Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly has begun to negotiate his exit from the club, according to Channel 7’s Caroline Wilson.
Kelly, who played 122 games with the club including the 1990 premiership, has been in charge since 2023, overseeing a hugely successful period.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly negotiating exit from club
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But he is already making plans for his departure, which could be finalised as soon as this year.
Kelly is currently overseas at the moment celebrating his upcoming 60th birthday, and will miss this weekend’s King’s Birthday blockbuster against Melbourne.
Wilson revealed that while Kelly will vacate the role, he would still like to remain in charge of some portfolios.
“The plan is that Kelly could be gone by the end of this season, certainly in a full-time sense,” she said on The Agenda Setters.
“There are a lot of things that he has run and overseen that I think he would like to remain in charge of.
“They include a potential massive refurb that is coming in the coming years of the MCG and how it’s going to involve the tenant clubs, and also a potential deal with Tennis Australia to takeover parts of Collingwood’s Olympic Park precinct for their fan zone, among other things.”
While Kelly was at the helm for the 2023 premiership and has helped maintain the club’s standing as one of the biggest in the league, Wilson said it has also been a “tumultuous” period, mainly due to his much-publicised fallout with Graham Wright.
“He’s only halfway through his fourth season. It’s been a tumultuous time since he took over. Of course, a premiership was a very big part of that regime,” Wilson continued.
“Then, of course, the famous fallout with his great mate and footy boss, Graham Wright, who then went over to run the Carlton Football Club.
“I think early days, it was tumultuous for him too. His style was not that of your new-age CEO to put it mildly. I think that has changed in recent times.
“Obviously, you’ve got list boss, Justin Leppitsch, who has turbulent relationships with a lot of people around the football club. So a lot to manage.
“A relatively new president, a new footy boss in Charlie Gardner, who will be part of a group who might be ascending to take over that role. But a couple of big names outside the club that we’re trying to find out about too.”
Wilson also said Kelly hoping to keep some portfolios could be an “issue”, but added that he’ll remain part of the Collingwood family.
“I think that could be an issue. There was talk when Brian Cook left Geelong that that might be part of his remit. Then Steve Hocking came in and he wanted to run the show,” she said.
“It may or may not happen. But I think that … look the guy’s a brilliant entrepreneur, a great manager and he’s had a brilliant career. So I’m sure he will remain part of the Collingwood family.”