Melbourne Demons crisis deepens with former vice-president Geoff Freeman declaring interest in taking over club board

Geoff Freeman was Melbourne vice-president under Glen Bartlett and has declared his interest in taking over as president of the embattled club.

Melbourne’s off-field crisis has deepened with former vice-president and insurance industry heavyweight Geoff Freeman declaring his interest in a takeover of the club’s embattled board.

Freeman, who is close to star midfielder Christian Petracca, confirmed he was giving “serious consideration” to a run for president amid ongoing turmoil at the club.

“I will do whatever is best for Melbourne – we need to resolve all of our outstanding issues and we need to do it quickly,” Freeman said.

“I have a lot of respect for our current president, Brad Green, and Brad has indicated that he has only stepped into the breach for the time being. I’m not sure of his long-term plans, but if we can get the off-field situation right, we can get the on-field right as well.

Geoff Freeman pictured with former Melbourne president Glen Bartlett. Picture: Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images

“We cannot afford to have all of these issues continuing into next season.”

Freeman said resolving the long-running dispute with former Dees president Glen Bartlett and getting to the bottom of concerns surrounding the club’s culture were priorities in the coming weeks and months.

Bartlett filed legal papers against the AFL in the Federal Court on Thursday in an escalation of his damaging stoush with Melbourne.

Petracca has expressed frustrations with the direction of the club, while premiership teammate Clayton Oliver was shopped around ahead of this month’s trade period.

The Herald Sun this week revealed doubts had also been cast over the club’s ambitious bid to build a new training and administration base at Caulfield racecourse.

Melbourne chief executive Gary Pert, who is leading a review into the club’s football operations, has been dragged into the Bartlett saga after being served with legal papers in recent weeks.

The claim is believed to surround an interview Pert gave to SEN radio late last year in which he described the club’s culture as “the best I’ve seen in 40 years” and statements suggesting Bartlett had unfairly targeted a senior club figure.

Lindsay Fox with former Melbourne Football Club vice-president Geoff Freeman. Picture: Supplied

Scott Sharry of top law firm Clayton Utz is representing Bartlett in the Pert defamation claim.

Bartlett is already suing multiple Demons directors, including Green and recently departed president Kate Roffey, in the Federal Court in relation to his sudden exit in April 2021.

He had held crisis talks with league commission chairman Richard Goyder and ex-league boss Gillon McLachlan just weeks before being removed as president.

Freeman served under Bartlett on the Melbourne board from 2013-2019.

He returned to Australia on Wednesday after a week in Europe with billionaire trucking magnate Lindsay Fox, former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and St Kilda director Jack Rush.

MORE TO COME

Originally published as Melbourne Demons crisis deepens with former vice-president Geoff Freeman declaring interest in taking over club board