New Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich opens up on shock Sydney move and how the Charlie Curnow trade played out
Fremantle legend Matthew Pavlich reveals his baptism of fire as Sydney Swans’ CEO, including managing the Charlie Curnow trade from across the country.
The footy world was left surprised earlier this year when Fremantle legend and Australian football Hall of Fame member Matthew Pavlich was announced as the Sydney Swans’ newest CEO.
It was a huge signal of intent from the Swans following Tom Harley’s departure to take up a role at AFL House. The decision played out completely behind closed doors, with no reports or links to Pavlich before the confirmation.
However, the appointment is also a risk for the Swans. Pavlich hasn’t worked in a club or AFL executive before, and for the past few years, most footy fans have known him most for his media work and newsreading in Perth.
But with 353 games of AFL experience and six All-Australian selections, no one knows footy better than Pavlich.
In an expansive chat with Lachlan McKirdy, Pavlich opens up on his “baptism of fire” at the Swans, why he always believed he would end up on the executive at an AFL club, and the struggle he’s set to face convincing his kids to give up the Dockers merch for the red and white.
Lachlan McKirdy: Matthew, welcome to the Swans. It’s been about five weeks in the role. How have you found it?
Matthew Pavlich: It’s been great. It’s also been a baptism of fire. Day one was right in the middle of the trade period, and we ended up being thrown in the deep end there for various reasons. And then I set myself the task of meeting every single person in the business, flying back and forth across the country just to manage family. Then our AFLW coach Scott (Gowans) resigned as well, plus the draft. So, it’s been a busy but relatively productive first five weeks in the role.
LM: The baptism of fire was headlined by getting Charlie Curnow to the club in one of the biggest trades the AFL has ever seen. What was it like going from no club executive experience straight into that?
MP: It was great. I obviously haven’t been in the cut and thrust of a trade period before, but having strong relationships definitely helped get everything across the line in the end. It went down to the last minute or two, and we weren’t entirely sure where it was going to end. It’s with a heavy heart that Will and Ollie leave, and we’re disappointed to lose those much-loved members of our Swans family. But when a player of Charlie’s calibre has a strong interest in coming to your club, we have to look at that. We were able to get a deal done where Will and Ollie continue their career. We get a key forward who can really pack out the SCG for us and make a difference for us up forward. So, hopefully it ends up as a great result for us.
LM: What was your role in the trade? How were the nerves in those dying moments?
MP: It was agonising because I had to come back to Perth, so we’d set up the conversations and there were a million emails, texts, Teams and phone calls in those last 48 hours. But with six minutes to go, I put the phone down after chatting with our list manager Chris Keane, Leigh Taylor (EGM of Finance) and Leon Cameron and said, ‘Here’s our position, over to you guys to get the deal done’. It was agonising sitting on the other side of the country and knowing what they might be talking about, trying to lip-read. But our team did a wonderful job of getting the deal done in the end.
LM: Were the handshakes on the stream when you knew the deal was done?
MP: That might have been on a delay by 10 seconds or so because I had a text message come through saying we’re good, we’re done. Then I texted Charlie straight away, and then I saw the handshake. It was like it was in slow motion. It was quite funny.
LM: There will be pressure on Charlie, particularly with the cost of the trade. What gives you confidence, especially with your own experience as a forward, that he can make the difference for the Swans?
MP: Charlie’s a really driven, aspirational guy. He plays a style of game that we can think can really help us up forward. The membership numbers are already at a pretty good level after he signed! What I’m learning about Charlie is that he wants to be a very good player in a very good team. And when you’ve got high expectations on yourself and you’ve got high expectations on your teammates, then the external pressure is almost irrelevant. It’s just noise that you don’t need to worry about. There’s always pressure in this game we play, and high expectations of a team in Sydney that has the talent and success where we expect to be at the pointy end.
LM: The role of CEO is a big one, let alone moving across the country for it. How have the logistics been so far?
MP: Bit of short-term pain for long-term gain. The kids are still at school. My wife, Lauren, is a physio and her business is still running here in Perth. We’re all making some sacrifices for a short period of time, a couple of months up until Christmas, and then we’ll make the move early in the new year. It’s not without its challenges. Moving the family is my priority, and I won’t ever apologise for putting my family first, and hopefully that’s a bit of a top-down approach in terms of how we are as a football club.
LM: It surprised many when you were announced as CEO, a particularly big step up from reading the news! But with your business background, did you always want to work at an AFL club?
MP: The short answer is yes. I’d always wanted to get back into sports administration, whether that was AFL or anywhere. I’ve been through some processes previously with the AFL and the AFLPA and learned a lot from those processes. I think once this popped up, I was well prepared. People see me on the telly and think that’s what I do, but there’s been a fair bit of work. Even playing for 17 years, I studied for 13 of those, a Bachelor of Science and then an MBA. So I’d always had an eye on future post-playing getting into the leadership positions.
LM: Were you wanting to join any club, or was it the Swans’ role that stood out?
MP: Two things can be true at the same time. I was looking at some opportunities, and the CEO role at the AFLPA was around. And if a club anywhere came and approached me, I would have looked at that. But when this one specifically came up, it was incredibly alluring. The club has a great foundation. The Bloods culture is talked about and revered across the country. There was a great connection, and from that point, I put everything into trying to get the role.
LM: What have you made of the reaction from the Fremantle fans to your appointment?
MP: I think a lot of people have said that the red is a bit jarring on me, and that’ll take a little while. All I know is that Fremantle are still my club. I played for 17 years there. I was captain for nine. We got very close in 2013, and I gave my all, and they gave everything to me. The football club will always hold an enormous part in my heart. Now I get to go on a new journey with Sydney.
LM: You mentioned on a radio interview that you liked that there we no leaks in the process? What was the process for getting the role?
MP: I was juggling dad life on a Saturday with the kids’ sport, and I had a text from a number that I didn’t know, and it turned out to be the recruiter. It all moved pretty quickly from that point. They were interested in my business experiences, then presented and felt like we gave it a good shot. We kept it very quiet once it was all agreed to. There were a handful of people who knew, and that’s how it stayed. That’s a sign of a great football club that there were no leaks and there was a bit of a surprise element.
LM: What is your early impression of the state of Aussie rules in NSW?
MP: We have a really strong foundation. The perception that I had was that we’re ahead of perhaps where I thought we’d be. But there’s a long way to go to keep growing the game. Seeing all our Academy kids, seeing lots of AFL goals around the place, it’s a great sign. What we need to do is continue to capture the hearts and minds of people in New South Wales. We’ve got work to do.
LM: Will the Pavlich children be joining the move to the red and the white? Have you got an eye on the men’s clash against Fremantle next year?
MP: Once we agreed to the role, the club sent across all this merchandise. We put it all out for the kids, Harper, Jack and Will. They came home from school and were disgusted and threatened to throw it all in the bin. So we’ve got some work to do to convince them to support the Swans. But round 18, that’s when we play Freo, it’ll be interesting to see what the kids do.
Originally published as New Swans CEO Matthew Pavlich opens up on shock Sydney move and how the Charlie Curnow trade played out
Swans’ camp gets awkward — thanks to a kid’s innocent question
