Alex Jesaulenko - Relationship With Richard Pratt

Relationship With Richard Pratt

After retiring from football, Jesaulenko worked for billionaire and noted Carlton patron Richard Pratt at his recycling firm Visy Industries for 15 years in the sales and public relations department.

Jesaulenko first met Pratt when he arrived at Carlton in 1966, and remembered him fondly:

He was a great businessman, a great bloke and a great Australian ... He touched people personally even though he was running such a big company. You'd think everyone he worked with was a personal friend of his. He used to come around every year like a footy coach and give everybody a confidence boost. He'd say 'This is what the company is doing ... let's get out there and kill 'em''.

He was adamant that Pratt saved Carlton when he became club president during in 2007:

He didn't only save with his money. I don't think money had much to do with it. The club was losing its soul there for a long time. He got it back on track. Now it's going to be up to the people at Carlton now to keep it going.

When it was known that Pratt was in his last days in April 2009, Jesaulenko contemplated paying him a farewell visit at his mansion, but thought better of it lest he attracted too much attention.