Port Adelaide President Greg Boulton said the modernisation of the Board brings it into line with best-practice business structure and governance.
“We want to streamline our decision-making to make our Board more flexible, responsive and productive,” said Mr Boulton.
As a first step, the Club will reduce the number of directors on the Board from 10 to eight. Half of the eight will continue to be elected by PAFC members and the other half will continue to be appointed by the SANFL Commission.
The Board will then be able to nominate to the SANFL Commission up to two additional directors with specialist or technical expertise that it may require from time to time. The appointment of an additional director is for a maximum three-year term and must be approved by the SANFL Commission.
The reform – planned since early last year – is consistent with other AFL clubs that have reduced the size of their boards and enabled them to seek and appoint a limited number of additional directors with identified skills or expertise.
Mr Boulton said constitutional changes to enable the reforms were unanimously resolved at this week’s meeting of the Club Board and approved by the SANFL Commission.
It means that retiring Directors Greg Boulton and Tony Hobby will not be replaced at the Annual General Meeting on December 15. Mr Boulton and Mr Hobby have been Directors since the club’s SANFL days prior to its AFL entry in 1997.
The terms of two other Directors – Bruce Abernethy and Brett Duncanson – will expire and both have advised that they will re-nominate. Mr Abernethy will nominate in the PAFC members’ election while Mr Duncanson will nominate as an SANFL Commission appointee.
Nominations for the member-elected position will be advertised on 1 November 2008 on the Club’s website and in The Advertiser and the Club encourages nominations.
