GESAC Update 26-Feb-2012
As reported previously, Council awarded use of GESAC to Oakleigh Warriors but made provision for McKinnon to use the courts on Saturdays in exchange for providing two of our existing courts to Oakleigh. Oakleigh advised us that they would only be interested in Bentleigh or Brighton under such an arrangement. We approached the principals of both schools to see whether they would be prepared to entertain a sub-lease arrangement with Oakleigh. Unfortunately, in each case the schools rejected the proposal as they prefer to continue to deal with one organisation.
We now expect to have discussions with Council about using any surplus capacity which Warriors are unable to utilise. As you may be aware, the mayor and other councillors have advised that any space which Warriors are unable to occupy will first be offered to McKinnon and that Oakleigh cannot be allowed to sublet the space. We will be asking the council how we can have access to the surplus space.
Kind regards
MBA Executive Committee
Glen Eira Debates 
February 27, 2012 at 10:47 PM
This is a stuff up of gigantic proportions and the gang can take most of the credit for this – especially Hyams with his casting vote. The Warriors will in no way fill 31 hours of court time so McKinnon will eventually take over anyway. In the meantime courts will stay empty, which means that not the full amount of possible revenue will be coming in. Another thing to add to poor planning and lousy decision making. The joke is that the weasel lawyers would have argued that they’d be sued. Rubbish, and anyhow, this is already a heavy penalty to pay and no-one knows for how long the Warriors have got before the courts are handed over to McKinnon – that’s if the place ever gets opened in time for any basketball season. It’s a mess, made even worse because Burke didn’t do his research properly right from the start and councillors didn’t supervise their servants closely enough. The only winners here are the damn lawyers and Burke whose saved his neck thanks to Lipshutz, Hyams and the others who voted for this rubbish.
February 28, 2012 at 12:06 AM
Sounds like McKinnon still can’t accept the fact that the courts were allocated to the Warriors.
I have been on a number of school councils (including Brighton) and I find it hard to believe they would have a problem leasing their facilities to more than one organisation – it happens all the time. At the schools I have been involved with we leased space to music groups, yoga classes, exercise classes, etc. The Mckinnon claim appears to be nonsense.
And contrary to the claims of “Anonymous” the council will not lose revenue if the Warriors do not use all the allocated court time. My understanding is they will be paying for the court time regardless of whether they use it. And I don’t really think they would be foolish enough to have applied for the courts unless they thought they could use them.
Through their sheer pig-headedness McKinnon seem to have forfeited the opportunity for any access to GESAC.
February 28, 2012 at 12:29 PM
Glen Huntly. At $45 per hour per court, that’s over $4000 a week the Warriors need to pay regardless of whether they use them. Could Glen Eira be willing to ‘sponsor’ part of that amount until Warriors establish a Domestic competition from scratch?
Contact Brighton and ask them why they won’t lease to Warriors.
February 28, 2012 at 8:11 AM
What a bunch of “bad sports” the McKinnon people seem to be. As young people we were always taught to accept the umpires decision, clearly a lesson the McKinnon group never learned.Have they never heard of being gracious in defeat!! What are they teaching their players about sportsmanship when you see the constant negative comments the come from suportors of their group? I have twin boys about to start playing basketball and have been watching this unfold over the past 3-4 months like a number of other local families. We have seen one group (McKinnon) wage a nasty propagander campaign against the other, accusing them of anything and everything. We have seen them blame the council officers, the councilors and the Warriors whislt accepting no blame or taking no accountability/responsibility for their own ineptness in handling the process to obtain courts at GESAC. Their lack of “sportsmanship” and sense of a fair go is clear for all to see. My boys and the majority of the children from our circle of friends will gladly be joining the Warriors as GESAC when it opens.
February 29, 2012 at 3:18 PM
no doubt we will see you when the Warriors fold!!!?? you need to read the fine print before you splash out the way you have, a Warrior from way back???
February 28, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Your all missing the point here, why do we bother providing these facilities at all, why are rate payers stumping up a small fortune for these squabbling ingrates.
The percentage of people using these courts is a tiny fraction of our population. It is a privilege not a right to have these sporting areas in our city.
Council should think twice about poring the lions shares of its resources into such projects. Maybe could have been turned into quality open space, just as many people would have used the area and enjoyed themselves at a fraction of the cost, and it would have looked better than that ugly imposing hulk that now mires East Boundary Rd.
Blind Bill can see that pass planning keep all the factory developments along that stretch a long back from the road, giving that area a green belt buffer, that looks good. What about GESAC built right on the edge so close, there is no room to squeeze a blade of grass in between the wall and the footpath.
The GESAC has been a disaster on all fronts from design to when ever finished.
I would kick all the ungrateful squabblers out on there necks and make the space useful for something else.
Sport is meant to be an enjoyable passing-time, the competition should be on court, not off it. Ratepayer funded buildings are a gift from the community, not a right.
Its about time Glen Eira revisited its bias on handing over ship loads of cash to sporting groups, we are short of open space in all areas and all levels.
Public land should be used by the public and not hived off to sporting groups that thinks its there right, and are are about as grateful as a famished tiger.
February 28, 2012 at 7:00 PM
“……why do we bother providing these facilities at all…..”
Indeed! No other municipality would plough the mega millions Glen Eira is into a gigantic project like this. And why? Because of a handfull of out of touch councillors who see it as some sort of lasting monument to themselves.It’s a wasteful use of ratepayers money for which we will continue to pay for eons. Shameful!
February 28, 2012 at 11:57 AM
Mike the explanation for all this anymosity by MBA of the Warriors is simple. The Warriors split from MBA 3 years ago due to “ethical problems” within the MBA. The MBA has, in my opinion played an an unethical game against the Warriors driven by anymosity. The dumb idiots who represent us have fallen hook. line and sinker behind the MBA because they failed to ask basic questions, which incidently our Officers did prior to awarding the Courts to the Warriors. Further I wish GESAC success, however, it will be a perminant reminder of how a Council could ruin a public park. It looks pathetic.
February 28, 2012 at 4:41 PM
The illogicality of your argument is sublime. You accuse Council of ruining a park but exonerate Burke and Newton. Who’s plan was this anyway if not Newton’s? There was never ever any objective other than redeveloping both pools. Spending 50 million or so was the brainchild of your wonderful administration and no one elses. When this falls flat on its face and your kids are paying off the loans and the losses and perhaps even your grandkids, then come back and tell us how wonderful this administration was. No commercial venture that Newton has been involved in has been a “success”. This is another example except that this time it will cost us all plenty.
February 28, 2012 at 5:00 PM
Anonymous 5. Try and be a bit more appreciative of a Council that have built a stadium and then given it to the highest bidder….without asking questions of how YOU will pay. As another writer has pointed out, the Warriors need now to find $4000 a week to pay for 31 hours of court time (x3) @ $45.00 an hour. That’s probably why the unethical MBA didn’t bid that high!
I wish you well, just hope your marketing matches your enthusiasm.
….and please explain what ‘anymosity’ means!
February 28, 2012 at 6:09 PM
Was wondering how long before Brendan and his negativity appeared.
Maybe Brendan you can explain why the MBA three years ago found it necessary to expel 120 kids and their families from your Association?
Maybe had your group not been so mean spirited back then, you wouldn’t be in the position you are in now. Stop your whining and just let the kids who want to play at GESAC be able to do so without your interference.
February 28, 2012 at 6:47 PM
I don’t know what happened years ago between the warriors and McKinnon and what’s more, I don’t care. This issue isn’t about the past. It’s about proper allocation processes and how well vetted each expression of interest really was. If the Warriors can’t fill the stadium then there’s something drastically wrong with Burke’s assessment. I would hate to think that residents are left holding the can and that we’re paying for unused courts. If McKinnon said that they can’t go as high as the Warriors then to me that makes good sense rather than promising the earth and then falling short.
I also don’t like the way in which Burke was allowed to be the lone ranger on this. That’s a black mark against councillors for sure and another black mark when they voted to go ahead with his original choice. The “facts” hadn’t changed so what they backed were the same figures and the same failure to fill all courts. That’s pathetic overseeing and pathetic decision making on their part.
If my maths is right then the warriors are up for 93 hours of court time at 40 or 45 per hour, each week. That adds up to a hell of a lot of money and for the life of me I can’t see a fledgling new club being able to afford these prices – unless they charge their own members a fortune and that’s counterproductive. The bottom line is that Burke stuffed up good and proper and then councillors backed him in.
February 28, 2012 at 10:17 PM
Hi guys,
The reason for removing Garden State Warriors (GSW) from the MBA was because they were getting their kids to move to a rival association. The association and the other clubs recognised this as a significant conflict of interest and threat to the MBA. GSW were then given an ultimatum – join us fully or face expulsion. They decided to stay in this divisive stance and so they were expelled. Interestingly most of GSW families decided to move back to a MBA member club. Those with allegiance to Bob Mann went to Oakleigh.
Since that time, the MBA has continued to grow with almost double the number of teams in the local domestic competition and great achievements at the junior representative and senior levels. It’s a pity the MBA can’t use GESAC for the moment, we would appreciate the extra court space. Anyway we shall continue to grow our competition and provide a great place for people to play basketball. Coles is a stronger business because or Woolworths, MBA will benefit from this competition too.
February 29, 2012 at 3:31 PM
Dave, VERY WELL SAID…the truth be know!!
February 29, 2012 at 10:49 PM
Truth, that’s a laugh!
Maybe Dave would like to explain why two games into a season the MBA management felt it necessary to kick out every Warriors teams and player who were happily playing within the MBA at that stage. Splitting mates from mates and even families apart. At the same time forcing out life members, players and coaches who had been loyal and faithful servants of the MBA for years.
All for selfish spiteful agendas.
Not only did they kick them out of their competitions they took away training facilities at Brighton SC that the Warriors had trained in for years and fought for in a public effort to gain access. They timed it for two rounds into a season so the Warriors kids and families had nowhere else to go and then once kicked out the MBA management then made an effort to poach every player from the Warriors. It was without doubt one of the most disgraceful acts I have ever seen in any junior sport by a management group.
Everybody who was at the club at the time knew the real reason for this action. They were petrified all players loyal to MBA founder and head coach Bob Mann (Warriors or otherwise) at the time would follow him to the Oakleigh Rep program, where he had moved after being forced out by the MBA management after blowing the whistle on some unethical behaviour within that management group.
Amazingly even today the MBA has players within its ranks that also play with other Associations. If the reason that Dave has listed here was a genuine one wouldn’t they then also kick out those kids and families from the MBA. Oh that’s right, some of those kids belong to the same families in the MBA management group. The double standards and hypocrisy here would make Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd blush.
The people involved in the effort, the people who supported it and the people who stuck their head in the sand pretending not to notice what was going on should all hang their heads in shame.
The spin here that Dave has put about kids going to another Association is a total nonsense, those kids were going anyway. The vast bulk of the families that were with the Warriors had nothing to do with it and were made victims by one of the most spiteful group of people I have ever engaged with.
I know all this as my boy was one of the kids kicked out and now plays happily with the Warriors at Sandringham against that management groups kids in other teams there.
How glad I am that now that the Karma bus has come right back around with the Warriors securing GESAC.
Good luck to them and all their members who didn’t allow their club to die despite the best effort of this nasty management group, but instead have made the Warriors it a bigger and better organisation, I couldn’t think of a more deserving group.
Hopefully the true history of what happened back then will come out in full one day, so everybody knows exactly what happened, instead of the spin and bluster that has been provided by Dave here.
February 28, 2012 at 8:20 PM
Was the whole competition ruined because of the false advertising whoch indicate that the courts would be rady for use months ago? Wouldn’t this be a problem/ maybe, the losing team could take over the managmeent of one of the other large investments which did not attract anyone to run these enterprises such as the gym. or coffee lounge.
February 28, 2012 at 8:55 PM
I for one would like to know the ethical problem/s that seems to be a the heart of the split between McKinnon and the Warriors, it may go some way to explaining why some sections in Glen Eira was hell bent on levering-in the out of towners at the expense of the locals.
Or is it just another one of those things that we cannot mention here.
As for Mumbles letter, a classic piece of nonsense from a very dull man, let hope he doesn’t write a book
February 28, 2012 at 9:05 PM
Apologies if what I say is negative. Everyone deserves a chance to play basketball at GESAC and most will at some stage.
The Glen Eira City Council have to feel comfortable with their decision and if they are, we’ll all move on. The marketing will start soon and the courts will be full of excited players wanting to be their best….I’m jealous!
Fortunately the majority of the 120 expelled kids and families stayed with McKinnon and formed a new Club. The rest still haven’t realised that they were just a pawn in a threat that went horribly wrong.
February 29, 2012 at 11:00 PM
Ah!!! Brendan and Dave find it so easy to mess with the truth and rewrite history. If those pawns have gotten it so horribly wrong what are they now doing in GESAC?
The “rest” as you have called them have fought long and hard to ensure a wrong was righted and are busily and professionally building a sensational club. Even better they did it with no chip on their shoulder and did everything they could to involve the McKinnon teams as well.
Maybe in the not too distant future if some people at the MBA get out of the way the kids from all clubs can come all together in all the venues in the region to enjoy their basketball.
At least for onceon one thing I can agree with you Brendan, in the not too distant future there will be hundreds upon hundreds of excited kids enjoying themselves through the Warriors at GESAC
February 28, 2012 at 10:23 PM
Anon 5 reply you need a history lesson. GESAC is the brainchild of missing in action, fled to Cairns Feldman with the assisstance of Tang and Stoikas.There is no way the Administration had anything to do with GESAC.Come clean Tang.
February 28, 2012 at 10:28 PM
Good luck to the Warriors. Now that they have been awarded the courts they should be willing to publish on their website a business plan for its members and future members and Glen Eira residents how they are going to pay for the courts week in/week out especially as they only have been given one year occupancy. Come on Warriors prove all the nay Sayers wrong and “show me the money.”
February 29, 2012 at 8:30 AM
More of the same from this mean spirited, poor losers group. Time for a bit of sole searching in your own back yard folks. Again, stop blaming everyone else and casting your nasty little assertions on everyone else. You lost the EOI process fair and square. The only “crime” the Warriors appear to have committed is producing a more professional and compelling EOI submission. Who’s fault is that!!! Most sensible, commercial organisations would reflect on what they did wrong. learn from it and make relevant changes. This group from McKinnon dont seem to be able to do this. Their attitude is that it must be someone elses fault and just start with all this unsportsman like behavior. Accept the umpires decision once and for all and concerntrate on improving the administration of your club, learn from this loss and make yourself stronger. Ask the tough question internally. The Warriors group have told me that they offered a situation that would have seen all children from the McKinnon group get the chance to play at GESAC on a regular basis and that the people in charge at McKinnon rejected this because their administation person wasn’t allowed to run the competition. I couldn’t believe this attitude. Surely it is about the kids having an opportunity to play in this great venue and not about adults sooking about not being the admin person.
This again is the reason why my boys will be playing with the Warriors at GESAC this year. I strongly recommend to all families who have children playing basketball or are about to to contact the Warriors and get a feeling for how focused they are on the kids. Move on McKinnon, start being good sports and support the sport of basketball rather than your own petty self interests. Its about the kids and not you small minded adults.
February 29, 2012 at 3:44 PM
Mike at Caulfield, I think you need to do some more indepth homework….you really haven’t understood anything or are you really a true Warrior??
February 28, 2012 at 11:25 PM
By the way if any of you have time have a gig at the MBA wesite and note who is past president and a life member of the MBA. He is also the founder of the MBA . How did they reward Bob Mann. They kicked him out.Great ethical Club.
February 29, 2012 at 11:31 AM
If the MBA so unethical how come the still give Bob Mann due space and credit for founding the club on their website? Is this the action of an unethical organisation whose only purpose is to allow children to play basketball? Let those free of sin cast the first stone!
February 29, 2012 at 11:15 PM
After starting the club from nothing to building it to what it was today, they couldn’t even give him a tesitimonial, this was orgnaised by people within the club who were disgusted at his treatment. I know I was one of them.
After years of personal financial sacrifice the MBA engaged a legal firm so not to pay him a legitimate payout after 20 years of service, I know, I Ieant him money to help him through this period.
Finally in a phoeny anniversary this year they couldn’t even find the decency to invite him to it. Amazingly he simply has gotten on with building the Warriors organisation and is now leading his club into GESAC. Credit to him!
Maybe this is what gets under the skin of certain people from the MBA. The person and the club they tried so hard to destroy simply have not submitted to those efforts and have instead thrived.
Hopefully in some of the posts I have put a bit of balance, background and history to this debate.
Now people should just let the Warriors go and allow them to get on with building the sport at this venue. Maybe one day certain people at the MBA can remove the chips from their shouders or simply move out of the way and let real basketball people get on with providing great competitions and programs for kids throughout the region.
February 29, 2012 at 12:38 PM
A bit like disgraced ex-Mayor Peter Goudge whose photo still appears in Council’s Foyer, at least it was still there Tuesday night.
March 23, 2012 at 1:47 PM
[…] Basketball Club (a member of the MBA) Scott Bartlett recently went out on the front foot on a forum regarding the issue […]
March 25, 2012 at 5:54 PM
A strange blog out of nowhere! Lacking fact and truth. The President is not who was quoted….unless there has been a mutiny within! The facts are now almost a mythical story of unethical proportions.
Let the warriors prove everyone wrong and run a program that will fill the courts and pay their way. Council will be happy and the MBA will finally move on and build their own facility.