McLardy joins the Melbourne board at the request of his great friend and president Jim Stynes.
2009
July
Stynes reveals that he has being diagnosed with cancer.
2011
August
McLardy is vice-president when the club loses to Geelong by 186 points. He refuses to speak to reporters after the game saying it's not the time after such a heavy defeat.
The next day Dean Bailey is sacked as coach and Cameron Schwab's contract is extended by one year.
McLardy admits he met with player representatives in relation to tension within the football department leading up to that game.
2012
February 1
Don McLardy takes over as club president from good friend Jim Stynes who is battling cancer. McLardy admits he never envisaged being in the position and says he is a reluctant president.
February
Melbourne appoints Jack Trengove and Jack Grimes as co-captains. Trengove is the youngest captain in the game's history. The captain in 2012, Brad Green, is not included in the leadership group.
March 20
McLardy's great friend Stynes dies after a long battle with cancer.
March 27
Just days after the funeral of Stynes, Melbourne loses the opening match of the Neeld era by 41 points to the Brisbane Lions after entering the match as favourites.
May 21
After a 101-point loss to the Swans, the club's eighth consecutive loss for the season, McLardy is forced to defend Neeld's appointment in a letter to members and to maintain that he was the right man to coach Melbourne.
June 2
Melbourne stuns Essendon for its first win of the year, 8.10 (58) to 6.16 (52) on a wet night at the MCG.
July
McLardy initiates a series of supporter forums to inform agitated club members of the direction the club is taking and why he believes it is headed for success.
August
The AFL launches an investigation into allegations the club tanked in 2009. McLardy vows to fight saying the club will defend their integrity in the "strongest fashion".
"These are list management decisions and they are only called into question when there is perceived to be an obvious benefit," McLardy said.
The club appoints a sub-committee to deal with the tanking investigation and appoints a strong legal team to represent the club.
August
On the day Stynes' biography is launched McLardy heads a Foundation Heroes dinner where $400,000 is raised. "What we are now into is backing the people we have got in place," McLardy said. "We're looking forward to a really big pre-season. We're very settled in our football department and we have got real buy-in from our playing group."
He said the club had an understanding of what was necessary for success. "We really need to be strong internally," McLardy said. "We need strength and we need belief in our people."
August 27
McLardy announces the club has re-signed CEO Cameron Schwab on a three-year deal.
September
Club finishes third last on the ladder with just four wins.
October
McLardy backs the club's recruiting program with a huge turnover of players occurring.
2013
February
McLardy admits the ongoing tanking investigation has had a "massive" impact on the club.
He told members at the club's AGM that the "damage is extremely hard to measure".
February 18
AFL finds there had not been a directive from the Melbourne board or executive that the team should lose matches in any game during 2009, nor that the coach or team set out todeliberately lose any matches during the premiership season.
However the AFL suspends the official Chris Connolly and former coach Dean Bailey for acting in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the AFL and fines the club $500,000 because it bore responsibility for the actions of key personnel in key roles.
McLardy has a press conference and seems relieved at the result.
March 31
Melbourne opens the season at the MCG full of hope against Port Adelaide and is thrashed by 79 points.
April 6
After a week in the spotlight, the Demons fare even worst the following round, thrashed by 148 points by Essendon.
McLardy speaks publicly the next day in support of the coach and the CEO Schwab. He says stability is critical if the club is to get through the rough patch.
Schwab is then sacked as Melbourne chief executive three days later, a backflip that McLardy struggles to defend.
April 18
Peter Jackson is appointed as interim CEO.
Jackson promises change and a thorough investigation of the football department. He admits soon after arriving the club is facing a potential loss of more than $1.5 million in this financial year.
Geoff Freeman joins the Melbourne board.
June 10
McLardy announces that director John Trotter will lead a review of the board. He also hits back atformer premier and recent Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett, after Kennett says he would be interested in becoming Melbourne president if the current board stepped down.
June 15
McLardy resigns after the club wins just won of its first 11 games. Fellow director Stuart Grimshaw resigns at the same meeting.
Club vice-president Peter Spargo is appointed interim president.
In McLardy's time the team fails to defeat Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda or the Western Bulldogs
It sits second bottom on the ladder after 11 rounds. Neeld remains as coach.
