Now, this is what you call a good CEO
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TITANS chief executive Michael Searle launched an astonishing attack on the new Gold Coast AFL franchise following the Karmichael Hunt coup, labelling the move ‘‘desperate’’ and destined to fail, and calling yesterday’s events a ‘‘circus’’.
Searle said the move to make Hunt the franchise’s first signing had the potential to be the ‘‘most expensive media stunt in the history of sport’’ and would open the new club to ridicule, predicting it would turn out to be a ‘‘great thing’’ for the Titans.
‘‘This would have sounded like a really good idea in Melbourne, but anyone who knows the Gold Coast market, and the Queensland market … if the AFL wanted credibility, the first player they should have signed was Nick Riewoldt or Kurt Tippett,’’ Searle said. ‘‘That would have been a really good message. But what sort of message does this send to every AFL player?
‘‘It reeks of desperation if you’ve got to recruit a rugby league player to play AFL.
‘‘The first person we recruited was Preston Campbell, and as soon as you say that, you set the culture for the club. What has this recruitment done - when, no offence to Karmichael, but they concentrate their recruitment on a gun for hire, a mercenary.
‘‘Now the monster’s out of the bag, they’re not going to be able to put it back in, and they’ve paid top dollar to do it. It’s the worst decision they could have made. Rest assured, the Gold Coast region won’t tolerate a circus.’’
Searle said the decision would create ‘‘irreparable damage to their credibility in this market’’.
‘‘Every Gold Coast person will be saying, roll up, roll up, come and see this act,’’ he said.
