Richard Goyder to continue as AFL chairman despite decision to step down as Qantas chair amid pressure

Richard Goyder has decided to walk away from his chairmanship at embattled Qantas next year, but what does that mean for his role as head of the AFL commission?

Richard Goyder and AFL CEO elect Andrew Dillon at the North Melbourne Grand Final breakfast at MECC. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Richard Goyder’s decision to walk away from Qantas will have no impact on his role at the AFL.

Goyder, who has been chair of both organisations since 2018 and 2017 respectively, is set to step down as chairman of the airline next year amid growing pressure and a wave of controversies that have engulfed Qantas in recent years.

But the AFL maintained on Wednesday that the decision to retire from Qantas – which has endured a string of crises – would not affect his chairmanship of the AFL commission.

There is no set tenure for the chairman role at the league, with Goyder’s predecessors Mike Fitzpatrick and Ron Evans having both served at the top for a decade each.

AFL Chairman Richard Goyder presents the 2023 Brownlow Medal. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

This masthead revealed in September that disgruntled club bosses had begun canvassing replacement options in the event Goyder, who is in his early 60s, decides to leave the AFL or is forced to amid the growing Qantas turmoil.

Departed chief executive Gillon McLachlan, who has worked closely with Goyder for more than 10 years since the outgoing Qantas chair first joined the AFL commission, said last month that “football is completely separate” despite growing noise from Qantas shareholders for Goyder to depart the role.

“My view is clearly there is a discussion around Qantas, as it plays out into the AFL … the game has never been better,” he said on 3AW.

“And if you are chairman you get the negative flack if it’s bad and I think you’ve then got to get the credit for the upside”.

It had been suggested last month that Goyder was “too close” to his chief executives – being McLachlan and since-departed Qantas chief Alan Joyce.

“In the end, what chief executives need to succeed is the direction, the accountability and the confidence and support of the chairman and I know I get that from Richard,” McLachlan said on September 8.

“People have different views on style and everything else … but right now with the AFL in the shape that it’s in … the football is fantastic … and I think that Richard needs to get his right share of that.”

McLachlan also said in grand final week that “football is completely separate” from Goyder’s Qantas role.

Originally published as Richard Goyder to continue as AFL chairman despite decision to step down as Qantas chair amid pressure