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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jonathan Horn

Jeff Kennett departs Hawthorn with fractured AFL club in need of healing

Jeff Kennett’s reign as Hawthorn president ended on Tuesday night when Andy Gowers was elected to the role.
Jeff Kennett’s reign as Hawthorn president ended on Tuesday night when Andy Gowers was elected to the role. Photograph: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/Getty Images

Jeff Kennett addressed the Hawthorn members for the last time on Tuesday night. It was all very familiar. The stentorian voice. The Tolkienian face. The rambling speech. There were 13 premiership cups in front of him. There were a few hecklers. There was a new president. The Kennett era at Hawthorn was over.

Most of the time, the average punter couldn’t give two hoots about board elections. Board members often seem to emerge from the same LinkedIn account. Most fans of any AFL club just want the board to hire a decent coach, to keep the club solvent, to avoid comparing the Australian of the Year to an ape, and to shove out of the way.

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