Melbourne board challenger calls for overhaul of Demons’ ‘closed shop’ director election system
A Melbourne board challenger has called for an overhaul of the club’s director election system, declaring in-house candidates are given an unfair advantage.
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A Melbourne board challenger has called for an overhaul of the club’s “closed shop” director election system.
Businessman Peter Lawrence, who is running for a seat on president Kate Roffey’s embattled board, says in-house candidates are given an unfair advantage at the Demons.
“The matters relating to the board’s behaviours do not surprise me and are perhaps symptomatic of the compromised manner in which the board compiles itself,” Lawrence said.
“It is a closed shop board which chooses itself. Members are kept at arm’s length.”
Two of Melbourne’s eight directors – Steve Morris and Mohan Jesudason – are retiring and have stood down ahead of next month’s annual general meeting to allow the appointment of preferred candidates Geoff Porz and Sarah Robinson.
Football director Brad Green, chair of the club’s nominations committee, is also up for re-election.
Lawrence, who forced the first Melbourne board election in 15 years in 2021, said members deserved a better say in the governance of their club.
“We would be better off if retiring directors served their term through to the AGM and quality prospective candidates were encouraged to apply and were then presented to the members for an election,” he said.
“We should have a level playing field that unearths quality candidates from our over 70,000 membership base because the ‘Old Melbourne Way’ is not serving us well at the moment.”
Lawrence garnered significant support in 2021 securing over 47 per cent of members’ votes, despite former president Glen Bartlett’s endorsement of four incumbent candidates, including Morris and David Rennick, who Bartlett is now suing as well as Roffey and director David Robb in relation to his sudden exit in April 2021.
Lawrence has since formed the “Deemocracy” group pushing for more open and transparent elections.
Melbourne is the only Victorian AFL club that prevents electioneering, he said.
“This is all about good governance. About being open and inclusive, not closed and exclusive,” Lawrence said.
“It’s time to get real. We need to stop the spin and start living our values. Only then will we improve our culture and reach our true potential.
“Members are scared to rock the boat and I get that. We have been deprived of success for so long. Most don’t really care about board matters or election rules.
“But they should care. Making these small, but important improvements to how the club behaves and operates could just be the difference between winning another flag with this group, or not.
“At the end of the day it’s the members’ club. Shouldn’t the members decide who runs the club? Why are we being shut out? What are they trying to hide?
“Of course the board machinations are miles away from the news regarding Clayton Oliver and Joel Smith, but a good culture surely starts from the top.”
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