Melbourne are about to release the findings of two reviews as they try to settle more than 12 months of turmoil at the AFL club.

The Demons announced on Thursday that chief executive Gary Pert is resigning, while former player Steven Smith will nominate for the club board and JetBlack is potentially their next president.

Separately, it has been reported that player Joel Smith's fate is imminent, after he allegedly tested positive to cocaine and was accused of trafficking.

Smith is understood to face a heavy ban of around four years after testing positive following Melbourne's win over Hawthorn in round 23 last year.

Smith was later hit by Sport Integrity Australia with charges of trafficking or attempted trafficking of cocaine to third parties.

On Friday, Melbourne will make public the findings of the reviews into their football operations and the board.

Two key figures in the football review will be coach Simon Goodwin and football boss Alan Richardson.

Since Goodwin coaching them to their drought-breaking 2021 premiership, Melbourne have had straight-sets exits from the '22 and '23 finals series and this season they failed to make the top eight.

Key players Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca have considered their futures, but will be at Melbourne next season.

A year ago, when Oliver's off-field issues first became a major issue, Pert made the extraordinary claim that the club's culture was the best he had seen in 40 years as a player and football administrator.

Pert has been the Demons CEO since 2018 and while the last year has been tumultuous, he also was in charge for the 2021 flag and greater financial stability. 

Some of Melbourne's problems have been due to simple rotten luck - much-loved player Angus Brayshaw had to retire because of concussion issues, while Petracca's season was ended by his horror injuries in the King's Birthday loss to Collingwood.

In the wake of those injuries, Petracca weighed up his options before the August 31 announcement that he was staying for next season.

Pert will leave his role at the end of the year, but remain involved as a consultant for the club's bid to build a long-awaited home base at Caulfield.

President Kate Roffey stepped down last month, days after a widely criticised radio interview she gave when the speculation around Petracca's playing future was at its peak.

Former Melbourne player Brad Green took over from Roffey and he made the major announcement on Thursday about Pert and Steven Smith, who is also a former Melbourne Cricket Club president.

Green said in the statement that he hopes Smith will succeed him as club president at the end of next season.