AIS director Matt Favier steps down

The architect of the Australian Sports Commission’s contentious Winning Edge strategy, AIS director Matt Favier has resigned.

Matt Favier has resigned as director of the Australian Institute of Sport

The chief architect of the Australian Sports Commission’s contentious Winning Edge strategy, Australian Institute of Sport director Matt Favier has resigned to become the new chief executive of Hockey Australia.

Favier, who took the reins at the AIS five years ago, said he felt it was time he returned to the “coalface’’ of Australian sport.

“I have been in a system role for eight or nine years (including his time at UK Sport) so there was a question of how much longer it would be appropriate for me to be in this role,’’ he said. “In this type of leadership role you need to stay relevant. You can lose touch with the coalface of sport and I don’t want to do that.’’

Favier said he had been considering his position since the Rio Olympics and his decision was unrelated to the highly-publicised falling out between the ASC and the Australian Olympic Committee.

Returned AOC president John Coates has been particularly hostile to Favier, partly because Coates disagrees with the targeted funding approach of Winning Edge, but also because he is convinced Favier played a part in the move to unseat him as AOC president this year.

Coates announced in February, just after a public spat with ASC chairman John Wylie in Melbourne, that Favier, a deputy chef de mission of the Rio Olympic team, would not be part of the process for the Tokyo Games.

But Favier said the AOC-ASC tensions “were not a factor at all’’ in his resignation.

“I think it’s natural at the end of a cycle and the start of a new cycle in high performance to look around and see what other opportunities are there. I see myself working primarily in high performance and I’m very excited about the role in hockey, which is an iconic Olympic sport for Australians.

“I have a high level of respect for the AOC, but I am really proud of the work the AIS did going into Rio. I am confident I will be able to work effectively with (new AOC chief executive) Matt Carroll in my new role and we can work through those tensions.’’

Favier’s departure should make it easier for the ASC and AOC to re-establish a good working relationship, given he was one of the points of tension between the two organisations.

The ASC board remains committed to the Winning Edge strategy, but Favier predicted this would be further refined and adjusted as the Tokyo Games approached.

“It’s natural for that to happen,’’ he said.

“The changes that have been made since 2012 I believe have been in the right areas but that process needs to continue. Any system has to change and adapt to thrive.’’

“Winning Edge is as much about pathways and sustainable, repeatable success as it is about the investment allocations to individual sports.’’

There has now been a full changing of the guard this year at the top of Australia’s high performance network, with a new ASC chief executive (Kate Palmer), new AOC chief executive (Carroll) and now a new AIS director.

Some of the key Olympic sports have also had leadership changes. Former Sydney Roosters CEO John Lee has replaced Carroll at Sailing Australia, while Athletics Australia is looking for a new CEO after Phil Jones resigned this week.

Palmer commended Favier’s leadership, saying he had been “instrumental during a pivotal transition period for the ASC, the AIS and the Australian sports system.