Gill McLachlan reveals what’s next for life after footy

After a decade as the league CEO, outgoing AFL boss Gill McLachlan has opened up on his plans for life after footy.

AFL boss Gill McLachlan has opened up on his plans for life after footy. Picture: Ben Clark

AFL boss Gill McLachlan has opened up on his plans for life after footy.

After a decade as the league CEO McLachlan will depart the role at the end of the month after the grand final.

“I think 10 years is enough,” he told ABC Saturday’s Matt Preston and Catherine Murphy.

“There is a hell of a lot you are going to miss …. but I think you have one life to live and you have to keep moving forward.

“I am sanguine and accepting of the things that I will miss but I am also looking forward to the opportunities and the ability to go and explore other parts of my life, and that is a big part of why I am leaving because I don’t feel that I want to be the same role all of my career, so in that lens I am going to go and do some other things.”

Andrew Dillon will take over from Gillon McLachlan. Picture: Darrian Traynor

McLachlan said he was not going to jump straight into another big gig.

“I want to take some time off and I don’t want to go straight into another role,” he said.

“I am 50, I have four kids, I have some interests I have put on hold for a long period of time so I want to go and explore that, whether it is kids stuff or it is at the farm or some stuff that I am passionate about that I haven’t been able to pursue, and then longer term I am working through that.

“I am increasingly taking a longer term view about what the next role is. Rather than five to seven it is longer.

“I think we have one life to live and I want to go and make sure the next period is right and I am going to take my time making those decisions.”