Departing Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has fired a massive broadside at one-time presidential candidate Geoff Lord, describing his bid for the presidency as the most selfish and costly indulgence he had seen in 35 years of public life.
Andrew Newbold will ascend to the job unopposed after his only rival, former president Lord, withdrew his nomination.
Lord, who was Hawthorn president in the 1990s, had promised a huge turnaround in the club's fortunes on and off the field if he was elected at the club's AGM on December 14.
He said the Hawks needed to deliver annual profits of more than $5 million, increase sponsorship by 30 percent and boast 60,000 members by 2014.
The founding chairman of Melbourne Victory threatened to throw a spanner in the works of current Kennett's plans of a seamless succession to Newbold.
But after discussions with the club, Lord confirmed on Thursday that he would not run having won just seven per cent of the 5500 votes received so far in postal votes.
However, Kennett was not prepared to let the issue just die, delivering a stinging attack on Lord's initial bid.
"When Geoff Lord nominated himself, I was surprised that he was standing. Surprised he was standing without the public support or the backing of any Hawthorn identity, and was standing to officiate and lead a Board that has expressed its confidence in another candidate," Kennett said in a statement.
"In exercising the right to contest the election, Geoff Lord imposed a cost on the Club of between $50,000 - $60,000 to actually conduct the election."
Kennett said Lord's about face had left the club with a considerable cost and he would ask Lord to reimburse the club for wasting their time.
"Having exercised his right to stand, he has further exercised it to withdraw from the presidential election midway through the process," he said.
"This, in my opinion, is an absolute abuse of process. The Club now will be left with a bill of between $50,000 - $60,000 because most of the expenditure has already been committed. "
"$50,000 plus gone! Wasted! For what?"
"I now ask Geoff Lord, and will write to him requesting that he now fully reimburse the Club the full cost of conducting an election, which he initiated and then withdrew from midstream."
Kennett said if he had a strong mind to deny Lord his rights as a Life Member, but said Newbold had said he wanted the issue closed.