CEO calls time

SOUTH Fremantle Football Club Chief Executive Officer Stuart Kemp has called time on his successful career for the Bulldogs, leaving the organisation in great shape as it targets continuous improvement in the future.

After four years in the WAFL with South, Kemp has been a driving force to the resurgence of the club in many areas. With the Bulldogs now turning a regular profit, winning the coveted Rodriguez Shield ‘for the most amount of wins across all grades by a WAFL club’, he feels it’s the perfect time to move on.

Kemp emphasised the club had been very good to him, but it was the right time for someone else to steer the ship.

“My main goal was to make us stronger in our pillars of the business in a tough environment and turn around our on-field performance, which has been achieved,” Kemp said.

“The elite staff we have added have helped us immensely in these areas. I will always be a Bulldogs supporter and look forward to seeing some success in the years to come.

“Most of all, I will miss all of the high-quality staff, players and volunteers with whom I have had the pleasure of working with towards a common goal. I look forward to saying my goodbyes at the end of the year AGM.”

When asked about plans for his next venture, Kemp said “I have a few options to work through, however, my main focus is finalising everything before I leave the club. I, like most of us in football at this time of the year, can then look forward to a break with my family over Christmas and come back refreshed for a new challenge.”

Some of Kemp’s achievements include:

•    Negotiated and realised new administration facilities for the club in the Parry Street home.
•    Turned the club’s bottom line from a run of losses into a profitable environment for the last three years, including increase in all major revenue areas.
•    Acquired new major partners for the club including: Fremantle Community Bank, John Hughes and Metwest Steel
•    Acquired a substantial Naming Rights Partner for Fremantle Oval in Bendigo Bank under the name of Fremantle Community Bank Oval.
•    Negotiated a strong alternative revenue stream agreement for $800k-plus for the club over a    nine-year period with oOh Media.
•    Major contributor to the $27 million co-location Fremantle Oval business case which is still ongoing.
•    Developed a successful leadership program within the league squad over the last two years.
•    2016 South Fremantle FC won the WAFL Rodriguez Shield winners, for the first time since 2009.
•    2016 League team finishing second in the home and away season and then making the preliminary final.
•    Recently, developed an Academy for the club’s strong football development program.
•    Ongoing successful relationships with the Fremantle Dockers.

Kemp will finish up mid-December with the Bulldogs.