Melbourne president Kate Roffey has fiercely defended the club’s election process at Tuesday night’s AGM

At Tuesday night’s annual general meeting, Melbourne president Kate Roffey responded to those questioning the club’s election process.

Melbourne president Kate Roffey has fiercely defended the club’s election process but is open to an offer of legal dialogue with those representing unsuccessful board candidate Peter Lawrence who took the club to the Federal Court last week.

Lawrence failed in his bid to join the Demons board, with the club announcing at the annual general meeting on Tuesday night that former player Brad Green and current board members Geoff Porz and Sarah Robinson – who both filled casual vacancies in late September – had been re-elected to the three vacant positions.

Lawrence’s case is due back in court in May next year, but Roffey agreed to a suggestion that their two legal teams could sit down to potentially seek a resolution.

Demons president Kate Roffey has fiercely defended the club’s election process. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

But she refused to accept that the process was unfair for non-aligned candidates.

“I am happy with (our) legal representation to meet and discuss issues. (But) I will not discuss anything without appropriate legal representation because it (can) end for us in a very bad way,” Roffey explained to members at the AGM.

But the president stressed the board was well within its right to endorse candidates it felt were offering the skills the current board needed.

“We think we have a process that allows for people to stand … we stick by that process,” she said. “Everybody in effect gets the same opportunity to put their case forward.

“But in the end, I have one vote like everyone else. You are free to cast it anyway that you want. I am the president of this club and it is standard practice in any company to recommend (candidates) and for me to suggest who I think are the people with the skills we need at this time.

“I am not going to back away from that. That is good governance.”

Lawrence made some comments from the floor early in the presentation from chief executive Gary Pert but in one of the last questions of the two-and-a-half hour meeting asked Roffey if she would consider meeting with him to find a resolution.

“We were in the federal court here in Melbourne last Friday and the case relates to the club’s conduct around board elections, whether they were oppressive to me or the other candidates who participated,” Lawrence said.

“And if there is no resolution beforehand this case is scheduled for three days of hearing in early May, just before round 8 … Obviously, I am spending my money prosecuting the case as I think it is quite important for all members, and the club is spending members’ funds.

“My question is ‘Are you prepared to meet with me to discuss a possible solution to the matter? … I am available anytime.”

Melbourne CEO Gary Pert addressed a number of questions about the club’s proposed new home on Tuesday night. Picture: Michael Klein

Roffey had told the members that she was unable to talk about any current litigation taken against the club, which included Lawrence’s Federal Court action as well as ongoing legal action from former president Glenn Bartlett.

Pert defended the club’s decision to leave the questions from the floor – which followed the presentations – out of the online live-stream which went out to members who couldn’t attend.

He addressed a number of questions about the feasibility study into a proposed new home at Caulfield racecourse, saying it could be “a game changer for the next 50, 60, 70, maybe 100 years.”

Pert also said the club planned to unveil its next four-year strategic plan before the start of next season, insisting the club would continue to be bold and aspirational on and off the field, despite being bundled out of the finals in straight sets in the past two seasons.

Originally published as Melbourne president Kate Roffey has fiercely defended the club’s election process at Tuesday night’s AGM