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News George Coorey ousted from Bulldogs Board.

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Two articles I'll post on this one as they focus on different sides of it (and are worth their own merits).


Long-time Bulldogs man George Coorey overthrown as chairman at Canterbury Leagues Club

Dean Ritchie, The Daily Telegraph
September 10, 2020 9:13am

In another night of boardroom brawling at Belmore, Canterbury Leagues director George Coorey has finally been overthrown as chairman.

The Bulldogs board called yet another meeting inside Canterbury Leagues Club on Wednesday night to remove Coorey for his chairman’s role.

After three-and-a half-hours of debate, it is understood Coorey was instructed to stand down as chairman. He refused to step aside when asked and may now seek legal advice. He has retained his place as a club director.

Coorey has been accused of inappropriate behaviour towards women earlier this year. The push to axe Coorey has been sustained.

A veteran Bulldogs director, Coorey was told at the meeting to step aside as chairman pending an independent investigation into the accusations.

Coorey spent time with his legal representatives before attending Wednesday night’s meeting. This was the fifth board meeting called over the past nine days to try and dislodge Coorey.

Each time when asked to step down, Coorey refused, vowing to fight for his position and the allegations. He is expected to commence legal action to clear his name.

A previous investigation commissioned by Canterbury football club found the claims to be unsubstantiated. The next investigation will be conducted by the Leagues Club. Should the new investigation also clear Coorey, he would then expect to be reinstated as Leagues Club chairman.

The interim chairman will either be directors Peter Callaghan or Paul Dunn, who was not answering his mobile phone on Wednesday night.

It is understood the new investigation would seek interviews from the women involved. Those making the allegations have, to date, been reluctant to lodge formal complaints for private reasons.

As revealed on Monday’s Daily Telegraph, Canterbury powerbroker Bill Diakos met Dunn, a Leagues Club director, and John Ballesty, another director, on Tuesday evening. It was at this meeting — inside Ballesty’s home — where a resolution was discussed with Coorey to step down as Leagues Club chairman but remain on the board pending a second investigation. After the meeting, Diakos met with Coorey — who is angry and bullish about the allegations — to discuss the proposal. Asked to comment, Diakos only said: “I attended the meeting and the board members were comfortable with the proposal.”
 
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https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ca...orge-coorey-stands-aside-20200909-p55u2d.html


Canterbury League Club chairman George Coorey stands aside
By Kate McClymont and Adrian Proszenko
September 10, 2020 — 7.42am

Canterbury League Club chairman George Coorey has been forced to step aside after his six fellow board members voted against him in a tempestuous three-hour meeting on Wednesday night.

This was the fifth time the board had attempted to temporarily remove Mr Coorey as chair while investigations are made into the Herald’s recent allegations of his lewd behaviour towards women.

Mr Coorey spent Wednesday afternoon locked in a crisis meeting with his lawyers. It is understood he has not ruled out a Supreme Court action against the board's move to stand him down.

Mr Coorey is also threatening to trigger a move to oust the football club board, chaired by Lynne Anderson, who Mr Coorey blames for his current predicament.

Four women met with Mrs Anderson in February to complain about Mr Coorey’s behaviour which included suggestions women should “come and sit on my lap.” Mr Coorey also sent a text message to a female club member suggesting she “suck off” one of his friends. Mr Coorey has since suggested someone else might have used his phone to send the message, according to one of his associates.

Mrs Anderson informed Mr Coorey of the allegations and an investigation was commissioned by both the football and league club boards.

Without the women making formal statements, the matter was not resolved. The women later contacted the Herald independently.

Several influential members, who control large blocs of votes, have attempted to broker a peace deal to prevent the club degenerating into civil war. They had urged Mr Coorey to stand down as chairman - but still remain on the board - while the investigation occurs.

On Tuesday evening a meeting was held at John Ballesty’s house at Breakfast Point. Joining the host was Paul Dunn who, like Ballesty, sits on both the football and league club boards.

Also present were Bill Diakos and James “Gabby” Marroun, crucial if Mr Coorey didn’t stand down as chair, there would be a vote of no confidence in him on Wednesday.

Mr Coorey, 61, is refusing to budge. “It’s war,” said one of those close Mr Coorey, referring to the chairman’s plan to blow up his former friend, Mrs Anderson.

It is the leagues club which provides the financial muscle to the football club, which runs the Bulldogs’ football team. Last year the leagues club, which earned $74.5 million from gaming, gave $5.28 million to the football club.

But in reality the football club controls the leagues club as it gets to appoint four people directly to the seven-person board. In 2018 Mr Coorey, Mr Dunn, Mr Ballesty and Mr Marroun were the four chosen by Mrs Anderson to be on the leagues club. Mr Marroun fell on his sword after the Herald revealed he was a former bankrupt and had been banned from junior league.

Mr Coorey, a mortgage broker, earned between $60,000 and $80,000 per year as the chair of the leagues club.

The seven directors also receive substantial benefits including a hospitality account of up to $5200 for each director to purchase food and beverage at the club.

The club also picks up the costs for directors and spouses to attend Bulldogs matches or any “representative match conducted by the NRL” in Australia or overseas.

The directors and their spouses enjoy other perks such have their expenses paid for any pre-season or end of season tours.
 
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I thought Marroun was removed from both boards after his past was revealed?

Also interesting regarding the perks... HOW NICE!

Sounds like all in it for themselves, and this is resulting in piss poor issues elsewhere.
 
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Bit more from another article:

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...f/news-story/8f2c8542be7693a44ac0e5344aa0b35b

A league club meeting is scheduled for Wednesday night where it’s believed a motion to have Coorey removed as the chairman of the league club board will be tabled.

That can be avoided if Diakos, Ballesty and Dunn can resolve the matter before the meeting.

The Daily Telegraph understands a peace deal between the pair is also the only way to avoid Coorey petitioning for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to be called in a bid to remove Anderson from the football club board.

Even if Coorey is removed as the chairman of the league club board on Wednesday night he will stay on as an elected director. Only voting league club members can depose Coorey from that board.

As a director, Coorey has the power to petition for a football club EGM. It’s understood that Coorey has enough support from voting football club members willing to sign his petition, which requires around 110 signatures from the 1000 voting football club members. “If there is no resolution, George Coorey will press forward with an EGM of the football club,” a senior club figure said.

The senior administrator also told The Daily Telegraph that a ticket to take over from the Anderson-led board is being assembled in readiness if the infighting descends to that point.


Only last week league club directors called four meetings to try and remove Coorey as chairman over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women, which is believed to be the root cause of the fallout between the two.

Anderson commissioned an independent investigation into the claims that was completed by management compliance specialists, Barrigntons. Coorey was cleared based on evidence tendered to Barringtons investigators.

The falling out between the two is a spectacular one considering it was Anderson who endorsed Coorey’s ticket in the 2018 league club election for the final seat on the board. Coorey’s election helped Anderson and her new football club board claim the balance of power of the rich league club.

“I backed George and had given an undertaking to the Anderson ticket at the time that George would side with the new football club board,” Diakos said.

Coorey was then elected chairman of the league club board by the football club directors from the Anderson ticket, who sat on the league club by virtue of the league club’s constitution.
 
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