Melbourne have been plunged into more turmoil with chief executive Gary Pert resigning from his role at the AFL club.

His decision comes less than two months after Kate Roffey stood down as president, the pair departing just three years after leading the club to the 2021 premiership.

Pert “lost the faith of key players” at the club in recent months, 7NEWS Melbourne’s Mitch Cleary reported.

Interim president Brad Green said it was “mixed emotions” that he announced Pert would retire at the end of the year.

“After careful consideration of what is best for the club, his family, and his own future, Gary concluded that now is the right time to initiate the search for his successor,” Green said in a club statement.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that this decision, including its timing, is Gary’s own.”

Pert, an ex-Collingwood CEO, had positioned himself as the only man to deliver Melbourne’s Caulfield development and has accepted a consulting role for the remainder of the project.

His resignation as chief executive comes after a review into the club’s operations was handed to the board.

Pert was also involved in trade negotiations at the end of the season, reportedly contacting other clubs to gauge their interest in Clayton Oliver before the star midfielder ultimately stayed.

The Demons are now on the lookout for a permanent CEO, with COO David Chippindall named interim CEO from January 2025, and president.

Former player Brad Green stepped up as interim president when Roffey resigned.

Ex-Melbourne Cricket Club chairman Steve Smith, who played 200 games for the Demons, is in position for a run at the presidency after

Melbourne have been wracked by drama almost since their breakthrough 2021 premiership.

They haven’t won a final since, suffering straight-sets finals exits in 2022 and 2023 before missing the top eight altogether this year and finishing 14th.

Queries over their off-field culture have popped up time and time again, and weren’t quashed by Pert’s extraordinary claim late last year that the club’s culture was the best he had seen in 40 years.

Oliver’s off-field troubles, and disgruntled star midfielder Christian Petracca’s desire to leave the club following his horror injury in the King’s Birthday match, have been among the headline issues.

Joel Smith’s long-running anti-doping case, which was made public last year, also cast a shadow over the club with coach Simon Goodwin insisting in March the Demons did not have a drug culture.

Pert’s name was in the headlines again earlier this month when he reportedly made contact with multiple clubs to test interest in a potential trade for Oliver.

It resulted in Oliver exploring a move to Geelong before the Demons ultimately ruled out trading the midfielder.

Petracca also committed to the Demons, for 2025 at least, on August 31.

- with AAP