Arocca Shortlisted For North
The Age
Friday January 11, 2008
HAVING been overlooked as chief executive of the football club he spent a lifetime following, former Collingwood board member Eugene Arocca could trade stripes and take on the most difficult job in football - endeavouring to save North Melbourne.
It is understood former lawyer Arocca, who is the Collingwood commercial operations manager, has been sounded out about shifting to Arden Street as chief executive.Arocca is on a short list with a clutch of other second-tier football executives for the vacant top job at North.The Age understands North will target a range of executives including Travis Auld chief operating officer at Essendon, Terry Dillon chief operating officer at Hawthorn, James Van Beek, previously at St Kilda but now working at Concept Sports. Not all of these people have yet been spoken to by North Melbourne but approaches would be expected to be made as the club hopes to make an appointment as soon as next month. North Melbourne board member Mark Brayshaw, himself a former chief executive at Richmond, is overseeing the recruitment of the club's new chief executive.No incumbent chief executive is expected to be sought for the position as the club, which will not advertise the post, believes it can exploit the market of those in the next bracket beneath the chief executives. Such people would have the experience in the football market to step straight into the job.Neither Arocca nor North Melbourne would yesterday comment on whether an approach had yet been made.Arocca was a Collingwood board member before quitting to join the executive team under Greg Swann. He was disappointed to be overlooked for Gary Pert in the top job at Collingwood when Swann went to Carlton.
© 2008 The Age
