DUMPED Melbourne chief executive Paul McNamee says his hold on the job became shaky the moment former club great Jim Stynes took over as chairman of the AFL club.

McNamee, a former tennis star and high-profile sports administrator, was sacked by Stynes yesterday, less than four months after he was appointed, in April.

The decision comes just six weeks after Stynes, a former Demons Brownlow Medallist, took over the chairmanship from Paul Gardner.

"There was probably a disconnect from the moment the new team came in," McNamee told radio SEN.

"I think they had a certain direction and it seems that was at odds as far as I was concerned.

"At the end of the day, they're the board, they get to choose, so it's disappointing."

While Stynes was not on the board at the time McNamee was appointed, he was part of a panel which selected him, although McNamee today hinted Stynes did not agree with the decision.

"He was in the initial part of the interview process but was extremely upset that he wasn't involved in the latter part of the interview process," he said.

Stynes said McNamee was not the right person to guide the club in the direction the new board was heading.

"Paul was appointed by the previous board of directors, based on their vision and direction for the club," Stynes said in a statement.

"Since the appointment of the new board, we are conducting a thorough review of all aspects of the club's business.

"After extensive discussions with Paul, we have determined that a new CEO will be required to execute this board's plans to take our club into the future."

McNamee is a former tournament director and chief executive of the Australian Open grand slam tennis tournament. He also worked as executive chairman of the men's and women's Australian Open golf tournaments before joining Melbourne.

The Demons are last on the AFL ladder with only two wins and are set to record a loss of $2 million this year.