AFL 2022: Latest club CEO, board moves, Paul Tuddenham to nominate for Collingwood
An influential Collingwood past player has nominated for the club’s board and pledge to bring about change if he is elected to fill the vacancdy left by Mark Korda’s resignation.
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Collingwood past players president and property developer Paul Tuddenham will make player welfare the cornerstone of his bid to join the Magpies’ board next month.
The club has one vacancy to fill on its board after the resignation of former president Mark Korda, with around 10 candidates putting their names forward for the role.
Magpies president Jeff Browne had recommended Warner Music Australasia president Dan Rosen to fill the Korda vacancy, but Rosen has since withdrawn from the process.
The club will now not endorse a candidate for the December election.
Tuddenham, who last year played a key role in Browne’s elevation to the presidency, believes he would bring a different skills set to the board, especially his commitment to the welfare of past and present AFL and AFLW players, as well as his property development expertise.
“I am fortunate to have been part of the Collingwood Football Club family my whole life and even more fortunate to have played a few games with our great club,” Tuddenham said.
“I am not someone who aspires to be on a board for the sake of being on a board, but at the same time I believe my skills set can benefit the club.
“My 100 per cent focus is on player welfare and my role as president of the past players would continue. I think the opportunities of having a board member who is also president of the past players just makes perfect sense.
“Player welfare is becoming more and more relevant as the years pass by. There are greater challenges now for players when they leave the game. Due to the soft cap, clubs are really limited to an extent on what they can do to prepare players for life after football.
“That’s something I really want to drive and I would work with Wrighty (Graham Wright) and Lica (Paul Licuria), who I both get on well with.”
Tuddenham, who played 40 games for the club from 1987 to 1991, said he would also bring his property development experience, including freehold/lease reviews, implementation of strategic plans and development opportunities at the AIA Centre and MCG, to the board.
“I’ve been involved in property development for the last 25 years and have managed big projects and would be able to drive whatever the club needs in regard to that,” he said.
The election will run for three weeks, from November 18 to December 9, with more Collingwood members now able to vote after the club agreed to change part of the eligibility, as part of membership feedback.
SOCCER POWERBROKER LINKED WITH NORTH CEO JOB
Sam Landsberger and Jay Clark
One of Australia's leading soccer executives is in the mix to take over North Melbourne.
The Herald Sun can reveal Football Australia's head of marketing, communications and corporate affairs Peter Filopoulos has been interviewed for the job vacated by Ben Amarfio.
Three clubs — North Melbourne, Collingwood and Essendon — plus the AFL are in the market for chief executives and the Kangaroos are open to looking outside the footy bubble.
While other candidates appear to be higher on the Kangaroos’ shortlist, Filopoulos boasts an impeccable resume and spent five years at Arden St earlier this century.
He has worked as a chief executive of South Melbourne FC (1993-1999), Perth Glory (2015-2018) and Football Victoria (2018-2020).
He was also chief commercial officer at Swimming Australia and worked as a director of sales, marketing and corporate affairs at North Melbourne (2002-2007) and Marvel Stadium (2007-2014).
Filopoulos started working in footy at Hawthorn as director of sales and corporate marketing from 1999-2002, but has been out of the AFL system since leaving Arden St in 2007.
However Filopoulos’ background has him a highly-sought after candidate and those who have worked with him have praised his passion for gender balance in the workplace.
The Kangaroos have cast their net wide and it's understood more than 20 candidates have been interviewed for the role.
Jen Watt, who is general manager of commercial operations and partnerships at the Melbourne Cricket Club, is considered a frontrunner.
Watt is highly-regarded by MCC boss Stuart Fox and has a strong relationship with former Melbourne and Essendon chief executive Peter Jackson, who is helping North Melbourne secure its new boss.
Watt spent 14 years at the Demons, overlapping with Jackson, and was awarded the AFL’s Graeme Samuel Scholarship in 2016.
The Herald Sun revealed on Friday the Kangaroos and Bombers had both reached out to Collingwood boss Mark Anderson, who resigned on Thursday.
But Anderson is far more likely to pursue the Essendon job if he remains in the AFL.
Former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has been helping the Roos in the background while external recruiting firm Six Degrees is leading the appointment process.
Meanwhile, industry speculation has linked Craig Kelly to Collingwood’s top job.
But Kelly is known to be reluctant to take up an official role at the club while his son, Will, is on the list. Kelly did not return the Herald Sun’s calls on Friday.
As reported on Thursday, former Essendon chief executive Xavier Campbell plans to travel to France shortly with his wife after launching a beer called ‘Travla’ with his Echuca mate.
EX-PIES BOSS LINKED WITH TWO RIVAL CLUBS
Essendon and North Melbourne sounded out Collingwood chief executive Mark Anderson for their vacant top jobs before he resigned from the Magpies after five seasons in charge.
Anderson is understood to be weighing up whether to remain in football or start fresh in another industry after he departs Collingwood on November 16.
The Magpies were aware of the approaches to Anderson from their rivals but were unsure whether Anderson would land at Tullamarine or Arden St when he tendered his resignation to president Jeff Browne.
Should Anderson stay in football it is more likely that would find his way to Essendon than the Roos.
The Herald Sun linked former Bombers boss Xavier Campbell to Collingwood last month and speculation he could join the arch rival has intensified on the back of Anderson‘s departure.
While there is a lot to play out, it is not impossible that Campbell and Anderson could switch clubs in 2023.
Campbell is also understood to be considering spending 2023 in Europe to further his professional development.
Campbell has enjoyed studying overseas and flew in and out of Singapore to complete his executive MBA in 2018.
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The Bombers and Kangaroos have engaged external recruiting firms to spear their chief executive searches, but the Magpies would not disclose whether they would follow suit to find Anderson‘s successor.
It is extremely rare for three Victorian clubs to be in the market for a chief executive at the same time.
North has hired Six Degrees to find a replacement for Ben Amarfio, who finished at Arden St on Monday.
Chris Simmonds, the Roos’ general manager of finance and administration, is serving as interim chief executive until a permanent club boss is found.
The Bombers have turned to chief commercial officer Nick Ryan as interim chief executive while Collingwood football boss Graham Wright will fill Anderson‘s post until a replacement is appointed.
The Magpies have stabilised under Anderson’s leadership. He navigated a turbulent period that included the departures of coach Nathan Buckley, president Eddie McGuire, the Do Better racism report and Covid.
The board was happy to accept Anderson’s resignation and he spoke to staff at the club’s headquarters on Thursday.
While Anderson’s decision came as somewhat of a surprise, his tenure was consistent with his previous chief executive stints.
Anderson also spent five years in charge of Swimming Australia (2013-2018) and Hockey Australia (2008-2013).
He worked at the Bombers as their chief commercial officer from 2005-08 alongside current AFL executive Travis Auld, who is a strong contender to secure the top job at Tullamarine.
“With the club in great shape I feel it is the right time for me to move on,” Anderson said.
The Herald Sun revealed last week that respected Brisbane Lions boss Greg Swann was set to remain at the Gabba next year despite the vacancies in Melbourne.
Browne paid tribute to Anderson.
“We recognise Mark’s stewardship through the ongoing work of Do Better and we acknowledge his unwavering commitment to ensuring Collingwood continues to listen and learn from our First Nations people and their experiences,” he said.
“From a facilities perspective, the club is currently completing a redevelopment at the AIA Vitality Centre which will position us well for on-field success by providing all athletes and staff with a quality high performance environment.”
Magpies boss calls it quits
—Matt Turner
Collingwood chief executive Mark Anderson has resigned after five years in the role.
The Magpies released a statement on Thursday morning saying Anderson had stepped down and football manager Graham Wright would serve in the position in the interim.
Anderson joined the Magpies in 2018, overseeing the club’s rise to the grand final that season.
The last two years have proven something of a rollercoaster, featuring the release of the Do Better Report into the Magpies’ treatment of First Nations people, president Eddie McGuire’s resignation, coach Nathan Buckley’s departure and the club’s surprise climb to a preliminary final under Craig McRae.
Collingwood president Jeff Browne said Anderson had shown great passion and commitment to the club.
“We thank Mark for his guidance and expertise which has resulted in strong football and netball programs, record membership numbers, the highest home and away crowds in the competition and a club that has great momentum,” Browne said.
“Each of our elite teams are performing well.
“From a football perspective, Collingwood qualified for AFL finals in four of five seasons including a grand final in 2018 and two Preliminary Finals (2019 and 2022) while our AFLW team has qualified for the last three finals series and is about to embark on our next final’s campaign this weekend.
“Mark has also overseen the Collingwood netball program which made great progress across season 2022, performing well to make finals.
“We recognise Mark’s stewardship through the ongoing work of Do Better and we acknowledge his unwavering commitment to ensuring Collingwood continues to listen and learn from our First Nations people and their experiences.
“From a facilities perspective, the club is currently completing a redevelopment at the AIA Vitality Centre which will position us well for on-field success by providing all athletes and staff with a quality high performance environment.
“As a club, our wider community programs have also continued to grow and strengthen.
“On behalf of the board, we sincerely thank Mark and his wife Michelle for their absolute commitment and support of the Collingwood Football Club.
“Mark is a very talented executive and I wish him well for whatever future endeavours he may turn his many talents to.”
Anderson said he was grateful for the opportunity to have been in the role but believed the time was right to move on.
“Collingwood is truly a club that is made by many and whose members and supporters are the most loyal, dedicated and passionate fans across the competition,” Anderson said.
“One of the highlights throughout my time at the club has been seeing the Magpie Army return to the ‘G’ this year after two tough years impacted by the pandemic.
“To feel the roar and atmosphere after another one of our amazing wins this season is something that I will always remember and treasure.
“The Collingwood Football Club is a great club because of the quality of our people and it has been a pleasure to work alongside so many brilliant coaches, staff and players across each of our teams.
“I want to especially thank my talented executive team for their expertise and support which has been greatly appreciated.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Collingwood – and with the club in great shape – I feel it is the right time for me to move on.
“As I reflect on the last five seasons, I am grateful that it began with an amazing ride to an AFL grand final in 2018 and closed with an incredible journey in 2022, despite the close Preliminary Final result.
“I wish all of our teams and players, our coaches, our staff, volunteers and all of our fans all the very best in season 2023 and beyond.”
Anderson’s last day at the club will be on November 16.
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