AFL Grand Final Olympic room: Politicians, billionaires, business leaders, footy legends and a budding ‘special friendship’
There is not a better networking event than the Olympic Room at the MCG on AFL Grand Final day. This year’s all-star cast features some of the biggest political, business and footy names.
It is the “close friendship” that everyone in footy is talking about and the subject of much discussion in the Olympic Room on Saturday afternoon.
We speak of none other than Collingwood president and MA Financial chairman Jeff Browne and Sussan Corporation rich-lister owner Naomi Milgrom.
Browne, a thinking woman’s crumpet if there ever was one, brought Milgrom along to several AFL functions this past week, capped by a star appearance in the best networking event bar none – the Olympic Room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on AFL Grand Final day.
Prime Ministers, billionaires, footy legends; they all turn up for the biggest game of the year, which sadly was a bit of a damp squib on the ground.
Which meant that much of the focus turned to what was happening off it.
It is the sort of room where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was talking to AFL chairman Richard Goyder one minute, and then next Seven Group billionaire Kerry Stokes was holding court with AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon as scion Ryan Stokes chatted to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, resplendent in a Brisbane Lions scarf nearby.
You want more billionaires and big names in business? How about Peter Scanlon for the former, and Seek co-founders and, respectively, St Kilda president and AFL commissioner Andrew Bassat and Paul Bassat, as well as Robin Bishop of BGH Capital, Virgin Australia boss Jayne Hrdlicka, Telstra CEO Vicki Brady, in the latter category. To name but a few.
Politicians? It seems everyone wanted to chat to South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas, who we spotted deep in discussion with Albo and deputy PM Richard Marles at one stage. Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells also keenly cheered on Brisbane.
We sidled up to Kerry Stokes just before the match, and with predictions of a ratings bonanza, asked the billionaire who would win. “I will,” he said with a grin. Would Seven Network hit the bumper 4 million viewer mark? “Well, we would if they let us play the game in the twilight,” Stokes added forcefully.
Sadly, the result – a huge victory for the Brisbane Lions over the Sydney Swans – meant plenty of viewers switched off as the afternoon wore on.
Meanwhile, Browne was coy about details of his budding friendship with Milgrom (who was even more shy), but did fess up that “we’ve been hanging out”, at the suggestion of mutual friend and influential AFL Commissioner Gabrielle Trainor.
“She barracks for Collingwood now. She’s not a football person but she’s enjoyed the football experience,” Browne told us about Milgrom, daughter of late legendary billionaire Marc Besen, as the pair enjoyed halftime pies and scones.
“I’m a romantic, I’m passionate about a lot of things,” heart-throb Browne added to us, before Margin Call headed off to work the room almost as shamelessly as ex-PwC boss Luke Sayers.
No one protects their own like the Melbourne AFL scene, and Carlton president Sayers clearly was in his element in shrugging off the ongoing storm about any (denied) involvement with his former firm’s tax leaks controversy.
One minute Sayers was deep in discussion with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen, and the next Deputy Premier Ben Carroll was handing Sayers a beer as they took their seats to watch the Katy Perry spectacular pre-match entertainment.
Then there was AFL commissioner Andrew Newbold with his arm around Sayers as the pair chatted, and next Sayers was talking to Melbourne powerbroker Eddie McGuire, followed by a chat with Goyder and then Andrew Pridham.
If only the Carlton forward line had someone with as much enthusiasm and sheer audacity as Sayers.
Maybe he was pitching for a role on the AFL Commission? The rumour certainly is he’d love to, but maybe even that is a step too far for the AFL.
Talking of which, Goyder’s term expires in March 2026, but the word around the Olympic Room was fresh from jettisoning his Qantas chairman role and into his last term in the same gig at Woodside, Goyder wouldn’t mind staying on at the AFL.
One more year then? It may be another three. Watch this space.
Port Adelaide chairman David Koch is one Commission candidate, as is Transurban chairman Craig Drummond, who is leaving the same role at Geelong. Both were there on Saturday.
Another could, or should, be Sydney Swans chairman and MA Financial boss Pridham, who sadly did not have the best of days as his beloved team slumped to another big defeat.
Pridham, stony faced and nervous pre game, was ashen faced by half time as the Swans just did not fire.
Another networker par excellence was Tabcorp boss Gillon McLachlan, the ex-AFL boss, who walked with Tabcorp director (and former soccer and NRL boss) David Gallop.
McLachlan confessed to never reading any media about his new role, which luckily means he won’t see this reminder that we recently called Tabcorp’s performance of late “dreadful”.
Sportsbet boss Barni Evans, who oversees a business far more profitable that McLachlan’s, was a quieter presence in the room, which also included luminaries such as Graeme Samuel, new ABC chairman Kim Williams (both former AFL commissioners, as is Scanlon), and former rich listers Cathie Reid and Stuart Giles – the duo were spotted celebrating on the ground afterwards.
Reid is a Lions director and Giles a superfan who recovered from having his glasses broken by Lions chairman Andrew Wellington a week earlier when celebrating the team’s preliminary final win.
Then there were Olympians like Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O’Callaghan, Harry Garside, Mack Horton and Alexa Leary. They all cheered another swimmer in Cody Simpson singing the national anthem.
Cettire chairman Bob East, who has the same role at the Gold Coast Suns, was also there in the Olympic Room, as was Seven boss Jeff Howard, Nine Entertainment chair Catherine West, and Governor-General Sam Mostyn – another former AFL Commissioner.
It was quite a room, and quite a day – off the field at least.
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