Former MCC boss Steven Smith to turn down Melbourne presidency

He’s the perfect fit for the Melbourne presidency or board, but Steven Smith has knocked back the Demons’ advances. JON RALPH reveals why.

Former MCC boss and 200-game Melbourne defender Steven Smith has declined the club’s overtures to join the board or consider the presidency as he takes 12 months to decompress after an intense 40-year law career.

The Herald Sun understands Smith has told the Demons he will not be taking up a casual board vacancy, despite moves to parachute him into the presidency vacated by the departing Kate Roffey.

Smith was the perfect choice for that position given his 200-game career with the club, extraordinary relationships across football and his former role as the Melbourne Cricket Club president. But having only just retired as a high-profile property lawyer months ago, he is not prepared to commit to such an intense role as an AFL club presidency.

Then-US Vice President Joe Biden (centre) holds up and AFL football in 2016 at the MCG with then-AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan, Mike Fitzpatrick (right) and then-Chair of the MCC Steven Smith (left).

Smith will spend up to three months in Italy next year, and while that might still have been possible as a Demons director it would not be feasible if he was the club president.

Had Roffey finished her term and moved on at the end of 2025 Smith might have been in a better place to succeed her.

The Demons now have three reviews afoot – Gary Pert’s football review, a board review, and a top-to-bottom review of the club. That review will be conducted by All Blacks’ leadership consultant Darren Shand, Pert and new Demons president Brad Green.

Green has taken over from Roffey as president, and has committed to that review to assess what the best way forward for the eight-person board will be. He is open-minded about whether he might be a long-term president if the club believes after that review he is the right person for the job.

Some leading Melbourne figures have made clear they would have conducted a totally independent review of the club’s operations, but instead Pert and Green will be intimately involved in the three-person committee.

Steven Smith in his former role as MCC President. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The board faces considerable change given David Robb is stepping down this year and Sally Freeman, elected in 2021, is now again up for election at this year’s annual general meeting.

Smith might be ready in 12 months, but having thrown himself into his law career while also the president of the MCC he is believed to have a level of burnout.

In 12 months he might decide that he is ready to throw his name into the ring given he has strong views about the Demons and a passion to be part of the solution.

Green and Roffey met Smith last week to assess his interest in joining the board and potentially becoming president after several discussions during the year.

Green said last week he was happy to step up to the plate to help the club as a current director who played 254 games with the Demons.

“I am honoured to have been chosen as President by my colleagues and proud to continue to serve this great club which has given me so many opportunities in life,” Green said on Friday.

“I have told my colleagues that I will lead the review process and once it is completed I would like to give the Board the opportunity to vote again on the Presidency.

“This will be a collaborative reset of the Board and it’s important that we are honest with each other about where we have succeeded, and where we could have done better.

“There is no doubt that we need to turn the faith and belief of our members and fans into results and performance, and the Board stands at the top of that process.”

Originally published as Former MCC boss Steven Smith to turn down Melbourne presidency