AFL 2024: Carlton president Luke Sayers’ unprecedented plan to extend 12-year Blues term

Carlton president Luke Sayers will go to members to extend his tenure beyond the regulated term. Plus an update on Michael Voss’ contract negotiations and the club’s pokies revenue.

Carlton president Luke Sayers is seeking an unprecedented extension in what he says is a step for stability for the resurrected Blues.

While declaring the Blues would continue to reap revenue from their pokies, Sayers will go to the members ahead of the AGM in February, asking to extend his tenure beyond the regulated 12-year role as a director.

His current term ends after this season, but he wants to lead the Blues until the end of 2025.

With coach Michael Voss on the verge of signing a contract extension – which is expected to be announced before the season starts – the members’ approval for Sayers would see two of the ‘Big Three’ off-field leaders committed beyond this year.

Chief executive Brian Cook’s contract ends at the end of the 2024 season, and Sayers is hopeful the 68-year old will also extend.

Sayers, who has seemingly survived the PricewaterhouseCoopers scandal which engulfed him through 2023, says stability is behind his decision to want to continue at the role.

Blues president Luke Sayers and Michael Voss after last year’s Elimination Final. Picture: Michael Willson/Getty Images

That, and the prospect of exciting times ahead for the Blues.

“We all think it’s important for the stability of the club,” Sayers said.

“We’re two years into a five-year plan, which we believe is working. Over the past 12 to 24 months, we’ve had a lot of change, half the board has changed, a new CEO, new coach, and we believe we’ve got to continue to execute on the plan.

“I’m passionate to serve, and I want the members to be across the process and hopefully they support me and the board’s thinking on this.”

The Blues last year announced a profit of $1.5 million on the back of record membership and a slashing preliminary final finish after a topsy-turvy first half of the season.

They are hopeful of another successful season.

“We believe we’ve got the right coach, the right head of footy, the right CEO, the right captain, and we are just looking for stability at board level,” Sayers said.

“And we hope, like 17 other clubs, there are good times around the corner, but there’s no guarantees.”

Carlton president Luke Sayers (from left), coach Michael Voss and chief executive Brian Cook.

Negotiations with Voss’ management are nearing an end.

“We all think he’s an awesome leader, we’re working through that with Michael, and there’s no doubt he’s the right coach for Carlton over the immediate to long-term,” Sayers said.

Sayers, who was the CEO of PwC and who denied wrongdoing when he was grilled at the Senate inquiry last year, said the scandal has not impacted his role at the Blues.

“It is still going through a process, but from my personal perspective, I believe that’s completed,” he said.

He described Craig Mathieson’s departure from the board last year as “professional and amicable” after the verbal confrontation between the pair in the rooms after the Sydney loss.

He also declared the club would continue to receive revenue from benefactor Bruce Mathieson’s pokies empire.

“On the pokies, we are continually looking at ways to diversify our revenue streams, but at the moment there’s no further update in this regard,” Sayers said.

“The Mathiesons are important family of the Carlton family, and we’ll continue to work through that one.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Carlton president Luke Sayers’ unprecedented plan to extend 12-year Blues term