Jason Cunningham and Ron Gauci eye Essendon board seats, vow to fix club Jason Cunningham says Bombers fans must stop blaming the AFL for the club's problems. The father of three believes the club needs to repair relations with major stakeholders including members and the AFL. "I think there is a significant disconnect with the relationships at our footy club, there's a breakdown with our relationships with our members, with the other clubs, with the media and with the AFL, we need to repair that," he said. HIRD APPEAL: AFL obliged to work with ASADA, Federal Court hears DAVID KING: ASADA saga masks Bombers" on-field issues NEW DEAL: Paul Chapman commits to Essendon Cunningham and former Melbourne Storm chief executive Ron Gauci will challenge incumbent board members Joanne Albert and Kevin Egan at the coming Essendon AGM. Cunningham has urged fans to stop blaming the AFL for the club's woes. "I hear people saying, "it's the AFL that's brought the Bombers down, Demetriou's got to answer for this," but we are a stakeholder in the AFL," he said. I ask you what is the alternative? Do we play in the EFL or VFL, we need to create a strong relationship with the AFL and the other clubs as well as our supporters, members and sponsors. If you look at our draw this year, we don't have the most favourable draw because guess what, we are not the AFL's best friend, we were once a powerhouse club and we were one of the benchmarks in the industry. We need to be at peace and not at war with all the stakeholders in our club. Ron Gauci, former chief executive of Melborne Storm, is also challenging for a place on the Bombers board. Both Gauci and Cunningham have received abusive, sometimes threatening, messages online from a small but vocal band of Essendon supporters. "Social media allows any muppet to be a keyboard warrior," Cunnigham said. People saying that Ron and I are plants from the AFL, and you better watch out. There's nothing more ridiculous, I run three businesses, I sit on boards, I work on radio, I work on TV, I'm a public speaker, I'm a family man, it's not like Gillon McLachlan has put me in as a plant to tear down the Bombers, it's ridiculous. The challengers believe they can work with Essendon chairman Paul Little to propel the club to the best run in the AFL. "If our first objective is to benchmark ourselves with the best, that is the Hawthorn Football Club, who are respected, revered, hated and feared - all the qualities we used to have," Cunningham said. You just go and ask Dermott Brereton, any time Brereton talked about the Bombers he'd say he hated them but now we are a laughing stock. We are almost pitied. We've got to repair that and we have to do that quick-smart. "I want my kids to walk around and feel proud to barrack for the Bombers."" Originally published as Bombers board challenger vows to fix club