CAMERON Schwab has announced his resignation as chief executive officer of the Fremantle Dockers this afternoon.

Schwab, Fremantle’s CEO since the end of 2001 and a consultant to the club before its entry into the AFL in 1995, will continue in the role until the end of October, when he’ll return to his native Melbourne to be closer to his family.

Schwab said that the decision to leave was made with a "very heavy heart".

"The time has now come for me to return to Melbourne so I can be closer to my family," he said.

"Over the past few years I have had a number of discussions with (president) Rick (Hart) and the Board, confirming that there would be a day when our family would be required to return home.

"The Board have always been very supportive of my personal situation, and when I spoke to Rick and (vice-president) Mel Ashton on Friday they fully understood the reasons behind my decision.

"I've had seven – it'll be eight years by the time my time finishes as the CEO of the club in October 2008, and it's been perhaps the most enjoyment I've had being involved in a football club.

"I'm certainly very proud of the achievements that we've made and had, and also being part of some really important milestones and even part of our own little bit of history along the way, including things such as winning our first final, becoming debt-free, passing thirty-thousand members, then passing forty-thousand members, some great games – a few after-the-siren victories, Justin Longmuir, Jeff Farmer.

"Just watching Peter Bell play, watching Luke Webster try to play, try to come back, watching Matthew Pavlich take them on in the heritage jumper at the MCG in 2003, being able to utter the 'F-word' [finals] for the first time in our history.

"I'm really proud of where we're at with the club, and I'm also really confident about where the club's actually going to go from this point onwards.

"We've become one of the bigger clubs in the competition, and I've always said the next phase for us is to become one of the great clubs of the competition, and that will be about winning premierships and consistently being at that level all the time, and I'm confident that will happen."

As for the reasons he wanted to return to Melbourne, Schwab said "all I can say is the reasons are compelling".

"It's for family and for no other reason. I think those who know me understand the family issue I've had to manage in the time that I've been here, and I've done so the whole time with the support of the club, and it's probably just come to a point where it had to take priority."

Schwab also said he was not interested in working with the proposed Gold Coast as it was for family reasons that he was heading to Melbourne.

Hart described Schwab’s resignation as a big loss for the club.

“Cameron joined the club as chief executive officer at probably the worst time in our club’s history,” Hart said.

“The club had just completed a season where it had just two wins to finish bottom of the premiership ladder, had trading losses of $2.5 million and accumulated debts of $8 million.

“The club required not only strong, determined and focused leadership in order to correct that state of affairs but also leadership that could set a clear vision and strategy for our club.

“Cameron Schwab has done that and much more in the seven years he has led our club and has presided over an amazing turnaround of the club.”