Brisbane Lions Chairman Tony Kelly has decided to stand down from his position on the Club's Board of Directors after 12 years of outstanding service.

Kelly advised the Lions Board in July that he would not be seeking re-election at the Club's 2010 Annual General Meeting.

He was first elected to the Board in February 1999 and was appointed Deputy Chairman exactly three years later. He was then elected as Chairman in February 2006 and has spent the past five seasons at the helm.

A home-grown Queenslander educated at Nudgee College, Kelly's strong business acumen coupled with his genuine passion for the Club has proven a valuable combination for the Board.

He is also a qualified lawyer who has been actively involved in the fresh produce industry for more than 20 years. He is currently Deputy Chairman of Brisbane Markets Limited and a Director of the Gladstone Ports Corporation.

During his tenure as Chairman of the Brisbane Lions, Kelly has overseen a number of key initiatives that will help form a solid foundation for the Club's future.

He was an integral part of the succession plan which saw Michael Voss appointed as Senior Coach following Leigh Matthews' retirement at the end of 2008.

Kelly has more recently driven the Lions' Springwood project with plans to consolidate the Club's financial future through the introduction of a new social club with gaming facilities in South-East Queensland.

The new facility is scheduled to open in November this year.

With the introduction of a second Queensland AFL team in 2011, Kelly is confident that the existing Lions Board - led by a new Chairman - is well equipped to face these new challenges.

"It has been my honour to serve as Chairman of this wonderful Football Club for a period of five years and be part of the Board for more than a decade," Mr Kelly said.

"But now is an appropriate time for me to step aside so the Club can get some new blood and fresh faces in place to achieve our next objectives. It's an exciting time and the Board has already been active in identifying and assessing potential new Directors."

"As we won't be participating in September action this year, the Board's strategic activities are now well and truly focussed on preparing for the 2011 season and beyond," he said.

"For me personally, it's time to put my family first on weekends. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Board, but it would not have been possible without the support from my wife Louise and my three daughters Brianna, Eliza and Madeline."

"As a passionate Lions man, I still plan to have an active involvement with the Club and will always continue cheering the team on from the stands," he said.

"I have every confidence that this Club has built a platform from which to deliver further on-field success in the near future and am comfortable in the knowledge that I'm leaving the Board in more than capable hands."

As part of an orderly handover, the Board has resolved to appoint current Deputy Chairman Angus Johnson as the new Lions Chairman.