'I have given my all': Essendon turmoil takes big scalp as club president David Barham quits his post
Updated . First published
The turmoil at Essendon has taken a huge scalp, with club president David Barham quitting his post after a rocky three-year tenure.
Barham on Tuesday morning said "I have given my all" and confirmed he would be stepping down in a letter sent to media by the club.
It comes after Bombers captain Zach Merrett on Monday night addressed question marks over his future after meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell to discuss a potential trade.
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That news has caused significant upheaval at Essendon, leading to Barham's decision to stand down and hand over his role to his vice president Andrew Welsh.
Essendon Bombers president David Barham speaks to the media early in his tenure. Getty
"I have given my all over the past three and a half years and tackled every challenge with everything that I have," Barham said in the letter.
"I took my responsibility to fight for and defend our club, our players, coaches and administrators extremely seriously. I'm proud of what we have achieved in transforming the club and making the hard decisions to set it up for long-term, sustained success.
"I have no doubt we are now on the right track, and I leave excited about the future."
Welsh, 42, is a former player who spent a decade at the Bombers from 2002-2011 and played 162 games.
In retirement he has become a successful property developer and before turning 40 was named in an Australian 'top 10 rich listers under 40' report, with a purported net worth of $400 million.
He joined Essendon's board at Barham's invitation in 2022 and was appointed vice president in 2023.
"Andrew, the board and I have been working collaboratively to put a succession plan in place for some time, and I am delighted that Andrew is now able to take on the role, and he will take over responsibility from today," Barham said.
"I have been thinking about this decision for a while, and feel the timing is right.
"I convened a meeting of the board this morning where I informed them of this decision. I will now take steps to fully exit the board in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition."
Speaking at the Brownlow Medal on Monday night, Merrett, who was photographed in conversation with Barham at the Essendon players' table at the awards night, said he still felt supported by the Bombers despite his desire to leave the club and subsequent mud slinging in the press.
David Barham speaks with Zach Merrett at the Brownlow Medal night on Monday. AFL Photos via Getty Images
"I still feel the love [from Essendon]. It's a place that I absolutely adore and have for 12 years," he said.
"What happens beyond that, I don't know yet, but I love it regardless, and I still feel like [coach] Brad [Scott] has love and support for me.
"We will see what happens in the next few weeks as we work through what is next for all of us.
"There're plenty of factors at play and a fair bit of uncertainty as well.
"I will go into more detail at a later date. For the moment, I'll get through tonight, wake up tomorrow and get back to training.
"Like I say, there will be conversations behind closed doors with the appropriate stakeholders, and we'll see where it lands."
