful candidates to the casual vacancies.