Northern NSW Football directors to resign before vote to overthrow board

The meeting at NNSWF headquarters at Speers Point should end a 15-week legal and political battle between five members zones and the federation board for control of the game's administration in the region.

In an email to clubs this week, it was revealed O'Neill, deputy chair Bill Moncrieff and directors Peter Dimovski and Mansell Laidler were to resign before the meeting, where they were likely to be voted out and replaced by nominations from a bloc of five zones. However, the email said O'Neill had since withdrawn her resignation.

Sarah Gray was also targetted for removal but she quit several weeks ago. Remaining director Mark Trenter was excluded from the action by the Hunter, Macquarie, Mid North Coast, Newcastle and Far North Coast zones.

The bloc, which holds 10 of 17 votes, have nominated David Willoughby, Mike Parsons, Lisa Evans, Lauren Edwards and Paul Sandilands as replacement directors.

Whether or not O'Neill retains her position for now, her set tenure on the board ends next May regardless.

The power struggle started on August 23 when a bloc of member zones delivered a letter to NNSWF demanding a general meeting to table resolutions to remove five of the six directors and replace them with their own nominations.

The letter was submitted a day after an independent review report into the administration and governance of football in the region, and its NNSWF-endorsed recommendations for change, were sent to the zones.

Among the recommendations was a push to empower clubs to decide on a move to an aligned structure under NNSWF, which would effectively dissolve the zones who run grassroots football.

The only competitions NNSWF directly administer now are NPL men's and women's, Northern League One men's second division and the Junior Development League (JDL).

NNSWF has also run Northern Inland Football since early 2021 after its zone organisation became defunct.

The review recommendations towards an aligned structure were designed to streamline administration of the game and in turn deliver more resources and savings to participants on the ground.

The targetted directors and the dissenting zones have attempted to garner support for their positions from clubs and other voting members, which include the seventh and final zone - North Coast Football - and the referees, NPL and Northern League 1 competition standing committees. The Newcastle Herald was told North Coast were set to abstain.

A month ago, zones and committees were sent a four-page letter entitled "submission in defence of resolution to remove directors of NNSWF board", which detailed the organisation's achievements and questioned the actions of those trying to oust the directors. It was signed by O'Neill, Moncrieff, Laidler and Dimovski.

The dissenting zones, meanwhile, have been busily shoring up their position among the clubs while trying to have the general meeting held.

The Herald understands NNSWF dismissed on legal grounds the original letter calling for a meeting to vote on the resolutions.

The Herald was also told the zones then called a general meeting of their own for Friday, November 11, at Newcastle Football headquarters. This too was rejected by NNSWF on legal grounds.

NNSWF directors eventually called the meeting to resolve the dispute.

Friday night's 6pm meeting could also signal change among NNSWF's management.

Chief executive David Eland, who started in the position in April 2009, was a driving force behind the instigation of the independent review.

Ironically, the last time the zones rallied to overthrow the NNSWF board was in 2012 in reaction to the sacking of Eland.

The zone presidents at the time took over as NNSWF directors and reinstated Eland.

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