Anonymous
Years ago

Is it true Lorraine Landon is leaving BA

I overheard on the weekend at the tournament, she has left BA.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Made redundant

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Did she want a redundancy. Or was she pushed like The CEO

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HO  
Years ago

Interesting new culture being created at BA by the sounds. Can anyone confirm she was made redundant? Has there been any announcement?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

She was made redundant and a rather unceremonious email was sent out by BA confirming her departure.Like her or not, Lorraine has been one of the key members of the sport over more than 30 years and has done a great deal for basketball over that time, so to announce her departure in such a fashion was incredibly poor form by BA - I mean, how difficult would it have been to write something simple thanking her for her years of service? Pathetic effort really.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

The question is are we happy with the current status of basketball in OZ (insert SA here)? if yes, keep the long "serving" staff.. otherwise change. The style of change is another thing of course.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

interesting that most people wouls say the sport stagnated for those 30 years. Lifted post WW2 then stopped around the 80's. I couldn't be happier with this decision

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HO  
Years ago

#380686

That is a weird outlook. The sport is thriving in many places.

Landon has been heavily involved in that time in our women's program. It has been pretty close to the worlds best throughout her time in the sport... the development of our game did not stop anywhere in the eighties.

Stop associating the "NBL" as our sport - its not.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Landon has run the WNBL correct?

How's that going?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

could have been handled better

Lorraine we are going to have to let you go, the position is being made redundant would you prefer to make it public that you are retiring, same payout, and we allow you to say goodbye gracefully.

Or you say sorry go home no job for you here, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Sooooo .....

LL still listed on BA Web site as "GM WNBL & Competitions".

A redundant position cannot just be filled with a new person, that position has been declared no longer required by the organisation.

So does the WNBL no longer need a GM ? Be interesting to see where this goes from here ....

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HO  
Years ago

#380692

My understanding is that Landon spent most of the decade she was at BA running national teams - the move to be GM WNBL was pretty recent.

BTW, the WNBL is going pretty well if you consider everything.

I have consistently defended administrators here - Palmer, Derwin etc because people look at what they do with either a weird view of the sport (ridiculous statements like "most people say the sport stagnated for 30 years") or because people have no knowledge whatsoever ("Derwin did a shit job running the NBL" (even though he never DID run the NBL)).

The evidence would suggest that Landon has been a good administrator - Sydney Olympics, our international program has continued to be successful, the wnbl is seen as one of the great women's competitions in the world etc etc.

Maybe it was time to go, and if so that is fine, but I don't think people need to say its good she went because they have a perverted/bizarre view of where our sport sits (yep, the whole stagnated premise again).

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paul  
Years ago

Well said mate.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

No offence as she's clearly given a lot to the sport but these things need some perspective.

The Australian teams results are based on talent, development programs and coaching. Landon is an administrator and surely not someone who can take credit for results.

Her job, I expect, was about managing schedules, tours etc and sorry but on that score in my opinion BA has failed. Opals tours have been limited and Boomers have been simply horrible.

Media coverage, crowds, local grassroots connection non-existent. That's what I expect from administrators and that's what I grade them on.

In those regards BA have not done well at all.


WNBL is the same. As an organistation it's a mess. Clubs are funding everything, managing almost the whole League themselves and get little to no support from BA. Again if this is Landon's role, in my opinion she's failed.

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paul  
Years ago

Team managers carry out the roles you are talking about, Lorraine oversaw the entire programs. She definitely deserves some credit for their performance because she was responsible for putting the junior and senior programs in place.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Team Managers plan tours, recruit countries to play against, set venue locations, engage with local state associations, clubs etc?

Please clarify for me what part of the Opals and Boomers Basketball program, player development, NITP pathway Landon oversaw?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Geez people can't you just say thanks .

Reply #380849 | Report this post


HO  
Years ago

Anon, I think you will find that all sports have a senior staffer who is responsible for the strategy and delivery of their high performance programs.

That staffer, within the context of budget (very limited in BA's case), other organisational demands (NBl/officials development/Grassroots etc etc) and Australia's isolation on the world basketball stage, manages a large international team sport program.

Sure, they work alongside coaches and ITC programs and the rest, and draw from them, but if you get the wrong person in this role (look at what swimming are currently going through) then your results plummet and you get smashed.

In the last decade Australia has continued to punch way above our weight internationally. Excellent major tournament performances at all age levels, held a high FIBA ranking and won a women's world championship. Our results again this year have been great at junior worlds. Our olympic/paralympic results were above par in my view.

If a coach is not getting the right support, or does not believe they are getting their fair share of the resources pie, then you will have discord and disruption. In short your senior HP person is charged with creating all the conditions in which your national teams can compete and succeed.

Look at what Pat Howard is doing with cricket, he's got nothing to do with cricket coaching, he's a Rugby guy, but he is setting the plan and creating the conditions under which Australia expects our teams to succeed. It ain't an administration role, its a senior management role - and look at the money and resource he gets to do it with.

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Anon12  
Years ago

I find it incredible the number of people who are 'bagging' Lorraine when they have no understanding of the role she has played in Australian basketball at a national and international level. Lorraine is HIGHLY respected both within Australia and on an international level. I have personally known Lorraine in excess of 30 years (from her days as an administrator at Bankstown through to BA) and I have always found her to be a tireless worker for basketball in this country. Lorraine leaves the job on Friday after her position was made redundant. Not sure what is happening with the duties associated with the job but hopefully BA have put measures in place to cover those duties. Personally I wish Lorraine well in whatever she does in the future and that her experience, knowledge and enthusiasm for basketball are not lost.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Word is she was escorted off the premises. If that's true, it seems a bit dramatic and definitely not the way you treat a long serving member.

I believe it was time to move on. But in typical BA fashion, they've handled it poorly.

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HO  
Years ago

Anon12, i recon there are only 1 or 2 people here "bagging" her.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

not making comment on Lorraine other to say I believe she did a good job.

However, when someone is retrenched they are usually supervised and escorted from the premises as a standard practice whereever you work.

No matter how sane, rational, long serving or loyal person. YOu retrench them, they are in often in an emotional and distraught state, you do not wish to allow them to do damage to themselves or to work premises or equipment when they are told they are no longer required. For long term employees this is often a greiving period.

for a salesperson etc you don't want to give them the opportunity to contact customers to take them elsewehere or download YOUR customer file and contacts.

escort and supervision on retrenchment is the normal everyday business practices. There have been on occassions in the past where people on being told they no longer have a job have committed suicide. that and criminal damage or theft are reasons they are supervised and escorted from premises. Majority won't do anything other than leave in anger or in tears but the rules are in place cause until it happens nobody knows how someone will react. Look at the states where people have been retrenched then have gone back and shot their co workers.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Dear Kristina,

Just a quick note, cos you are probably pretty flat chat.

But no doubt you are already an avid reader of the Hoops Forum, so just wanted to run something past you.

There seems to be a bit of a kerfuffle about this LL thing - you have barely got your feet warm under the desk and already long serving BA people are rolling out the door. Just wanted to check that you know what you are doing.

In politics, the voters get to roll people in and out of seats - but in the real world, the CEO makes the big decisions and ultimately has to live by them.

Restructures are fine, as long as they are handled in a compassionate and professional manner. We at Hoops are not really sure if Lorraine has left already or not, but there is certainly no mention of anything on your Web site.

Perhaps you are just putting the finishing touches to the press release, so that's fine.

But for someone who has given so much to the sport (and been recognised for her contribution), it would be pretty poor form for this to be just given the silent treatment.

Hope you can have a think about this, but in general keep up the good work - we hope to hear about many more positive things in the coming months.

Love from us all,
The Hoops Forum.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Memo went out to those parties involved.

Surprisingly BA don't care what a few internet trolls on a forum have to say.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

"There have been on occassions in the past where people on being told they no longer have a job have committed suicide. that and criminal damage or theft are reasons they are supervised and escorted from premises."

I'm sure Kenneally is used to a bit of blood on the carpet given her background & people being retrentched are normally allowed supervised access to their office/desk to remove personal effects which I am advised was not done for LL for sveral days (if at all). There is no denying that this has been badly handled & yet again shows what a bunch of amateurs run the sport in this country.

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FM  
Years ago

There may have been a very good reason why it was handled this way. Off the top of my head:
1. Access to bonus benefits if someone is retrenched rather than resigning. You would have to know LL's employment conditions to know what the entitlement is.
2. May have been asked to resign but wouldn't hence was driven out.
3. May have done something which warrants instant dismissal, however given her length of service she was just retrenched instead.

Kenneally being a politician is all about image, hence I doubt she would drive a 30 year employee straight out the door without a reason. Not sure if it is a case of not accepting the new boss, or the new boss not being happy with who is doing what. Unfortunately I have watched great people in the sport be driven out and bad people driven in, some say that is basketball.

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Isaac  
Years ago

BA press release:

BASKETBALL AUSTRALIA STAFF CHANGES

Basketball Australia is in the process of implementing a staff restructure, which will be finalised later this month.

As part of that restructure, the position of General Manager, WNBL & Competitions, has been made redundant. Lorraine Landon's last official day with BA was Friday 28 September 2012.

BA Chief Executive Officer Kristina Keneally acknowledged Ms Landon’s contribution to basketball at a local and international level over a long period of time.

"Lorraine has been a tremendous advocate for basketball on an international stage, and has supported athletes with a disability to play at the highest levels of competition," Ms Keneally said.

“I hope we can continue to call upon Lorraine’s expertise in years to come, and she will of course continue to make a contribution to the sport through her role on the FIBA Women’s Commission.”

Chuck Harmison has assumed the role of General Manager, Professional League Operations - with general oversight of both the NBL and WNBL Operations. Chuck will also retain the role of NBL Operations Manager.

BA's restructure will include a future position of General Manager, Professional League Development – with the aim of bolstering the long-term strategic planning capacity of the NBL and WNBL.

BA will continue to have a WNBL Operations Manager, a position which is currently held by Bowden Chapman.

All WNBL operational matters should be referred to Bowden in the first instance.

As the internal restructure is implemented, BA will continue to update our relevant stakeholders.

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Camel 31  
Years ago

That was Kristina Keneally on TV just then for about 15minutes (ABC Grandstand) didn't speak about LL
but covered just about everything else about Basketball.
WNBL live streaming , as well 4 oclock on ABC TV is a much bigger audience ( 8 Opals playing includes LJ)
'Basketball seems to be measured by the success of NBL
Here we will look at the costs of running an NBL club'
'We cain't even send the 1,000 000 basketball players an email and we will have online registrations to do this. Amongst many other things tooo numerous to mention

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