Michael Nettlefold Resigns as St Kilda CEO

Australian Football League (AFL) club St Kilda has announced Michael Nettlefold will step down as chief executive of the team.

Nettlefold, discount who has filled the position since 2009, sale sale will stay on until the Saints can find a suitable replacement.

“We have a number of major initiatives in place that are on the way to fruition,” he said.

“This meant a commitment for another long period and on reflection I felt the time was right for me to transition out of the position.”

During his time in charge, the Saints moved their training and administration base from Moorabbin to Seaford and hosted the first AFL game for points played overseas – in Wellington, NZ – this year.

They also played in the 2009-10 grand finals under Ross Lyon, before Lyon left to join Fremantle at the end of 2011 and the Saints replaced him with Scott Watters.

Since then, they have fallen to ninth last year and 16th this season, with just five wins.

Nettlefold played 43 games for the Saints between 1979-83 before ending his playing career with Fitzroy and later served as a Saints director for eight years.

His resignation comes after the recent election of a new president, Peter Summers.