Power Brokers of Canberra’s Corridors: Most powerful Victorians

Governments come and go but behind the scenes are players wielding influence unseen by the public. These are the Victorians who have the most power over our daily lives. SEE THE FULL LIST

Andrew Demetriou is tipping Richmond and Collingwood to make this year’s AFL Grand Final as he opens up about leaving the sport and why he doesn’t miss the top job.

Demetriou was today named in The Sunday Herald-Sun’s Top 100 Power List, and in a wide-ranging interview the former AFL boss revealed the toll the job took on his family and what he thinks of the game’s current direction.

The businessman is one of almost two dozen Victorians included on today’s list along with current AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, Australia’s richest man Anthony Pratt, Howard-era Treasurer Peter Costello and former premier Jeff Kennett.

“I’m sort of tipping a Richmond, Collingwood Grand Final,” Demetriou predicted when asked about the upcoming finals.

He joked it would probably mean 250,000 fans trying to get into a 100,000-seat stadium, adding it would “cause chaos in this town but it will be a nice headache to have”.

Former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou is listed in the lost of most powerful power brokers. Picture: David Caird

Demetriou is named alongside power players such as former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop and billionaire Andrew Forrest as someone who was formerly one of Australia’s most powerful people in sport and who now sits on the board of James Packer’s Crown Resorts, among other appointments.

He looks back fondly on his time at the AFL but will never go back.

“I don’t miss it. I was blessed enough to have played and then been involved at the players’ association and then at the AFL for the better part of 14 years. I’ve had a good run,” he told News Corp.

Demetriou doesn’t miss the spotlight, and particularly recalls a string of front pages he was on during the Essendon drug saga.

His four children, Alexandra, Francesca, Mattea and Sacha, are part of the reason he’s glad to no longer be in the public eye.

“I never underestimated or took for granted that the role commanded being in the public and with that came scrutiny and criticism,” he said.

“In that role what you find though is that you feel for your family, and your wife feels that more and so do your parents.

Demetriou says the AFL is in “great hands” with Gillon McLachlan. Picture: Toby Zerna

“I was very conscious about my children as they got older and I was sort of glad I got out at the time I got out because they weren’t as exposed to it as much.”

Looking back, he’s most proud of growing the league’s membership base, adding two teams and doubling it’s revenue to more than $450 million.

It’s in “great hands” with his successor Gill McLachlan, he added.

“What he’s done with the AFL women’s competition, the recent broadcast rights, the fact that they’ve purchased what’s now called Marvel Stadium, the game continues to grow and he’s been a terrific instigator of a lot of that progress,” he said.

Demetriou has also backed the creation of a team for Tasmania, saying the league is “on the right track” with a taskforce to examine the case for a new club.

“I think at some point in time there will be a team and when that is and who it is, thank God someone else will make that decision,” he said.

Asked about the recent 60 Minutes’ report on Crown Resorts — which contained allegations about links to Chinese crime bosses and money laundering on its premises — Demetriou said he stood by the board’s statement that the claims were “deceitful” and “unfairly maligned” Crown staff.

Mr Fix It: Melbourne-based lawyer Leon Zwier also appeared on the list.

“I have enormous empathy and sympathy for our staff and our management, everyone who’s associated with Crown, because I see the wonderful work they do,” he said.

“I think we’re a significant contributor to this country and I just felt very strongly on behalf of all the people who work for the organisation that they were unfairly maligned and that campaign was deceitful.”

Other Victorians on today’s Power Brokers’ list include union boss Sally McManus, Melbourne GP and head of the Australian Medical Association Tony Bartone, and Tabcorp chair Paula Dwyer.

Melbourne-based lawyer Leon Zwier — known as “Mr Fix-It” in corporate Australia — is also featured as someone who has represented some of the country’s most powerful people, including former packaging magnate Richard Pratt and former Labor leader Bill Shorten.

Fellow litigator Janet Whiting, one of the solicitor’s currently representing the State of Victoria in the Lawyer X royal commission, is also on the list given her extensive connections and years of sitting on prominent boards such as Tourism Australia, Bell Shakespeare, the Melbourne Fashion Festival and the National Australia Day Council.

Others include Liberal Party insiders Brian Loughnane and Andrew Burnes, whose friendship with Joe Hockey came under scrutiny during the Helloworld travel saga.

BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie, advertising giant Harold Mitchell, Village Roadshow executive John Kirby, high profile business and industry lobbyist Innes Willox, former Labor minister turned oil and gas lobbyist Martin Ferguson and the Melbourne-based managing director of tobacco giant Philip Morris in Australia, Tammy Chan, are also on the list.

See the full Power Brokers List below: