We are delighted to let you know that following an exhaustive process, the Board has appointed Jennifer Watt as CEO of the North Melbourne Football Club. 

Jennifer has an outstanding football and sports administration track record, including 14 years as an executive at the Melbourne Football Club and five years managing the commercial operations of the Melbourne Cricket Club.  

She has extensive experience working in a club environment, and strong relationships with key stakeholders, including government and the AFL. Most importantly, she intuitively understands – and loves – what it is that makes clubs like ours both challenging and the best places in the world to work.

Jennifer’s appointment caps off a significant period of change within our club. We’ve focused first and foremost on getting the football department right, and in addition to Alastair Clarkson and Todd Viney, we’ve welcomed Cam Matthews, Damian Monkhorst, Brett Ratten and Emma Kearney to our AFL football department and coaching ranks.

They join an outstanding group of existing coaches and administrators with strong values and impeccable football and leadership credentials who will lead our club forward.

As we commence the Clarkson era and push towards our fifth flag for our men and first flag for our women, embark on the next phase of development at Arden St, find a long-term commercial alternative to Tasmania, and continue to work towards financial security, it was critical to choose the right CEO – a club CEO, not a football CEO or a commercial CEO.  

Someone who can work across the whole organisation to bring the notion of “one club” to life. And with Jennifer, we are absolutely confident we have found that person. Jennifer will commence on January 23, and I’ve no doubt she’ll hit the ground running. 

It’s a big week of welcomes - on Monday night we welcomed two new young Shinboners for our fans to get behind – Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw. Brady Rawlings and our list team have done an extraordinary job over duration of the trade and draft period, and they will continue that work on Tuesday and Wednesday as the national and rookie drafts conclude.

Finally, a last word of congratulations and thanks to our wonderful AFLW team, who went all the way to the preliminary final this season. We didn’t achieve the ultimate but we’re incredibly excited for what lies ahead. 

It’s been a long year, but as it draws to a close, I hope you share the optimism of our staff and players about where our club is headed. 

Go Roos!