Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett wants Melbourne members to oust the AFL club’s board and make him president.
Kennett, who had a successful stint as Hawthorn president from 2006-11, says while he’s a Hawks fan, the challenge of fixing the ailing Demons appeals to him.
He says some Melbourne members have approached him within the past fortnight about stepping in and he’d be happy to do so, describing it as the best management challenge in sport.
“Absolutely I’d do it,” Kennett told Melbourne’s 3AW radio on Thursday.
“If I could get the Melbourne supporters to say enough’s enough and allow us to put together a board of five, we’d give them six to seven years to rebuild.”
He said the Hawks, Geelong and Collingwood were all struggling 14 years ago but have since become powerful thanks to strong presidents.
“Melbourne is a strong brand, it represents our state,” Kennett said.
“It will survive but it needs a winning culture, it needs some passion and it needs good governance – it doesn’t have any of that.”
Kennett called for the current board to resign, saying they had no credibility.
If that doesn’t happen, he wants the members to throw them out mid-season.
“You can keep fiddling while Rome burns,” Kennett said.
“But at some stage the Melbourne supporters themselves are going to have to rise up and decide whether they’re going to allow their club to simply bottom out at the bottom of the ocean, or whether they’re going to start rebuilding.”
Under the Demons’ constitution, a special general meeting can be demanded by at least 100 members with voting rights signing a written resolution.
Kennett said the fact he’s a Hawks fan shouldn’t dissuade Melbourne supporters who value success.
But Demons president Don McLardy doubted Kennett would attract much support.
“Over the last few years Jeff has been very vocal in his thoughts on our club,” McLardy said in a statement.
“His suggestions for our club have included merging with North Melbourne and moving to the Gold Coast.
“We don’t believe Jeff’s views on our club align with our members.”
Also on Thursday, AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou all but ruled out the Demons being given extra salary cap room to help them improve.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and Hawks counterpart Andrew Newbold had proposed such a move, but Demetriou said while the league wanted to help, that wasn’t the answer.
“I just don’t think you tamper with the pillars,” Demetriou told SEN radio.
“The salary cap and the draft are pretty sacrosanct.”