President's Message: announcing our next President

Dear members,

Tomorrow the 2026/27 cricket season begins at the MCG, when Victoria takes on Western Australia in the first Sheffield Shield match of the summer. There is no better signal that the season has arrived than the first ball being bowled at the ‘G, and I hope to see many of you in the Members’ Reserve to enjoy it.

Before the summer gets under way, I have an important announcement about the future leadership of the Club.

I am pleased to advise that Vice-President Christian Johnston will become the next President of the Melbourne Cricket Club. My term will conclude in March 2027 and Christian will officially assume the role at that time.

This outcome reflects succession planning that the Committee has had in place for many years. Continuity of leadership matters to an institution like ours. It ensures that the Club is always guided by people who understand its history, its public responsibility of managing the MCG and its obligations to members.

Christian has been a passionate member since 1988 and a Full member since 1995, before joining the Committee in 2017. Since then, he has served as our Treasurer and currently Vice-President, a Director of MCC Foundation Limited and MCC Heritage Limited, and as a member of both the Remuneration and Nominations Sub-Committee and the Finance, Audit & Risk Sub-Committee. He is the Committee’s liaison for the MCC Cricket Sporting Section, and he currently chairs both the Cricket Advisory Committee and MCC Foundation.

Outside the Club, Christian has more than 30 years’ experience as an investment banker. He spent 14 years as Head of Investment Banking, Australia and New Zealand, for Goldman Sachs, later served as the firm’s local Chairman, and remains an Advisory Director. He is also a member of the Scotch College Council, a member of the Ormond College Council, a panel member for Adara Partners and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of Melbourne.

I am confident that the Club will be in very good hands with Christian and I look forward to working closely with him over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.

There will be further opportunities to reflect on my time as President before March, a role I have thoroughly cherished.

For now, the cricket awaits. Thank you, as always, for your support of the Club and I wish Victoria the best of luck tomorrow.

Yours sincerely,

Fred Oldfield
President
Melbourne Cricket Club