Essendon signed off on more than $1.2 million in payouts for departed executives amid 2022 off-field bloodbath

From payouts to parting gifts and hefty compensation, these are the key management personnel payments from every AFL club – and the Bombers top the list.

Xavier Campbell departed Essendon during last year’s tumultuous aftermath to a disappointing season. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Essendon signed off on payouts to departed executives totalling more than $1.2 million during last year’s off-field bloodbath.

The true cost of the 2022 turmoil can be revealed after this masthead obtained copies of financial reports lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission by all 18 clubs and the AFL.

The Bombers topped the league’s management expenditure after an off-field cull that included the turnover of three chief executives inside two months.

Club sources said the crossover of staff was the key factor behind the 38.9 per cent payment spike from the previous financial year.

The seven-figure rise included a lucrative parting gift given to respected former chief executive Xavier Campbell.

Campbell resigned following the sacking of coach Rutten and only months after the board had unanimously voted to re-sign the club boss for 2023 and 2024.

Chief financial officer Kevin Dixon then resigned on the back of Campbell’s departure.

In May, the AFL poached Lisa Lawry from the Bombers to the newly-created position of general manager of umpires.

Xavier Campbell departed Essendon after the 2022 season. Picture: Getty Images

Lawry had been on Essendon’s executive leadership team since 2014 and was general manager of people and culture at Tullamarine last year.

But the AFL swooped on Lawry in response to the national female umpiring crisis that was revealed in a secret report leaked to this masthead.

Not every club disclosed in their reports or when contacted how many salaries were included in their Key Management Personnel payments.

Some of the discrepancy between clubs’ top management earnings can be attributed to their differing structures.

But Essendon forked out $4,551,776 – up from the $3,277,783 documented in their 2021 report and $2,820,882 in their 2020 report.

The Bombers refused to say whether Rutten’s $600,000 pay out was included in their $4.5 million expenditure.

Essendon’s financial statement conceded that the exorbitant figure included “payments made for additional staff and leave provisions paid out to key management personnel”.

Those payouts dwarfed the $682,213 profit the Bombers made from merchandise in 2022 and the $65,000 prize money they banked for finishing eighth in 2021.

Rival clubs have privately believed for several years that the Bombers pay their staff handsomely and it is understood former football boss Dan Richardson was on sizeable pay packet.

Gold Coast’s $3,029,211 ranked eighth overall and was close to double what fellow expansion club Greater Western Sydney paid its top brass.

But the Suns included coach Stuart Dew’s salary in their payments as well as the management of Heritage Bank Stadium and chief executive Mark Evans’ seven-figure salary.

Mark Evans (left) recently delivered Damien Hardwick to the Suns as senior coach. Picture: Getty Images

St Kilda, Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and the Giants all paid their key management personnel less than $2 million.

The Dogs’ sum was shared by chief executive Ameet Bains, football boss Chris Grant, chief operating officer Sue Clark, chief commercial and strategy officer Kon Karavias.

Melbourne ($3 million) and Geelong ($4.2 million) included premiership coaches Simon Goodwin and Chris Scott in their KMP salaries.

The Demons’ package was split between chief executive Gary Pert, chief commercial officer Chris Kearon, football boss Alan Richardson and Goodwin.

Geelong’s package was divided 10 ways because of the departures of chief commercial officer Braith Cox, media boss Kevin Diggerson, community development manager Sarah Albon and people and culture boss Tracy Gilligan throughout 2022.

Like the Bombers, the Cats’ figure ballooned due to staff crossover during the financial year.

Carlton chief executive Brian Cook banked a large portion of Carlton’s $2.5 million executive payments.

Also included in that package was chief financial officer Thomas Crookes, football boss Brad Lloyd, media boss Vanessa Gigliotti and head of consumer business Daniel Giese.

North Melbourne’s remuneration packages appeared skinny when compared to rival AFL clubs.

“The directors are responsible for determining and reviewing compensation arrangements for the Key Management Personnel (KMP),” the Kangaroos said in their financial records.

“The directors assess the appropriateness of the compensation by reference to relevant employment market conditions with the overall objective of maximising stakeholder benefit from the retention of a high-quality executive team.

“The executive team have the opportunity to receive their compensation in a variety of forms including cash and fringe benefits such as motor vehicles and expense payment plans.”

The Dockers’ $2,311,270 was split between Simon Garlick (CEO), Peter Bell (football boss) Cameron Tuohy (chief financial officer), Denis Bicer (chief commercial officer), Joseph Brierty (chief operating officer) and Kassey Passmore (communications and marketing).

Originally published as Essendon signed off on more than $1.2 million in payouts for departed executives amid 2022 off-field bloodbath