Gillon McLachlan’s love letter to football

As Gillon McLachlan’s time as AFL boss draws to a close, he reveals why his love of the game is stronger than ever.

This is an edited version of the speech delivered by AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan at Tuesday’s RULE Prostate Cancer Love Letter To Football event, organised by Ross Stevenson.

Dear Football, I love you.

I love how you make my heart sing… and my phone ring…

All the time.

People ringing to tell me I’ve ruined the game and they’ll never – ever – watch it again.

People ringing to ask for tickets.

Often both happening in the same call.

I love how strong footy is, surviving the constant meddling of administrators … the rule changes…

It’s survived the 6-6-6 rule, the stand rule, the protected area, the 50 and the 4000 times the bump has officially been declared dead.

Why, the game has even survived Meatloaf… surely the greatest test of any sport anywhere.

Who could forget Meatloaf’s performance at the 2011 grand final.

I love how football improves you beyond the game itself.

Why, chairing the AFL club presidents meeting has helped me become a better parent.

It’s taught me patience.

Never have I appreciated the maturity of my own children more than after one of those meetings.

Where else can two grown men argue for hours over what colour jumper each of them should be allowed to wear?

I love that footy is EVERYWHERE …. even a private moment with a Rabbi in a Queens synagogue … was captured and distributed by an orthodox and passionate supporter.

And for those wondering, we were discussing the deepest spiritual question ----- what is the correct interpretation of prior opportunity?

Gillon shares a private moment with a Rabbi in a Queens synagogue.

I love kids footy … I’m the runner for my son’s u/11 team.

I love that I’m still trying to exploit the rules, raging against my age and acknowledging I might have more Damir Dokic in me than I would care to admit.

I was (rightly) cautioned on the weekend by the umps about spending too much time on the ground running messages.

And I love that after the caution I had a selfie with the umpire and his girlfriend after the game …

We all love footy because it’s about people. The people in this room, the people in our lives.

I love what it does to the sanest of people. The smartest of people.

A fan snaps a selfie with Gillon. Picture: Getty Images

Peter Gordon gets so over wrought – so anxious he can’t watch third quarters. Trying to find Peter during the any game during the 2016 Premiership year …you just had to check the carpark at Marvel or the MCG … Peter doing lap after lap.

On Monday morning after the incredible Carlton- Collingwood match, I found our beloved former Sports Minister Martin Pakula in a Domain Rd coffee shop in a puddle of self pity finding it cathartic to block Collingwood supporters from his Twitter account, as though somehow that would help.

And if you think Marty took it hard, Marty had gone back home on Sunday night to find a basket of Carlton gear on his front veranda.

Scarves, jumpers, Chris Judd scrap books … his 20-year-old son had declared his marriage to the Blues was over and was cleaning house … the clothes metaphorically strewn over the front lawn in a divorce!

Minister for Sport Martin Pakula, together with Gillon. Picture: David Crosling

I love that contribution is admired as much as talent.

That life membership is respected as much as best and fairests.

That honour boards survive even when clubhouses are bowled over and rebuilt.

I love the way that no matter what you do in life, nothing – nothing – can replicate that euphoric feeling when you are sore, muddy and sitting in the change rooms with your teammates post match after a tough win.

You never want to move, never want that feeling to end, revelling in the companionship, the physicality and the contest together.

Billionaires spend their lives searching for “that feeling.” Nothing replicates it.

Gillon with his dog Walter. Picture: Michael Klein

I love the stories, the dissection of the match, the amplification of the stories as the night goes on.

I love the hierarchy, that a ridiculously courageous on-field act is worth 50 games of credits.

I love that you could shower in the umps rooms in the post-match because you had lingered so long and the hot water had run out – – – and you could be rewarded with multiple unmerited high placings in the league best and fairest because of it.

I love football because it teaches you about life.

I love that my daughters are going to have the game teach them about physical and emotional resilience in the same way it will teach my son. That some days the two hours out there can test every ounce of your resolve.

Some days our game is simply a test.

I love that people who have been around the game a lot know how tough it can be at times and know when you need a hand. Like when I was Captain of Uni Blues and we were playing Old Brighton and whoever lost got relegated.

Gillon loves every part of our great game Picture: Michael Klein

Wayne Jackson was CEO of the AFL at the time, and he knew mostly through observation at work that I’d been battling on and off field for a few months.

It’s a freezing cold day at Elsternwick Park, a ground that makes a Siberian jail feel welcoming, the wind was howling and the weather was miserable. The rooms were cold and tiny. I look up before the game at Elsternwick Park and see Wayne in his All-Australian tracksuit standing on the bench.

He didn’t speak. He just looked at me, smacked his fist into his hand, pointed at me. And snarled and Glared.

“Get it Done” his piercing eyes said.

We did, I played OK, he left on the final siren, and I’ll never forget the 50 years of football wisdom that came to bear in his appearance and his menace.

Gillon is looking to life after his time as the boss of Australia’s favourite sport. Picture: David Crosling

It’s what happens in footy countless times across every wintry weekend. People supporting people.

I love every part of this game. I love the pride I feel when I drive to a game to a packed MCG.

I love it when I see boys and girls having kick to kick together at the oval at the end of my street.

I love every tribal supporter waiting at trams stops on the journey.

I love turning right into Punt Rd from Alexander Parade and the colours and the people build as they walk to the ground.

I love that everyone is represented, as many women as men, as many families as singles, old and young.

And I love the game itself, and the stars.

I love that people who perform on big stages are always viewed differently after.

Hodge, Dusty … I reckon Cripps is now franked with that after Sunday even though it wasn’t a final.

It’s been a privilege to work in footy.

I do know that my next job won’t be as good as this one.

I’ve been linked to a few but – after the revelations of Scott Morrison out of Canberra last week – even though my time at the AFL must come to an end, I’ve just discovered that I can secretly appoint myself president of five AFL clubs.

So, the good news is, I’ll have something to do next year.

For now, I’ll continue to love footy.

Originally published as Gillon McLachlan’s love letter to football