The Grill: Essendon CEO Peter Jackson

Essendon boss Peter Jackson has been on the defensive ever since sacking Bomber legend Kevin Sheedy and taking over two months to appoint the inexperienced Matt Knights as new coach. The Serve asks the tough questions.

G�day Peter.

Hi, great to be here. Wonderful time for Essendon.

Yes, you�ve just signed a new coach�how do you feel.

I feel, really, um, what�s the word I�m looking for?

Excited?

No, that�s not it.

Happy?

Not a bad word, but no.

What then?

I think I�m, um, queasy. Yes, that�s it. Queasy. Had a chicken salad for lunch that might have been dodgy.

You finally have your man in Matt Knights, but why did it take so long to get this done?

Well, you have to understand, Dan, there�s a long process that has to be adhered to when removing a coach and putting in another.

Can you try and explain it?

Firstly, we had to look at the draw. See when we had a game about two thirds of the way through the season that we�d probably lose, giving the axing better PR.�Then we had to book the venue for the press conference for two days after that. I also had to pick my tie for the occasion. Do I go with power red or calm blue? Decisions that can�t be made haphazardly, you understand.

Then I had to write a speech, talking about Kevin�s legacy, blah blah,�while putting a knife in his back at the same time. You try doing that and coming up smelling roses. It�s not easy.

Then what happened?

We forgot about the getting a new coach part.

On the day Kevin was sacked, you said the next coach had to bring experience and come from a successful culture�

Yes I did.

So, how do explain the appointment of Knights?

I�m sorry, I don�t understand the question.

He played 279 games and never got close to a premiership.

Yes, but he�s from a successful club. The Tigers have won, what, ten premierships. I�m sure some of that would�ve have rubbed off on him. They would�ve had pictures on the walls and stuff.

And what about the experience part?

Well, he had a good stint at the Bendigo Bombers.

Bendigo finished eighth this year and were second last in 2006.

And that�s an ideal preparation for what he�s about to walk into, I would�ve thought.

Did you really say you felt this list was good enough to make the top eight?

Well, not quite. I said that list under a coach like Matty could win 11 or 12 games.

Do you seriously think they can?

11 or 12 games?

Yes.

I think so. After all, I�ve given Matty three years to do it. We should get up to 11 or 12 at the end of that, I�d say.

The timing of Kevin�s sacking coincided with Michael Voss seemingly coming onto the market. Did you think you�d get him?

We thought he was keen at first.

What happened?

He said he wanted to concentrate on his career at Channel Ten.

Did you try and talk him around?

Oh C�mon, Dan. Anyone who tries to say they�re trying to build a serious career at Channel Ten is obviously giving us the brush.

Okay, that was a dead end. So once that idea died off, how did you go about getting a coach?

Look, obviously we didn�t want to interview people who just wanted to raise their stocks at their own club or just wanted the publicity. We needed to know who was serious. So about three weeks ago, I rang all of the candidates one afternoon and told them to meet me at my place the next morning at 11 if they were fair dinkum.

That sounds a bit sudden.

Yes, it�s fun to run a football club. You should try if it you get the chance.

Well I�m sure there would have been a lot of contenders. Can I throw some names at you?

Sure.

Peter Sumich?

Was in Perth. Said he could get the first flight the next morning and be at my office by about 12:30 in the arvo.

So what happened?

I said thanks, but no thanks. Can�t let them run the joint, Dan.

John Longmire?

Busy.

Gary O�Donnell?

Aah, too closely aligned with Sheeds.

James Hird?

Sheeds� surrogate son! Please.

Guy McKenna?

Once had dinner with Sheeds. No good.

Neale Daniher?

You mean the same Neale Daniher that played in the Essendon sides of the 80s? Please.

Mark Harvey?

Next.

What about Dean Laidley? He has no real connection with Sheedy.

Said he was too busy to speak to me because he was preparing for a preliminary final. I knew right then and there he wasn�t what we were looking for.

Can I touch on Sheeds?

Sheeds? What? Here? (quickly turns to face door) Where?

No, no. He�s not here.

Of course he isn�t. I got his pass cancelled.

Why have you gone to such great lengths to remove his impact at the club?

Obviously when a coach has been at a club for 27 years, it�s going to leave an indelible mark on the place. So, for the sake of the new coach, we felt it was best to not have such a lingering shadow hanging over him. It would have been unfair. So we�ve tried to weed out the culture as quickly as we can, you know, for the future.

Removing the culture?

Uh huh.

The success, the premierships, the exposure�

Exactly. A fresh start. He was such an enormous figure at this club, but with all due respect to Sheeds, the balance was probably a bit askew.

So, you want to remove the notion of one man being bigger than the club?

Oh, I�m not against one man being bigger than the club.

Just not Kevin?

Just not Kevin.

Thanks Peter.

Have you got a Quik-eze?

Interview may not have actually happened

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