SAAL - What a sad state of affairs!

I dont know how much worse things need to get before something significant is done to change to the toxic culture and process in the SAAL.
The resignation letter by Belinda Howden (Executive Officer) says it all! (see below)

It all but suggests bullying. Paragraph 2 highlights the toxicity within. If true its abhorrent and simply unacceptable by those she mentions and more specifically unacceptable behavior by the President.

What I also find staggering is the work Belinda put in has gone unrecognised. Never a mention on her achievements on sponsorships, grants, Crystal Brook meet or the set up of the History of the Bay Sheffield at the Discovery Centre at Holdfast Bay among other achievements mentioned in her resignation.

When will the greater SAAL community finally say enough is enough?

Now is the time for a complete overhaul on how the SAAL is currently being run. There is enough disgust out there to vote for a change at the next AGM. I know many, many members have had enough. I know Tohl, Hildyard, Thompson, Youngy, Hicks, Meich, Underwood, Taylor, McMillan, Gross even Frank is unhappy, I'd say Sheffield cant be happy either, no doubt there are others. As this system is continually used and made worse year on year the list of those disgruntled grows. The continued abhorrent treatment of members by the President and committee must end.

If there is no change you will get 2 more years of Colin and his failures. Collectively you can all make this change.

The SAAL cant be run by 1 or 2 clubs. The SAAL needs representation in a President by an individual with no alliance or affiliation to one club. The SAAL needs representation in a President and committee that is inclusive to all members, to listen to the members, making the competition fair for all, exciting, competitive and fun again.

This lot clearly are not listening, they clearly have lost respect, they give you no respect therefore you cannot trust them to fix the SAAL.

Hi Top Sport

It seems I've heard correctly and I've seen the list
Recipients geepers!!

Mr President, we know you view this forum. Now is your time! We will wait

I admire Belinda, to have a bit of backbone, to be able to look at yourself honestly in the mirror each morning.
Almost sounds like work place bullying as Whisperer alluded to.
So what recepients of the email are going to have the balls to stand and say what culture is being created is wrong.

Once again Gossips was well and truly on the money.
So the saal have again lost a valuable contributer because of others.
Is there enough money to pay her, her entitlements, reading in between the lines and the prizemoney on offer at the last meeting , she may get to keep the computer and phone for a bit longer than she intended.

Belinda's story has made the Advertiser and Twitter!

This kind of publicity is the last thing the SAAL needs, but hey they have brought this on themselves.

Perhaps its exactly what the SAAL needs, clear out toxic behavior lead by the President that now needs to resign!

I have no doubt Belinda will find another position easily and excel, good on her for not letting this slide through to the keeper.

Let's also not forget. The same leader failed to address those emails that basically called athletes and coaches cheats.
Banned an ex bay the winner for speaking up.
Banned coaches

He's failed to address any of this. They and he would have known this article was coming out.
Yet there way seems to be the path chosen which they prefer to say nothing and pretend the job they are doing is great.

Very interesting that the article says the president declined to comment.
Never held back coming on here.
Wonder if the parklands football still want him in charge of umpiring, if I was a parent of a junior aspiring umpire I would be saying NO WAY.

He has a strong stance on umpire abuse but on how to treat staff, hmmm?

You go back over the last 4 years and you can add this phrase from the article to a number of individuals.
"If I had any disagreements with them I was cut off.”

A good competent leader who has the best intentions at hearts would make a statement.

Reading above , sounds like Belinda was instrumental in achieving a lot of grants from local government and federal government yet the financial aspects of the league were hidden away from her.
I think if I was one of the organisations involved I would like an independent inquiry and an independant investrigation by an independant treasurer as to where the money has gone.

People with credability will not be wanting to be involved in any ordinary publicity, I would say we will probably lose the states best race caller in the wash up.
But we get to keep the snakes who slither around in the background and use others as their front, you know who you are.

The President declines to comment to the Advertiser, in the past he has been very forth coming with the media.
Then posts this on team app
RESIGNATION
Belinda Howden has resigned (effective immediately) from her position with the League to pursue other opportunities. We thank her for her hard work and efforts over the last two seasons and wish her well for the future. The Management Committee will consider the best way to structure the operations going forward to support Jenny Poole in the League Office and will promote what is being offered in due course.
Sounds like everything is so rosy rosy rosy with the league and Jenny Poole.
Me not understand.If theres no fire with the smoke , then why not tell the advertiser.

Old sweeper at it again. If you sweep things under the rug longer enough, it becomes a big hill!!!
No Facebook comment
No advertiser comment
No saal.org comment
Instead, it's buried in the "team app," and if we pretend like it's all beautiful no one will care.

Numbers are down. Handicapping system that's terrible. Moved the bay away from the bay. Top runners now don't run with the league. 60% said scrap the system. Banning coaches. Banning athletes. Not willing to listen.
And now Bullying on top!

Wouldnt say now bullying, Stevie.
Been going on for a lot longer than that and if the league wants to come on and dispute that, I can certainly point them in the correct direction.

I think theres cause of concern here and the Adelaide Football League need to be made aware of whats transpired.
Not sharing information to the E.0, not involving the E,0. in decisions and treating her poorly is pretty much workplace bullying and its pretty much work place bullying by males to a female in the workplace.
I hope Belinda takes it further because I would not like my young daughter having aspirations of being an umpire and subjected to the same.

We arent completely sure if it is workplace bullying of a woman in the workplace but it doesnt look real good.
However doesnt phase the President, not completely sure but I was in the vicinity of the Happy Valley football oval last weekend and it looked like the President umpiring a womans game of football.
Not 100% sure but if it was , after whats just occurred , hes not that bright.

Z Score wrote:We arent completely sure if it is workplace bullying of a woman in the workplace but it doesnt look real good.
However doesnt phase the President, not completely sure but I was in the vicinity of the Happy Valley football oval last weekend and it looked like the President umpiring a womans game of football.
Not 100% sure but if it was , after whats just occurred , hes not that bright.

I guess theres nothing entirely wrong with it, but I dont think I would have as much front to do it, so soon after.

Belinda is too good for this.
She was making the current comittee look better than they were for a little while.
They have lost the plot. It’s hilarious how this is playing out to be honest
I’ve never seen anything like it.
I would be embarrassed to race in the SAAL.
Just the fact that a sporting event of this calibre has a commentator is a good laugh.
I used to follow the SAAL racing closely. Now it’s just a joke amongst friends.
How can this be called Pro running?
This is quite literally the furthest thing away from a Professional quality sporting event that we have in Adelaide.
Current School sports days are more exciting & professional than this.
What I took away from school sports day this year is, you actually have to have some talent to win.
You can’t be the slowest runner in the field & win the race in your first ever run because your friends with the principal.
Quite a good concept.

Brainfade wrote:Belinda is too good for this.
She was making the current comittee look better than they were for a little while.
They have lost the plot. It’s hilarious how this is playing out to be honest
I’ve never seen anything like it.
I would be embarrassed to race in the SAAL.
Just the fact that a sporting event of this calibre has a commentator is a good laugh.
I used to follow the SAAL racing closely. Now it’s just a joke amongst friends.
How can this be called Pro running?
This is quite literally the furthest thing away from a Professional quality sporting event that we have in Adelaide.
Current School sports days are more exciting & professional than this.
What I took away from school sports day this year is, you actually have to have some talent to win.
You can’t be the slowest runner in the field & win the race in your first ever run because your friends with the principal.
Quite a good concept.

Right on the bickies Brianfade.
I asked an athlete recently , a pretty good athlete ,if they were still running Pros and were they going to Stawell.
The answer, was, no Im not going to Stawell, and no Im not running pros, Would you like to win a saal sash , laughed and walked off.
So the prestige of the sash in saal has gone, kiddies have a wall of them by the time they are 20.And they dont need to improve to get them.

Foot in mouth disease.
SA has their own Albo
Colin Rowston posted
The SA Government has provided some financial assistance over time,
although nothing like the Victorian Government does for the Stawell Gift
Carnival or the Tasmanian Government does for the likes of the Burnie and
Davenport Carnivals.
SUPRISE SUPRISE SUPRISE
The Vic Government and Tassis Government obviously have complete faith in the tried and true method of professional running handicapping used by both states along side the chook raffle used in SA propped up by numerous alterations by inexperianced people.
The best athletes in Aust and NZ run in these two States for a reason.
All roads lead to Burnie for less prizemoney ..............WHY

Colin is delusional, he has no idea what will fix the problems in the SAAL. Throwing money at it isnt the solution. We all know where the problems are, how they can be fixed, we all need to make sure we vote Colin out at the AGM!

Z Score wrote:Foot in mouth disease.
SA has their own Albo
Colin Rowston posted
The SA Government has provided some financial assistance over time,
although nothing like the Victorian Government does for the Stawell Gift
Carnival or the Tasmanian Government does for the likes of the Burnie and
Davenport Carnivals.
SUPRISE SUPRISE SUPRISE
The Vic Government and Tassis Government obviously have complete faith in the tried and true method of professional running handicapping used by both states along side the chook raffle used in SA propped up by numerous alterations by inexperianced people.
The best athletes in Aust and NZ run in these two States for a reason.
All roads lead to Burnie for less prizemoney ..............WHY

Sounds like school yard stuff , boo hoo wah wah wah, their half is bigger than mine.
Well you dont need to be a rocket scientist to realise that the other States are using a handicapping system that people believe in , whilst saal are pushing a handicapping system that the minority voted for down every ones throats and the ones that speak up are bullied out.

Colin also is so out of touch he thinks currently the Bay Sheffield is and will remain the 2nd biggest meet in the country, rightly we had to point out its no longer number 2, that goes to Burnie. He had no idea. We can get it back to number 2 with Colin out and get to making the right calls including the handicapping situation.
My concern from the Bay Sheff meeting is that Trewartha and Phil Dawes ae on the side of staying at Glenelg Oval. I suspect Colin is the same. If we are to get the Bay Sheffield back to Colley Reserve we need new blood on the committee.

The Bay is now the 3-4th biggest meet and if you want to go on numbers (scrap the little As races) it'll be the 5th-6th.

And judging by the chatter at the gift hotel - The bay unless returned to Colley it'll be even less

And judging by the chatter at the gift hotel - The bay unless returned to Colley it'll be even less[/quote]

You didn't even need to be at the After Party to hear the chorus of Vic runners disclaiming that if things don't improve then they aren't going to make an effort especially at Bay. Don't blame them