“I haven’t worked through my preference yet. There is a lot of stuff to go through in the next few weeks, there will definitely be some conversations, some factors at play,” Merrett said on the Brownlow red carpet.
“But there is a fair bit of uncertainty all around, things will be made clearer in the coming weeks.”
Andrew Welsh as a player.Credit: Sebastian Costanzo
Nine News reported on Sunday night that a board challenge was brewing at the Bombers.
Barham’s pre-emptive move to hand over to Welsh is expected to defuse that situation.
Welsh, who met with Merrett last week, was a tough defender and former vice-captain of the club who has since established a successful career in property development.
He joined the Essendon board when Barham took over the presidency in 2022 as director of football governance.
“Andrew, the board and I have been working collaboratively to put a succession plan in place for some time, and I am delighted that Andrew is now able to take on the role, and he will take over responsibility from today,” Barham said in his letter
“I have been thinking about this decision for a while, and feel the timing is right.
“I convened a meeting of the board this morning where I informed them of this decision. I will now take steps to fully exit the board in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition.”
As president, Barham presided over the sacking of then-coach Ben Rutten and the appointment of Brad Scott ahead of the 2023 season.
Both developments were messy; the then rookie president apologised for leaving Rutten in the dark during a botched pursuit of Alastair Clarkson, before club legend Kevin Sheedy (then a director) publicly revealed he had supported James Hird’s bid to return as coach over Scott.
Barham’s administration presided over the exit of Sheedy from the board, a new CEO in Craig Vozzo (after the short-lived appointment of Andrew Thorburn, who resigned over a conflict with views espoused by his church), and a new list boss in Matt Rosa.
“Since becoming president, I have repeatedly said that sustained, long-term success relies on unity, stability and alignment and this transition to Andrew Welsh ensures that [is] maintained,” Barham said.
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“Andrew will be an outstanding president, and it has been a privilege to work with him. He is driven and will bring fresh energy to the role, an energy we need to continue to build and develop the club and achieve on-field success.
“As we all loved him as a player, Andrew’s uncompromising but compassionate approach, football knowledge and strategic thinking have been brilliant to watch and are great assets to the club.”
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