OUTGOING Melbourne chief executive officer Peter Jackson says he is leaving the football club exactly where he wants it to be after five years at the helm.
Speaking at Monday night’s Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy dinner, Jackson told those in attendance that the timing was right to pass on the baton.
“Through the efforts of a lot of good people, I think I will leave Melbourne better than it was when this journey started,” Jackson said.
“It is the right time for me to pass it over to others, the time was my decision. I believe an important aspect of good leadership is knowing it is the right time and for me and the club, this is the time.”
Since his appointment in a 2013 season which yielded just two wins, Jackson has seen the club grow in leaps and bounds, winning more games each year than the one before.
He praised the work of the football department in that time, noting that it was no surprise internally that the club finished in the top-four.
“Inside the club we were excited, but we weren’t surprised. We wrote a strategic plan for the rebuild of this club back in 2014 and updated it at the end of 2016,” Jackson said.
“We are right now where we expected to be. We had a goal to play at least two finals in 2018 and be in a position for sustained success in 2019 to 2022.
“The fact is we have a very young, talented team which is still learning, and we made some mistakes on the way through which cost us some games.
“We’ve seen it grow and develop over the last five years. But to a lot of people, they didn’t see it until we knocked off Geelong and Hawthorn.
“We knew what was coming and personally I was very confident about the ability, the competitiveness and mental toughness that would show through and it did over those last five games.
“Five games, 10 hours of football and one hour was not good enough [against West Coast in the preliminary final]; and it cost us a spot in the Grand Final.
“That’s ok, it’s a tough game, but it shows for you members and supporters what you can look forward to in the future.
Off-field, Jackson said he would also reflect fondly on several achievements made by his executive team.
Those highlights included the club rebrand in 2015, the pioneering efforts in creating a women’s team, the growth of the ANZAC Day Eve clash with Richmond, and the decision to exit gaming in 2018.
Nathan Jones at the club's rebranding in late-2015 (Photo: Michael Willson)
He said that these combined efforts would set up the club for fruitful future.
“We are now relevant and respected again, and I think we are on a path that can see this club great again, which will through sustained on-field success, supported by strong off-field management and professionalism,” Jackson said.
