Crows CEO Steven Trigg today ends six months forced absence from the Club determined to repay the Board’s faith.
“I’m genuinely excited to be returning to work and I’m ready to get stuck in, there’s a lot on the Club’s agenda,” he told afc.com.au this morning.
Trigg, suspended by the AFL Commission late last year after an investigation into Adelaide’s 2009 contract with Kurt Tippett, returns to lead a new structure and team.
The March appointment of former Crows star Nigel Smart in a new role as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing commercial areas, was among a series of changes at management level dating back to late last season.
“There’s a lot of catching up to do, with the people involved at the Crows, our stakeholders and all the information regarding a range of ongoing matters,” Trigg said.
“I've been humbled by the generous support of so many people connected with our Club, and I sincerely thank Rob Chapman for filling the breach, and the Board, staff and playing side for their strong encouragement and backing, as well as the load they've had to carry.
“Not being involved in the day-to-day operations for so long allowed me to think clearly about where my focus needs to be to help guide the Club through some significant events, such as the move to Adelaide Oval, the AFL licences, a new constitution and a reserves team.
“But I’m also going to make it a priority to support our coaches and players. Football is our core business and we need to be successful on the field.”
Trigg said that although he understands his return to the Crows will reignite debate about the Tippett controversy, he will not discuss detail of the case.
“We put our case to the Commission but some of that information can’t be shared publicly for legal reasons,” he said.
“There was significant dispute between parties about what happened, and when. I believe we did outline our view of what happened, as much as we could. We got the process wrong with Kurt’s contract. The AFL has strict draft and salary cap rules for intentional and unintentional breaches.
“We thought we had it right, but we got it wrong.
“We made a mess of it and I’m determined to make good, to repay the faith and confidence of the Board. We have great people working here, a strong Board and a promising football team that is well coached.
“As for recruiting, we are backing David Noble, Hamish Ogilvie and their team to continue to introduce outstanding talent to our playing list. We also have a talented group of young players already with us and we need to continue to develop them. To push through this period we will need to be even smarter with everything we do.”
Trigg used some of his suspension to study best practice at other organisations.
He spent “significant” time with the All Blacks, worked through aspects of event management at the Honk Kong Sevens and examined World Cup stadia in South Africa.
“I strongly believe I will return a better CEO,” Trigg said. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Further coverage on afc.com.au today.
