Graham Wright - ex-General Manager of Football

[RudeBoy]

It was conveyed to me today, from a very reliable source, that Wright clashed with Kelly because Wright wanted Kelly to be totally removed from interfering in the football department. He also was expecting to be transitioned to CEO of our club in 3 yrs. The Board decided to back Kelly not Wright. I strongly fear they backed the wrong horse.

[SLORT]

^If half of that is true, and it does seem like there is bad blood, then good luck finding the next candidate. A CEO that doesn't stay on his side of the fence is the last thing a professional GM is going to want to have to deal with. Pity we couldn't bring Neil Balme out of retirement...at least Kelly would think twice before pushing him around.

[lazzadesilva]

Nah, Kelly only has to ensure a long supply of bread rolls and Balme would have agreed to anything

[Take_a_Screamer]

The Adelaide Crows are reportedly having a "red-hot crack" at attracting former Collingwood football general manager Graham Wright into a role in their football department.

https://www.zerohanger.com/interstate-c ... ed-155644/

[Mr Miyagi]

It was conveyed to me today, from a very reliable source, that Wright clashed with Kelly because Wright wanted Kelly to be totally removed from interfering in the football department. He also was expecting to be transitioned to CEO of our club in 3 yrs. The Board decided to back Kelly not Wright. I strongly fear they backed the wrong horse.

Gels with Kelly allegedly making a captains call to get Stringer after list management said no effing way. FFS. We do not want executives interfering in the footy department, full stop. It causes nothing but trouble and we’ve got a long history of it.

[think better]

Wright is being linked in Adelaide media with a role at the Crows - something like a Football Director

[SLORT]

Wright is being linked in Adelaide media with a role at the Crows - something like a Football Director

If he takes on this role rather than Tasmania then it'd indicate that he's not got a great relationship with Bennie. Surely he'd be the ideal football boss for the Devils.

[Philthypie]

It seems to me that Wright was the driver of 'all things good' since he came on board. He is obviously used to doing his job his way, and when 'others' started to stick there snouts in his trough, it was time to go. Is it too late for the Club to about face ( with Kelly out) and roll out the red carpet for him to assume control? That would be the ultimate outcome for all of us

[SLORT]

Is it too late for the Club to about face ( with Kelly out) and roll out the red carpet for him to assume control? That would be the ultimate outcome for all of us

Ned is Browne's man, Wrighty was Ed's, so I'd say it's doubtful, unless something major were to happen around the court case. Even then, I doubt Wright would return. He simply doesn't need us.

[Presti35]

So GW has been linked to Crows, Blues, and to Tassie when they come in. There was suggestions regarding his health, which seem to be untrue if he's looking at continuing at another club. It's rather unplesant how this has happened.

Having GW and Kelly, two premiership heroes from 1990, was great. But if they aren't getting along, then one had to go I guess? I am convinced that GW is very good at his job, but is very hard nosed and not sentimental in any way. Some people dont like that. One topic that comes to mind is keeping Sidey on for another year.

Kelly has been wrapped up in a minor racial scandal which seems to be a false accusation at the moment. But we know Ned can be a bit of a drongo at times. I hope we've made the right call.

[Big T]

Kelly is predictably turning out to be a disaster and clearly needs to pull his enormous head in and stay within his role and do that to the best of his ability. Massive ego.

[Presti35]

If GW went to Carlton, that'd be a kick in the guts.

[Philthypie]

Memo to the head honcho: It's not too late to Wright the ship, Geoff!

[Jezza]

If GW went to Carlton, that'd be a kick in the guts.

I'd be livid if that happens.

[LaurieHolden]

Saw that about Bartell. What position???

TBH Eddie's last great act as President of our club was the recruitment of Graham Wright. Say what you want but he is a good judge of people and is very well connected.

Let's not get carried away, during his watch, Eddie also put in Gary Pert. You don't have to do much digging regarding the legacy of Pert's Club management career that resulted in the Do Better Report' and the Melbourne fiasco, to then start to ask, why were there so many damning Corporate Governance oversights during his tenures?
I'd be concerned Bartel would be just another in a long line of key people put forward by puppeteer Eddie McGuire. It's an avoid for me.

And while on Wright, is it just me or has Wrights impact at Collingwood & Hawthorn been overstated, glossed over by the legacy of Premierships?
I'll be forever appreciative of is role post joining the Pies in January 2021, just months after our controversial 'fire sale' trade period. But there's a lot of similarities to Hawthorn and much of what resulted at Collinwood that was already happening, and in our case, I say that was largely due to Browne, Fly & Leppitsch.

Wright joined the Pies in January 2021. The core of Collingwood's Premiership list for 2013-2015 was already in place.
6 trades that shaped a Premiership list?
2022
Traded for #2023R3 (Collingwood) Billy Frampton Prem: 2023
Traded for #43 + #2023R2 (Collingwood) (with #40) Bobby Hill Norm Smith: 2023; Prem: 2023
Traded for #41 + #50 + Stephens Tom Mitchell Prem: 2023
Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Oleg Markov Prem: 2023
Arguably Daniel McStay would also have become a Premiership player.

Wright was appointed as recruiting and list manager at Hawthorn in June 2011. The core of Hawthorns Premiership list for 2013-2015 was already in place.

5 trades that shaped a Premiership list?
2011
Traded for #24 + #46 + #64 (with #53 + #71) Jack Gunston AA: 2018; B&F: 2020; AA40: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020; Prem: 2013, 2014, 2015
2012
National Draft pick 33 Brad Hill
Traded for #21 + #43 (with #27) Brian Lake Norm Smith: 2013; Prem: 2013, 2014, 2015
Traded for #64 (with #70) Matthew Spangher Prem: 2014
2013
Traded for #18 + #19 + Savage (with #24 + #59) Ben McEvoy Prem: 2014, 2015
2014
Restricted Free Agent James Frawley Prem: 2015

Since that period, only 3 traded selections under Wright have achieved AA selection.
National Draft pick 56 James Sicily AA: 2023; B&F: 2022; AA40: 2019, 2022, 2024
National Draft pick 67 Dylan Moore AA: 2024
While National Draft pick 45 James Worpel and National Draft pick 13 Will Day took out their B&F: 2019&2023.
Although Bobby ill did win a Normie.

In 8 years, their Club has since languished, playing in 2 lost finals, yet Wright is still regarded as some sort of omnipotent list Sage to football Club success.
The man who helped guide the Hawthorn team and was by Master coach Alastair Clarkson's side for years building towards this moment, Mark Evans, is now football operations boss at the AFL.

I wonder if Wright saw himself as one that should follow Evans footsteps and overplayed is hand as architect. Maybe Craig Kelly saw something and called him out on it.
Maybe Wright wanted to go harder, in order to secure draft picks to go together with the horse trading. It seems likely and saw no need to then tarnish his own legacy from what he saw coming if he wasn't allowed to sweep further changes through.
I can't wait for the tell-all book. Maybe we get BT back to pen a modern-day version of the Taylor diaries...