Mark Ricciuto has today retired from the Adelaide Football Club’s Board of Directors, with Chairman John Olsen paying tribute to his service with the following statement.

“On behalf of the Board, executive management, players, coaches and staff, I would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank Mark Ricciuto for his passion, commitment and service to the Adelaide Football Club as a Board Director.

He retires having reached his tenure limit, which is 12 years for Board-appointed Directors under the Club’s Constitution, and his contribution has been significant.

Mark is a legend of our Club. Many people are passionate about the Crows but very few are willing to volunteer their time and energy to the level and longevity which he has done.

In an industry where opinions are many and varied and scrutiny is intense, he has been a composed and reasoned voice around the table.

His vision, football expertise and insights, support and Club-first attitude have helped shape our strategic direction and foster a high-performance environment which should hold us in good stead for years to come.

During his tenure, he served on the Men’s Football Strategy and List Management committees, while being an important contributor in the push to build our new world class Thebarton headquarters and the associated capital raising campaign.

His influence obviously extends far beyond the boardroom to his celebrated 312-game playing career which saw him captain the Club, become a premiership player and Brownlow Medallist, and claim multiple best and fairest awards and All Australian honours.

While Mark is no longer in an official role, for now at least, he will no doubt continue to build on his legacy and make a positive impact when asked or opportunities present. The Club is better for his service.

Since inception our Club has benefited from strong and stable leadership and we look forward to this continuing into the future.”