By Adrian Proszenko
February 12, 2021 — 1.45pmWhen new Bulldogs chief executive Aaron Warbuton officially begins work in his second stint at Belmore, he will do so with the following philosophy in mind.
“When everyone works together at Canterbury, the club is firing,” Warbuton said. “Simple as that.”
For the first time in recent memory, there appears an opportunity for that to happen. The family club – long plagued by political bickering, threats of extraordinary general meetings and boardroom coups – has emerged with a new chair, a new coach and a new-look playing roster. Warbuton’s job is to bring them all together and ensure a frustrated fan base joins him for the journey after succeeding Andrew Hill.
“There’s politics in football, but when you have a clear vision and a team that can execute, you just keep marching forward,” Warburton told the Herald in his first interview.
“Everyone that is passionate about Canterbury wants to ensure the club is where it should be. The way I look at it is that people can go about showing their passion in a number of different ways. For me, it’s about harnessing that passion and delivering, so that I am accountable. I have been appointed for a reason and … my message to the board is that I can get in there and pull people with me. We can get to where we need to get to if we keep our blinkers on."
“One of my strengths is just getting in there and getting the job done. It’s a team effort, but it’s putting everything aside and working towards the ultimate goal.”
Warbuton’s appointment is a homecoming after previously serving as Canterbury’s head of commercial partnerships from 2010-17, luring brands such as KIA to Belmore. He worked closely alongside Todd Greenberg and Des Hasler during a successful period he believes can be reproduced if all stakeholders pull together in the right direction.
“When Canterbury is humming along, I know our competitors are watching over their shoulder,” he said.
“A strong Canterbury is a strong comp. You can sense the optimism. Even when opposing fans aren’t throwing mud, you can sense there’s something bubbling. With Canterbury and the team that’s coming together, everyone is excited. Canterbury is and needs to continue to be a destination club because everyone who is a Canterbury fan can sense a premiership isn’t too far away.”
The Bulldogs were in the headlines last year for all the wrong reasons. The club parted company with coach Dean Pay, they struggled to attract a major sponsor until Laundy Hotels filled the breach and they only narrowly avoided the wooden spoon. The setbacks were too much for a powerful bloc of members, who ultimately ousted chair Lynne Anderson and two fellow directors by threatening an extraordinary general meeting.
However, there is growing optimism among the faithful given the appointment of new coach Trent Barrett and a roster that includes the additions of Nick Cotric and Corey Allen, as well as 2022 arrivals Josh Addo-Carr and Matt Burton.
That’s why Warburton believes finishing in the top four every season is a realistic goal.
“If we aren’t striving for that and attaining it, we’re just not working hard enough,” he said.
“We can get there, there’s no doubt the team that we have can do it.”
Warbuton left the Bulldogs to start up his own sponsorship company and, with the backing of Qantas, also launched a fan engagement start-up. The former Eels executive only put those ventures on hold because he believes there is huge upside at Belmore.
“I don’t profess to know it all, I’m a people person who likes taking people with me,” he said. “It’s not an Aaron Warbuton thing where ‘I’m the new CEO, everyone get in line’. It’s almost the opposite. It’s about working [in unison].”
