Mark Robinson: Former Melbourne president Joe Gutnick backs calls for a full-scale review of embattled Demons

With focus on the Dees at an all-time high for the wrong reasons, a former president has backed calls for a full-scale independent review of the club in the wake of the Christian Petracca stand-off.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. April 4, 2024. AFL Gather Round. Round 4. Adelaide vs. Melbourne at the Adelaide Oval. Simon Goodwin, senior coach of the Demons with president Kate Roffey after tonights win. Pic: Michael Klein

Former Melbourne president “Diamond” Joe Gutnick has supported calls for a full-scaled review of the embattled football club.

Distressed by the Christian Petracca stand-off, and other recent controversies, Gutnick said he was disillusioned having to watch the club “fall apart and disintegrate” in recent weeks.

Gutnick’s concerns comes as the Herald Sun can reveal Petracca’s partner Isabella Beischer – formerly a lawyer at the Hall & Wilcox legal firm, is now the business manager of Trac 5 Pty Ltd.

She is the key driver of “Brand Petracca”, which reportedly is one of reasons influencing Petracca’s desire to pursue a trade to a big Melbourne club.

She became Petracca’s business manager in April this year, two months prior to Petracca being severely injured in the King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood.

Gutnick said he would be moved to support a potential challenge to the Demons’ board, but would not be part of any ticket.

“I’m not interested in becoming president again – I’m a supporter, a member, and I’m concerned the whole club is falling apart and disintegrating in front of the AFL world,“ he said.

Joe Gutnick has called for a review of the Demons. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

“Something is wrong and it’s incumbent on the board to make an independent review.

“Whether it’s the coach’s fault, whether it’s the board’s fault, or the football department … is there is not enough unity at the club? All these questions are being asked.

“Most importantly, there’s no one in the Melbourne Football Club who doesn’t like Petracca – he’s been a super player and a super representative of the football club, so why is he so adamant about leaving? It’s perplexing. There’s something wrong somewhere and we have to get to the bottom of it.”

Melbourne board challenger Peter Lawrence this week joined former great David Schwarz in calling for a full-scale independent review of the club’s operations.

Demons’ president Kate Roffey on Thursday rejected such a move.

“No, I don’t think so,” Roffey told SEN. “We’re always looking at reviewing, we’ve been constantly working on all sorts of things throughout the year. That’s never a stagnant process.”

Gutnick said: “She is wrong. I think (a review) is needed. Why won’t she have one? People are disillusioned.”

Asked if he had faith in Roffey, Gutnick said: “I can’t really comment, I don’t want to be critical of any individual, the coach or the president. I don’t know what the real issues are, and I don’t think too many do know, and that’s why we need an independent inquiry. We need to get to the bottom of it for the sake of the supporters, the sake of the players, and the sake of the future of the club.

Bella Beischer and Christian Petracca.

“Maybe that can save the rift with Petracca, that would be the best outcome for everybody.”

Gutnick, who was Demons’ president from 1996-2001, said he had this week written an email to Roffey, chief executive Gary Pert, board members, coach Simon Goodwin and captain Max Gawn expressing concerns – and had not received back a single response.

“Being an ex-president, I thought I would have got something,’’ he said.

Gutnick said he did not have details about former president Glen Bartlett’s legal battle with the club.

“But to dismiss a president in the middle of the year, and he has all these gripes, and they haven’t been able to resolve it, and all these issues with (Joel) Smith and drugs, and this and that … it’s just not right,’’ he said.

“We were in such a good position in 2021 and it’s gone downhill. There’s this disunity, disillusionment with supporters, something is wrong.’’

Originally published as Mark Robinson: Former Melbourne president Joe Gutnick backs calls for a full-scale review of embattled Demons