GREG Reid three-year tenure as Bathurst Bulldogs president has concluded after he handed over the top job at the club to Phil Newton at Friday's annual general meeting.
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A move that was "a long time in the works", Reid stepped back from the job due to work commitments but will leave the role feeling fulfilled and proud of the culture which has developed at the club.
Taking his place is a close friend and premiership-winning player and coach Newton, who has almost four decades of involvement with the Bulldogs.
Newton is excited to take the step up to the president's role for the first time.
"It's something I've thought about for a long time but for a long time, with the way things were in my life with my kids and family, it wasn't viable. Now was a good time," he said.
"Ever since I started in 1982 it was something I wanted to do. The club's in a great position and I'm excited to see what happens for however long I'm in the job."
He brings to the president's job a rich history of success and plenty of desire to bring more of that glory to the Bulldogs.
But the first priority is seeing Bulldogs safely through one of their more challenging periods in recent years.
"There's interesting times ahead. Looking back nine months ago you couldn't have imagined how this year would turn out. Like everyone, COVID has had a big influence on the year financially and mentally, so we have to step back and assess what the best way is to move forward," Newton said.
Reid will still be involved with the Bulldogs despite no longer serving as president.
He's got a lot of positives memories to look back on over the past three years, a tenure which began when the long serving John Maynard stepped down.
"It was my proudest time at the club post-John Maynard, which were big shoes to fill. Some of the proudest things for me in that time were nine premierships in that time, with the jewel in the crown being able to host and win the first grade premiership at Ashwood," he said.
"That's something John and I had the ambition of doing. It was a massive crowd and a fantastic day. Seeing the new lights, infrastructure, scoreboard and canteen installed was great.
"I'll still be involved. I've been on the club committee for around 23 years now. Phil's a club stalwart, a good friend of mine who coached the women to a premiership last year, and this change is something we've talked about for a long time and the handover has already started."
Off the field, Reid said he steps away knowing that the Bulldogs will be known as a club where everyone has each other's backs.
"The 'blue elephant' is one of the other things I've been passionate about and something that we've instilled in the club. It's a great culture where we look after each other," he said.
"When we're feeling down there's sometimes that elephant in the room we don't talk about, and we've tried to change that culture and have that change cause a ripple effect in the community."