AS a young lad in the early 1950s Graeme McMahon used to sit in the peppercorn tree in the outer at Windy Hill and watch his beloved Bombers. He and a few mates would sneak through the turnstile to avoid paying, watch the game from the most comfortable branch they could find and then sprint onto the hallowed turf of Windy Hill for a kick of the footy after the game.
Fast forward to 2003 and much has changed. For one, McMahon says he would now need a ladder to get into that peppercorn tree. But he is also now chairman of the Essendon Football Club and the only peppercorns in sight are those on the steak served behind the glass in the Chairman’s function. It’s an enjoyable way to watch the footy.
But McMahon has never forgotten those humble beginnings and since taking over as Chairman of this club in 1997, the man in the outer has been as important to him as any corporate heavyweight. A strong and forthright leader, he has always gone into bat for this club and the supporters who have made it what it is today.
At December’s Annual General Meeting, McMahon will address the club’s members for the last time as their Chairman. It has been a prosperous seven years for this club both on and off the field under McMahon’s uncompromising leadership. He has ruffled some feathers in his time but he makes no apologies.
“You don’t make a lot of friends if you are running the a tight ship. It is an industry that has got a lot of emotion in it but as a professional organisation you have to make some tough calls from time to time,” McMahon said.
“Over time I have been accused of being a bully but I haven’t whacked anybody for 45 years,” he laughed. “I won’t shy away from the fact that when I form a view I will do whatever I have to do to get my view to prevail but I don’t set out to intimidate people.”
And McMahon wasn’t shy when it came to conveying his view of the world and that of the Essendon Football Club. He firmly believes the Chairman of an AFL club owes it to his members and supporters to be seen and heard on the issues that effect their club.
“In our case we have 33,000 members and another 800,000 who will say they support Essendon. They don’t want to read only about what they AFL and others have to say about their club – they want to hear from the club. They want the club’s view,” McMahon said.
“I haven’t set out to create headlines. But I do remember saying to Peter Jackson when I first came here that one thing we had to do we to be seen as a leading club and part of that is having an opinion on things and being prepared to state them. I have never shied away from saying what I think is right.”
It was in late 1996 when McMahon was first approached about becoming a board member at Essendon by then board member Don McKenzie. The approach was made at McMahon’s Point Lonsdale holiday house one Sunday afternoon.
“He (McKenzie) had come across on the ferry from Sorrento and dropped in at the fish and chip shop on the way – he had this bloody great parcel under one arm. We hadn’t seen each other for quite a while and we sat down and had a chat and he said he and others wanted me to come on the board,” McMahon recalled.
“I then met with David Shaw and after doing some due diligence, agreed to come on to the board. Within a couple of months of me agreeing it became clear that David Shaw was a candidate for the AFL Commission. I went to David and told him I was withdrawing as I had agreed to join on the basis that he was Chairman. I said I wasn’t prepared to stay on not knowing who the new Chairman would be.
“I was floored when he said some felt I should be the next Chairman. Initially I didn’t feel it was fair on those who had been around for a while but he said there were splits and conflicts among the board members at that time and that the only way to resolve it was to have someone from outside the club chair the board.”
And so began McMahon seven years as Chairman of the Essendon Football Club. There are many things that McMahon looks back on with pride as he prepares to step aside.
On Wednesday the Engine Room will bring you part 2 of ""Farewell to the Chairman.""
The EFC Year Book hit shelves in late November and is a must read for all Essendon supporters. The Year Book looks at the season that was, catches up with all the award winners from Crichton Medal night and also pays tribute to retiring premiership players Steve Alessio and Paul Barnard. The Year Book is chock-full of information about your favourite club and players. Click here to find out how to get the Year Book and three editions of the Bomber magazine delivered to your mailbox.
