Australia's "disappointing results at the Rio Olympics will be addressed publicly by the Australian Sports Commission in the coming days," with the NSW Institute of Sport told announcements would be made "on the need for more money and structural reform" of the state institutes and the Australian Institute of Sport, according to Roy Masters of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. A suggestion to fold state institutes of sport into the AIS is "guaranteed to further inflame the already volatile debate over the nation's sporting future and will be strongly resisted." The proposal of a federal takeover of the state institutes "was tabled at a June meeting of the AIS Future Directions advisory body, chaired by the ASC's John Wylie." The meeting was attended by AOC President John Coates, along with other experienced sports administrators, such as FFA CEO David Gallop. Gallop confirmed the plan to integrate state institutes with the AIS, "essentially to rationalise resources, had been discussed at a June meeting." He "was not prepared to disclose details." One plan would be a A$46M ($35M) buyout of the state institutes "where they would lose their identity and all staffing and resources would be folded into the AIS, with NSWIS, VIS and QAS becoming satellites of the Canberra institute." Another proposal "is a joint board, consisting of representatives from the state institutes and the AIS, with this central body having over-arching control of national institute programs in key sports, such as swimming, rowing, athletics and cycling" (SMH, 8/24).
HIDDEN AGENDA: In Sydney, Chip Le Grand reported corporate titan Leigh Clifford has accused Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates of "pursuing a hidden agenda by taking aim at several prominent sports administrators in the bitter aftermath to the Rio Games." Clifford, a newly appointed director of Equestrian Australia, said that "he was appalled" that Coates had singled out Wylie, Swimming Australia President John Bertrand and Cycling Australia Chair Malcolm Speed for criticism after Australia fell short of a “ridiculous’’ medal target. Clifford, who was also named by Coates in a public attack against what the AOC boss described as a failed “corporate model’’ of sports governance, said, "I don’t know what the objective is here. Is it to gain control of all expenditure in sport or is it to replace people? I think it was premature. I think there is some hidden agenda and I don’t know what it is" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 8/25).
