A Board election is taking place and current director Emmett Dunne is one of four candidates vying for two vacancies. In this article he discusses the work he has done at Tigerland and his view for the future.

Emmett Dunne’s association with Richmond stretches back more than 40 years and during that time he has served the Tigers with distinction in a variety of roles.

As a 14-year-old, Dunne joined a special football scholarship squad the Club had established for promising young players in its metropolitan recruiting zone.

By the time he was 15, Dunne was not only playing under-19s football with the Tigers he was the team’s captain.

He worked his way through the grades at Tigerland, making his senior league debut in 1976 and going on to play 115 games for the Club, including the glorious 1980 Grand Final triumph over Collingwood.

Dunne was a strong-marking, reliable big man, who had the ability and discipline required to counter dangerous opposition players.

And, with his versatility, he filled important roles within the Tigers’ team across the backline, up forward, as well as in the ruck.

After retiring as a player, Dunne coached Richmond’s reserves, had a stint as the Tigers’ ruck coach, and also was a committee member of the Club’s Former Players and Officials Association.

He subsequently spent two decades serving on the AFL tribunal, before standing down to take up a casual vacancy on the Richmond board a couple of months ago.

Throughout his long-standing involvement in league football, Dunne also managed to carve out a highly-successful career with the Victoria Police over nearly 40 years that included service in operational, training, prosecutorial, management and senior leadership positions.

Dunne retired from Victoria Police in August 2015, while holding the rank of Assistant Commissioner.

With his working career and time on the AFL tribunal behind him, Dunne is now focused on doing what he can to help the Tigers as a board member.

He is one of four candidates vying for two vacancies on the Richmond board in the Club’s 2016 elections, and he would love the opportunity to continue making a valuable contribution at Tigerland.

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“My membership of the Tribunal ensured that I maintained a contemporary understanding of the game, as it evolved over the years to where it is today,” he said.

“Football boards obviously need directors with knowledge and a feel for the game.  The board has relied upon Brendon Gale and Tony Free in this regard, however, with Tony’s recent resignation, my input is now more important in assisting the Club to achieve on-field success . . .

“I had a lengthy career with Victoria Police, during which I served in a variety of positions.  My last two appointments were as the Assistant Commissioner of the Professional Standards Command and of the eastern region of Victoria.

“At the Eastern Region I lead 4500 staff and was accountable for the delivery of policing services to more than 2 million Victorians.”

“My accountabilities as the head of the Professional Standards Command included the oversight of investigations into police misconduct and the promotion of ethics and integrity across Victoria Police.

“In recent times, we have witnessed events in football that have had enormous impacts on clubs through the loss of draft picks and the imposition of significant fines.

“My experience in integrity, and in developing strong organisational cultures, will be important for the Club in meeting the duty of care we owe to our players, as they confront the inevitable challenges as high-profile, professional athletes.”

Dunne is confident the Tigers are well placed to build on the changes made to their football department following the external review that took place at the end of a disappointing 2016 season, which saw them finish in 13^th place with just eight wins.

“The review, which was necessary and warranted after a season that was clearly unacceptable, has provided the Club with a template to continually assess not only on-field performance, but also all components of the football department that must perform at a high level to underpin our success,” Dunne said.

“My duty, and contribution to the Club and the board, is to trust and support our staff, but to also continually test and validate their assumptions.

“I have been heartened by the willing acceptance of all recommendations of the review by the board and all relevant members of the Club.

“While change has been implemented, further changes will be evident in the future.”

Dunne has thrown his support behind fellow Richmond board member Kerry Ryan, who also is standing for re-election.

“Kerry is a quality person, who is highly skilled and experienced in business, governance, in managing risk and in meeting the many compliance requirements of the AFL,” he said.

“She has also had significant involvement with membership organisations and understands the membership ethic.

“Not only does Kerry possess critically important skills that the board urgently needs, she brings much needed diversity and an inquiring mind that adds value to the board’s deliberations.”

The publishing, and contents, of this article was authorised by the electoral Returning Officer.