Leaderboard

Wish him well. Delivered 21. Made slight progress on facilities. Financials are strong. Culture is not and that’s sword any organisation lives or dies on.

Please don't take your fights/arguments from one thread into others. Enough with the personal attack on posters. Last warning.

"Now is the right time for me and the right time for the club." Well played Gary Pert on your achievements at the club and in the gracious way in which you are handling your departure given the circumstances. You steered the club through potentially treacherous waters to win our first AFL/VFL premiership in 57 years, our first AFLW premiership a McClelland Trophy, two further top four finishes, record memberships and unprecedented financial strength. We look forward to your seeing us through to the conclusion of negotiations to secure a state-of-the-art training and administration base at Caulfield Racecourse Reserve. Thanks to you for all of your efforts for the betterment of the club.

imv Pert's contribution to the 2021 premiership was the the 2020 restructure of the FD, moving Mahoney out of the FD, recruiting Yze and supporting other coaching changes. I wasn't and still am not enamoured with the Richardson 'promotion' to FD GM but that aside Pert nailed the early years of his tenure. He put his own job on the line in supporting Goodwin early in 2021 when members of Board had doubts. He set up the environment for the coach and the players to be the best they could be. Without the above I doubt we would have won that precious flag,

Gary falls on his sword. I thank him for his time and efforts through the last 6 or so years at MFC and helping us break that 57 year year drought. Hopefully this is the best decision for everyone and the football club going forward.

Pert and Roffey gone it is what it is allow the media to speculate and devour the carcass of what is currently an easy kill. They called for change at the MFC with the off field matters (well published) this year and last, yet when change occurs their manta and position is toward continued turmoil not change to move forward. It’s time for the playing group and football department to knuckle down, less media and less incidents to draw further attention. just focus on the infield side of things next season and let that do the talking. And Chris from Camberwell if you’re on here for god sake stop getting on radio claiming to speak for the majority of Melbourne supporters, you certainly don’t speak for me and quite frankly are embarrassing most times you go to air on Dwayne Russell’s show.

Yes I agree but all those who refused to see the issues we had and how badly they were handled must now recognise with both Pert and Roffey gone things were rotten at the top. I thank both for there service but I’m pleased to see a fresh leadership at the club.

Just been announced Pert is stepping down. Hope those of you calling for his head are happy. It's one thing being president, quite another to be CEO, given Pert has been the one that has put the club in its best financial position in the club's history, I hope you all have a competent person in mind to take over.

Agree Katrina. There is a tendency to act like vultures on a carcass when someone leaves a club. It is pretty poor. He also was the boss when we won a flag and we put together a consistent finals team. Who was the last Ceo to do that, Jum Cardwell 60 years ago? We should thank him for his contribution and move on to our next stage. What I would like to see is a photo on November 21 of our draftees and Sharp, together with Tracc and Clarry, with the byline, Dees stars commit to their best footy, their long term future at the Dees, developing the newbies and getting us our next flag. That will enthuse us and shut up a few others.

All those whinging that Pert was running the review and that we are weak club in denial can take a break

time for Chook Fowler to step up into the position.

You say that with such venom as if Demonland posters are personally responsible for him stepping down or even being in the position that he would have to step down. Like random anonymously people on a forum have so much power. Stop making a fool of yourself.

Agree if they want Tauru our best position is them not being confident he gets passed our pick 5 forcing them to take him at 2. This increases the midfielder options available to us at pick 5.

A summary: On Smith (old news) “If elected I can hopefully help with stability of the club generally, with players, the board, sponsors. I am much more comfortable doing it now with [president] Brad [Green] there and then have an orderly transition.” On Goodwin Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been urged to lighten up in his dealings with players A football department review to be released on Friday found the events of the past 12 months had weighed heavily on Goodwin, making him intense and stressed around players, according to two sources familiar with the findings who were not authorised to speak publicly. The sources said Goodwin welcomed the recognition of the burden he had been carrying and agreed with the sentiment to try to ease his stress. The review reinforced that the players still held the 2021 premiership coach in high regard and wanted him to have the support needed to perform at his best. On Richardson The review recommends a tweaking of roles within the football department and a shift in the focus of high-performance manager Alan Richardson. Former New Zealand All Blacks manager Darren Shand, who helped lead the review, will have a mentoring role in managing the way Richardson deals with the team, coach and the rest of the department. The rest of the article is a repeat of the Pert article earlier today and discussed in the Pert thread. The above are reports which may not align in accuracy or context with the acutual findings. If they are accurate: I'm very pleased Goodwin will get the support the players think he needs and he is open to receiving I'm surprised that Richardson is getting a 'mentor' after so many years in the game. But not surprised as I have said elsewhere he was a poor choice for GM of FD.

Hi All Probably a bit closer for me than most here - he played footy in the under 11s at Glen Iris Gladiators with my son. His dad is the team manager. There has been 2 go fund me's set up - one with the money going directly to the Davey family to allow them as much time as possible for whatever they need and the other set up by the primary school for all the families involved - donate what you can spare to help Links here https://gofund.me/e0d6b27e https://gofund.me/4a2efb1f

302 games with the Dees. Head Coach and Technical Director of Football at Haileybury. Head Coach at Peninsula Grammar. He would’ve also had a lot to do with mentoring and coaching our midfield of Brayshaw, Oliver, Petracca et tout from 2014 to 2021.

A number of people in this thread with the false bravado of someone who thinks and sees the world in black and white. I am glad for the decision that Gary seems to have made because it seems to have been made in the best interests of himself, the staff, and the best interests of the future of the club. We couldn’t afford to wring change without that best interest and willing self-sacrifice. Not every tenure is holistically bad or good and those of you harbouring misgivings over half a decade are just as ridiculous as those believing ‘reports’ of his executive malfeasance. Life is more humdrum than some think it is, it is less sensational than Tom or Sam accuses it of being, and it comes full of good people trying to do their best. And with that, I say thanks to Gary and look to the future, and the next executive on a hiding to nothing in some eyes.

The online edition of the Herald Sun is carrying an article by Mark Robinson in which Gary Pert explains that controversial comment about the club’s culture ~ "My point, that was taken out of context - I was saying we are dealing with player behaviour issues and I don't want the entire club being tarnished by that," he said. "When I made the comment, we had won more games of footy in the past three years than any other team (in the league) and had recently won a premiership, and that we were doing a lot of great things. I was saying, the player behaviour issues had to be dealt with in that regard and not discredit the Max Gawns, Jack Vineys and Kate Hores ... I didn't want the whole football club being tarnished by a couple of people." In what was a complex situation, Melbourne had to carry the can for its players being in the controversial and secretive AFL drugs program, which meant the club wasn't fully across all the information - and still isn't. It's frustrating, but it's reality. "I did take offence, and maybe got a bit emotional, but I did take offence to a couple of players' behaviour tarnishing what I think is a club full of magnificent people," Pert said. I’m sure this won’t satisfy everyone but it’s logical and consistent with the views expressed to me in recent months by some of the senior group of players.

I note the club has responded to his dad's Instagram post saying they'll get in touch with an offer to help in any way they can. Lovely gesture.

Steven Smith nominating for the board... that has to be positive

https://x.com/ Dear Members, Following my letter last week, I’m writing to share further updates that are central to the future direction of our club. These include important news regarding our CEO, Gary Pert, and key Board nominees, including Steven Smith, who has committed to stepping forward to support the club’s stability and growth. Firstly, it is with mixed emotions that I announce that, after six years as CEO of the Melbourne Football Club, Gary Pert has decided to retire and will step down from his role. After careful consideration of what is best for the club, his family, and his own future, Gary concluded that now is the right time to initiate the search for his successor. I want to make it absolutely clear that this decision, including its timing, is Gary’s own. On behalf of the entire club and Board, I sincerely thank Gary for the invaluable contributions he has made to the red and blue since joining us at the end of the 2018 season. His leadership has been pivotal in delivering a series of significant achievements both on and off the field, instilling a deep sense of pride in all Dees supporters. Notably, under Gary’s leadership, the club celebrated both an AFL premiership in 2021 and an AFLW premiership in 2022, accompanied by regular finals appearances. A key element of his legacy will be the football review he conducted in 2020, which was instrumental in setting the stage for our 2021 premiership success. Gary’s influence has also been felt in our financial stability and commercial performance. During his tenure, we achieved record membership growth, rising from 40,000 to over 70,000 members by 2023. To ensure continuity on one of our most important projects, the Board has asked Gary to stay on in a consulting role, focusing on establishing our state-of-the-art training and administration base at Caulfield Racecourse Reserve. I am pleased to say Gary has accepted this role. Gary will remain CEO until the end of the year, allowing us ample time to celebrate his remarkable contributions before he narrows his focus to the future of our club at Caulfield. As the club embarks on an extensive search for our next CEO to guide Melbourne’s future, our Chief Operating Officer, David Chippindall, will step in as interim from January 2025, providing steady leadership until the new CEO is firmly in place. Members will receive a call for nominations for the Board tomorrow inviting all eligible members passionate about Melbourne’s future to participate. In an exciting development, I am thrilled to announce that Steven Smith will nominate for a position on the Board. Should members elect him, I will encourage Steven to seek board endorsement to succeed me as President of the Melbourne Football Club at the end of the 2025 AFL season. His vision and commitment to our club are invaluable assets as we look toward a united and successful future. In line with our succession planning and recent governance review, the Board has been actively identifying the skills and attributes required to lead the club into the future. I am pleased to announce that, along with Steven, Chris Barlow also intends to nominate for the Board. If elected, it is the Board’s view that Steven and Chris would each bring a unique blend of experience, passion and strategic vision to our club. To give you a bit more background, Steven has a deep history with the Melbourne Football Club and the MCC. He played over 200 games for the Dees and won the Best and Fairest in 1981. He also served as MCC President from 2015 to 2019, where he played a key role in securing the AFL Grand Final at the MCG until 2057 and introducing new membership categories. He is a long-serving property and real estate partner named in Best Lawyers™ Australia for Property Law and Retirement Villages and Senior Living Law for the last five years, including ‘Lawyer of the Year.’ Chris Barlow brings vital expertise with decades of experience in retail, property and financial investment and currently serving as Chair of the Big Blue Ocean Group. Chris spent most of his career with a focus in convenience retail, specifically with 7-Eleven building that brand to a dominant, market leading position in Australia from its grass roots in the early 80s. Chris has also served on the Boards of a number of not-for-profit community serving organisations. His fresh perspective and commitment to sustainable growth will further strengthen our Board, bringing new energy and insights to our leadership. Additionally, I am pleased to confirm that current Directors Sally Freeman and Dr Angela Williams are standing for re-election. Sally Freeman is an experienced Director, auditor and financial expert and has made a terrific contribution to the Board for the three years she has served, including as the current Chair of the Audit, Risk and Integrity Committee. Dr Angela Williams is a more recent appointment to the Board. Dr Williams is a medical practitioner with postgraduate qualifications in public health, health management, law and business. Dr Williams is an accomplished Director and administrator with extensive Board and Committee experience across a wide variety of sectors including health, emergency services, justice, the Australian Defence Force and both the AFL and Football Victoria. Already, we have seen her positively contribute to the Board. I believe that Sally and Angela’s nomination offers the club the stability and expertise we need at this time. The Board will provide members with further information about the election after the nominations period closes. Thank you once again, and as always—Go Demons! Brad Green President Melbourne Football Club

I really do hope the footy club does something. There is not a parent in the country whose heart isn't going out to that poor family this week. Puts all the BS we argue about on here into perspective.

He's obviously not keen on Armstrong

Pert quits CEO role in latest Dees’ off-field drama The embattled Demons chief executive informed staff of his resignation on Thursday morning following a turbulent period at the club. Pert’s departure comes ahead of the handing down of the findings of two separate reviews into the club’s operations. The reports were received by the board at a meeting this week. Pert is expected to stay on in a consultancy position to help steer Melbourne’s proposed move to the Caulfield racecourse. He made headlines late last year by declaring Melbourne’s culture “the best I’ve seen in 40 years”. Melbourne has been contacted for comment.

But I like that one

I don't have any inside information but I believe the Melbourne Football Club will promote George de Crespigny to the CEO position. George is currently the Chief Commercial Officer. George has been working with the Melbourne Football Club for 11 years. George previously worked at the AFL for 8 years and the ACT Brumbies. George was a great Footballer for the University Blues Football Club.

I don't really put much blame on Pert for the club's recent issues but a key part of the role is to be the fall guy when things go pear shaped. That said, he is obviously a spin merchant and has not been successful in managing the various crises engulfing the club. The facilities are really an issue because our history being tied to the MCG and because there is no key votes in government support for us. I think the Caulfield plan is going to be hard to get over the line given the cost and the state government's deficit, but hopefully it comes through. The problems with Oliver have been 99% Clarrie's fault, but the way he was shopped around by the club was messy both times and Pert and the club were naive to think we could trade him for anywhere near to what we believe is fair value. Petracca's issues have been mostly unlucky. I don't think the CEO is really to blame. I don't place any fault on Pert for the drug issues. Pert is not responsible for us going out in straight sets in 2022 and 2023.

The best thing he did for the club was his review of the footy dept post 2020 which brought Yze to the club. Brough in a good coaching ticket to work with Goody. Delivered a flag as a result. I'm very thankful for that. Culture went down the toilet under his watch. Was obvious to everyone. Had to go as a consequence. Thank you Gary for your efforts. You'll always be part of the 2021 flag.

Your efforts to deride Lawrence are pretty pathetic. He’s been largely proven right in suggesting the leadership of the club was poor.

His awareness and ability to weave through traffic is unparalleled in this draft. The way he moves at such speed in traffic and zips around is eerily similar to Butters. He didn't test through the roof for the 20m sprint (was still good), but he's constantly moving at such high speed around the ball that to the eye he's the fastest midfielder out there. He's so strong through the hips already, if he can add some upper body strength in a proper AFL environment then the skies the limit. Not hard to see him becoming a Lachie Neale type midfielder winning a Brownlow. He's probably the safest bet in the entire draft to become a good player. He's a leader too, being a captain this year. Would be a good point of difference to the bigger slower Trac and Clarry types we have and could lead the next generation after them. If he fell to our pick 5, it would be a very bold call not to draft him.

That is the most inspiring interview I've read in a very long time. He will make sure all in the FD lift their game. Feeling quite optimistic again. Kudos to Green for getting Smith back on board and the way he has handled the first month as President.

The report is he's still staying on as a consultant to shepherd the facilities stuff through

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Melbourne board candidate Steven Smith says he has plans to help reunite the club, address its cultural failings and capitalise on its three-year premiership window. The highly-respected former MCC chairman and 203-game Demon on Thursday confirmed he would nominate for the club’s board and take over as president in 12 months, if elected. Smith last month knocked back the club’s advances but changed his mind after interim president Brad Green ticked off a pre-planned overseas family holiday from May – July. The successful property lawyer said the club could re-enter the premiership mix next season, but only if it faced up to the errors that had contributed to the Demons’ poor year on and off the field, including the botched handling of superstar midfielders Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver. “I really want to be around to implement the review findings and basically provide some stability because the next six months is going to be so important to effectively reunite the club,” Smith told the Herald Sun. “We need to include the groups which have been, to some extent, disengaged at the football club over a period of time, and make some changes from the reviews which will get us back to where we should be. “For the actual playing group itself, I think the premiership window is another two or three years, and I’m excited about the phase beyond that. “In ‘22, we had bad luck and injuries to Max (Gawn) and Jake Lever and then in ‘23 we just kicked badly, but this year has been different and some of those issues have been forced upon us, like Angus’ (Brayshaw’s) retirement, and, J Smith with his drug issues. “And some of the others, like Christian and Clayton, were badly handled.” Smith, who has strong connections in the top offices of Australian sport after a 21-year stint at the Melbourne Cricket Club, said he had a lifelong passion for Melbourne, and was excited about the changes the twin reviews into the football department and board would bring. Club great Nathan Jones and former Port Adelaide assistant Nathan Bassett are expected to join the coaching staff, with a strong focus on bedding down an effective game plan, and setting clear expectations for players. Smith said the trade period had shown the Dees had to repair its culture and restore its reputation as a destination club. “I love the place, it has been very important in my life,” Smith said. “This year has been a really hard year for the footy club and that really hurts me. “But footy clubs aren’t perfect, they make mistakes, and it can be a complex dynamic dealing with 40 young men who don’t always get it right either. “So, we have got to learn from those mistakes, and I think the review will help us do that. The recommendations will make sure the mistakes don’t happen again. “What was clear from the trade period was that no one really wanted to come to us. “We have to get back to being a destination club and that comes with restoring the culture. We are definitely still in the premiership window. “At board level, we need to make sure we have the right people in the right positions to create that environment so the players and staff feel happy, safe and secure coming into work every day.” Melbourne will endorse Smith, who previously served as a Melbourne director between 1990-1992, and 7-Eleven director Chris Barlow for its two board vacancies. Smith said he would come back from the holiday feeling rejuvenated after a busy work period and was grateful for Green’s understanding and commitment as interim president during a tough time. “I need the break,” he said. “I need to come back fired up because, if I am elected, the difference between being a director and being president is significant. “Being president is almost a full-time job, and I want to come back refreshed.”

Those that cannot praise Pert for the part he played in us winning a flag are just embarrassing themselves Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with the change and he has made mistakes but he was here from 2018-2024 and played an important role in us being financially stable and winning a flag

This is a positive step. We need to clear the air and get the club pulling in the same direction. Whether you were hounding for him to go or staunchly defending him, we can all now agree that the club and Pert have decided to part ways in a move that is best for the club.

Ollie there is no reason to dance on Pert’s grave but I’d just make the point that if the man involved in the review couldn’t save his job it’s indicative that a change was well overdue. The whole world could see we’d become a laughing stock and it got so bad I had to excuse myself from any media exposure for a period, it’s awful seeing something you love being laughed at and ridiculed. Our leadership was obviously very poor and that’s now being attended to which is great news for the club. And through all of this our list still remains strong with a couple of very promising recruits to come. I’m now very optimistic about our future.

Well, this is a really c..p post. KDF made a fair point and made it fairly. Pert has obviously had good points and bad points. There is no doubt that there has been a lot of criticism of him on this site - usually vituperative and largely unjustified - and KDF was making the fair point that it won't be easy to replace him. No doubt the posters who were banging on about the need for the reviews to be independent etc will completely fail to recognise that the review, as conducted and as authorised by the existing board, has clearly been perfectly independent and prepared to make hard suggestions/decisions - in other words, that the board as presently constituted has done a good job with the reviews.

Sadly, the news is again coming from leaks. I would think only a small number of people would have access to the results and they shouldn't be leaking this stuff. Anyway, here is an initial report from 'journalists' with another misleading title Goodwin urged to ‘lighten up’ amid major Demons leadership overhaul. theage.com Mods may want to move this to the Pert thread but as the report findings are to be released tomorrow a new thread might be appropriate as the findings will be broader than Pert's departure. I will post a summary shortly as it may take some time to compile

This thread has gone berserk so I'm sure any comment I make will be three pages back within minutes and never seen again, but I'm going to go on record with my feeling about Pert. 1. Extremely capable and driven. Had clear visions for change to bring about success as a club at both Collingwood and Melbourne, and personally committed to making it happen. Surging financial positions and on field success came to both clubs under his leadership. 2. An 'excess of awareness of own abilities' (I am so polite) led him to not respect role boundaries and the decisions made by others, at both Collingwood and Melbourne, leading to a continuously accumulating breakdown of role definitions and an undermining of the crucial need for unity of purpose once decisions and plans had been set. I suspect he may even be addicted to creating change. This appeared to particularly affect the football side of things with both clubs experiencing unexpected and not fully justifiable slides after their premiership peaks. As Sun Tzu said, to understand the weaknesses of anyone you must study their strengths.

Believe it or not the emoji has disappeared from my emoji options. Did you pinch it, bb ...

Great post luci. As much as people like binary good or bad assessments, the reality is Pert did alot right and like anyone had areas for improvement. Those two things are always in tension, which is why in most organisations CEOs have a shelf life. Whatever people's view of pert, or how much credit he gets (and my views align with yours), his legacy is assured - he led the dees to our first flag in 57 years. In an industry that is all about winning flags, two flags look pretty good on a resume.

Surely as supporters we can drive this. Doesn’t the cheer squad do the banner? They can put a tribute there. Let’s contact the club and get them to reach out to the family and have them as our special guests Round 1. Let’s get his classmates to be the honour guard. There is so much we can do to support this kid, his family and school friends.

The para I quoted above is now preceded by this comment in the latest version of the article by The Age: (Pert) had been discussing a mid-2025 retirement with Roffey before she stood down. Context is everything. We had planned an orderly succession at the top with both Roffey and Pert departing at the top. Circumstances changed and that plan has been brought forward. No drama.

Wow, I am shocked! According to the happy clappers on here everything is rosy at the club and the evil media have just been making up lies about us, so I am stunned that the President and CEO have both been told to make way.

You’d think so but I doubt that will be the takeaway by many.. Time for change, seems like the reviews are doing what they said on the box. Never met Pert, seemed like a salesman at heart which has pros and cons. Seems to have outlasted his welcome at 2 clubs but it has to be acknowledged that he also saw a flag at both those clubs so I doubt he’s the chaos agent some on here paint him out to be.

Someone with the strength (and respect) to keep both Oliver and Tracc’s eyes squarely on the job at hand, and nothing else. If he can achieve that then this appointment will be hailed as a major success.

MFC playing funny buggers just like the Kako bid

I totally agree, and I’ve got too much respect for him to “bag” anything about his skills/kicking. Nor do I have any “jobs for the boys” issues. He’s a club champion, and not a nepotism case I was just saying that I have concerns - and concerns with a lower case “c” - about one particular aspect of what he may (or may not) bring as a coach (because it’s, y’know, Demonland) But I also think his presence will be a stabilising force for our currently-a-bit-rattled champs in the midfield, and that could bring a whole lot of other positives I’m most happy to sit back and see how he pans out, and of course, I wish him all the best. I do bluddy love Jonesy.