Former Federal Politician and Finance Minister, Lindsay Tanner, has been formally appointed Essendon Football Club Chairman.

The Board ratified the appointment following the Club’s Annual General Meeting this evening.

Tanner, who replaces the retiring Paul Little, said he was honoured to take on the role.

“I’m deeply honoured to succeed Paul Little and privileged to serve our members as Chairman of the Essendon Football Club,” Tanner said.

“As a Club we have managed to stay united, and I pay great tribute to Paul Little for his tireless work in extremely difficult circumstances, he kept the Essendon family together when many other Clubs would have crumbled.

“The Essendon Football Club owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Paul for his service to the Club during this challenging period in our history.”

Tanner said there was a great sense of excitement and optimism, both on and off the field, about the future of the Club.

“The future is bright, we have a clear vision, a stable Board, a talented administration and executive, wonderful facilities, strong commercial support, an exciting playing list, an experienced coaching group led by Coach John Worsfold and the most loyal and passionate members in the AFL.

“As a Club, we are all united in our aim to be the most respected, inclusive and successful football Club in Australian sport. I firmly believe if we work hard across all areas of our organisation, we will be able to realise our vision.”

Former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, Ken Lay, was also announced as a new Director.

The Nominations Committee identified Lay as the preferred candidate to fill the vacant position on the Board following Little’s departure.

A passionate Essendon supporter and current Number One Ticket Holder, Lay said he was looking forward to using his experience to further strengthen the Club’s position.

“It’s a great honour to serve on the Board of the Club I’ve supported all my life,” Lay said.

“I believe I bring valuable experience to the Board having worked across a multitude of roles during my four decades of service with Victoria Police.

“I’m looking forward to providing support and input from a governance perspective, as well as continuing to drive change in the broader community via the Club’s meaningful programs and initiatives.”

Due to the commitments required as a Director, Lay has decided to relinquish his title as the Club’s Number One Ticket Holder for the 2016 season.

Paul Brasher (re-elected) and David Barham (elected) were also formally welcomed to the Board at the Annual General Meeting.

Brasher has been re-elected to the Board after serving for the last four years as Finance Director. In that time, Paul has played a leading role in helping Essendon maintain a strong financial position in difficult circumstances.

Barham joins the Board on the back of a distinguished career across the media and football industry.

He has been Head of Sport for Channel Ten for the last five years and most recently has been appointed Ten Network Executive BBL and Australian Formula One Grand Prix. He also established AFL Films and has served on Essendon’s Innovation Committee.

Following the recent election results, the Essendon Football Club Board has nine Directors;

Lindsay Tanner – Chairman

Paul Brasher – Deputy Chairman (Re-elected to the Board in December 2015)

David Barham (Elected to the Board in December 2015)

Paul Cousins

Chris Heffernan

Ken Lay (Appointed to the Board in December 2015)

Catherine Lio

Simon Madden

Andrew Muir