AFL spent over $5 million on software from commissioner Robin Bishop’s cybersecurity company

With money stripped from AFL clubs as Covid hit the league, it can be revealed the AFL spent millions of dollars on a league commissioner’s cybersecurity company during the pandemic.

The AFL splashed more than $5 million on software from commissioner Robin Bishop’s cybersecurity company as the league slashed club budgets during the heart of the pandemic.

Financial reports lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission declared the AFL forked out $4,499,362 for CyberCX products in 2021 and paid a further $674,144 in 2022.

Bishop is part owner and founder of private equity firm BGH Capital, which owns CyberCX.

CyberCX helped implement click-and-collect technology for food and beverage sales at Marvel Stadium as the AFL welcomed footy fans back to its venue under Covid-safe protocols.

It’s understood Bishop has no direct involvement in the day-to-day running of CyberCX.

The AFL was emphatic that Bishop had no involvement in the tender process.

“The cyber security software we use is best practice for our needs and went through our standard procurement process,” the league said.

“For the last two years we have declared a related party transaction in our annual report.”

More than $3 million was stripped out of every club’s football department spending soft cap when Covid hit as hundreds of jobs vanished from the football industry.

Robin Bishop. Picture David Geraghty

Clubs remain angered that the soft cap has only returned to $6.95 million in 2023 when it was set to peak at $9.68 million in 2020 before the virus sent Australia into lockdown.

Bishop is a close confidante of AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder.

The former head of Macquarie Capital joined the AFL Commission just weeks after Goyder was promoted to chairman in 2017.

Goyder is also chairman of embattled Qantas.

The AFL owns 49 per cent of Champion Data and the 2022 financial report also revealed it had the option to purchase an extra 2 per cent to take control.

The league said it was a “governance decision” to not exercise that right.

“It was felt at the time the best way to extract the most value out of our arrangement was to maintain the governance structure as is and not exercise the final 2%,” the AFL said.

Four other subsidiaries, which the AFL owned 100 per cent of, also disappeared from its 2022 finance records.

They were TD Goal PTY, TD Goal Properties PTY LTD, TD Goal Stadiums PTY LTD, Southern Unit Retail Trust No.1.

Gillon McLachlan and AFL Commission Chairman Richard Goyder at the announcement of Robin Bishop as a newly elected AFL commissioner. Photo Jeremy Piper

The league said they were “dormant entities that were formally wound up with ASIC in 2022”.

The AFL generated close to $1 billion in revenue in 2023 as it bounced back from Covid.

Almost $400 million of that revenue was sourced from broadcasting and AFL media.

The AFL also guaranteed bank credit to 10 clubs, led by Brisbane Lions ($8 million at Westpac), St Kilda ($6.75 million at Westpac), Port Adelaide ($5 million at Bank SA) and Essendon ($4 million at NAB).

Melbourne joined that list of clubs in 2022.

Not all clubs accessed those funds and some of the loans have since expired.

The AFL also owns $415,000 worth of paintings. The league’s financial records were audited and reviewed by KPMG Australia for $299,080.

Originally published as AFL spent over $5 million on software from commissioner Robin Bishop’s cybersecurity company