By Caroline Wilson and Michael Gleeson
With one foot out the door after announcing his resignation on Tuesday, Gillon McLachlan has agreed to complete the most significant piece of business before he leaves by leading negotiations on a new broadcast agreement that underpins the AFL business model.
The long-time league executive had signalled his intention to resign as CEO before the COVID-19 pandemic but gave chairman Richard Goyder his assurance he would stay on to help rebuild the competition. He will depart at the end of this season.
AFL chief Gillon McLachlan announces his plans to vacate the role, supported by his wife Laura and children Edie,14, Cleo, 12, Sidney, 8 and Luna 5.Credit: Chris Hopkins
“It’s an emotional day,” McLachlan said, close to tears as he announced his departure at a media conference on Tuesday.
“I’d like to reiterate what I said when I [started] this role: it’s an honour and a privilege to serve this game. It’s the best game in the world.
“The responsibility has never been lost on me. I feel the game is in better shape now than when I took over, but the scoreboard will be for others to judge.”
In addition to signing off on a new broadcast rights deal, the outgoing chief executive will also negotiate new men’s and women’s collective bargaining agreements, formalise a new funding agreement with the clubs (including changes to the soft cap), and finalise a recommendation for the AFL commission on the prospect of a 19th team in Tasmania.
McLachlan’s agenda for the rest of 2022
- A new broadcast deal for the AFL and AFLW competitions beyond the current agreement that ends in 2024.
- Finalising a collective bargaining agreement with the AFLPA for AFL and AFLW players.
- Confirming the club funding arrangements for the competition, including any changes to the soft cap.
- Completing the review into a Tasmanian team and putting a final position to the 18 AFL clubs for their decision.
- Ensuring the completion of the 2022 AFL premiership season and the successful start of season seven of the AFLW, when all 18 clubs will be represented for the first time.
- Overseeing the increased investment in community football to support schools, volunteers and community clubs.
“I am leaving now because it feels right – right for the AFL, right for me, right for my family. It’s clearly more complicated than that but actually, in simple terms, it’s not,” McLachlan said.
He said he had no plans for what to do next, and did not have a new position lined up.
“No, and that’s fun,” he said. “I have no idea what I am going to do. Someone said to me ‘you can’t sell a secret’. I have had some thoughts but have not had a conversation of substance with anyone about it.”
Asked if getting the competition through the COVID-19 pandemic kept him in the job longer than he intended, he said: “I would never have felt comfortable leaving until I thought everything was in order. It was a tough couple of years.”
Goyder said McLachlan informed him of his decision at the weekend.
“We’re not happy with that decision but [we’re] completely supportive of it,” he said.
“He has always said to me that he wanted to go at the top of his game, at a time of his choosing, and when the AFL was in as good a shape as it can be, and I think that’s fair play, and the commission thinks that’s fair play, and certainly fair for he and his family.”
In his press conference, McLachlan thanked his wife Laura and four children, who were all in attendance along with his brother, Seven presenter Hamish, and close AFL friends. McLachlan expressed a sadness to be leaving the game that has been part of his personal and professional life for more than 20 years.
“It’s clearly an emotional day because I have spent 20 years of my life here, but I feel very good about where the league is, and I feel good about the fact that it is the right time and I have got a plan with Richard and the commission for this year,” he said.
“I think this timeline gives Richard and the commission the right runway to work through the succession process, and allows us the time to close out what we need to do. There are four or five huge things to get done this year.”
He described his wife as his greatest ally.
“My wife would support me in whatever I did every day of the week. She clearly has views, but there’s just no greater ally in the world than Laura. This is my call, and it’s clearly emotional because I’m leaving a big part of my life, but it’s the right one.
“When I stop reflecting on what I am missing, I will look forward, and I know there will be another journey for us, which will be amazing.”
He had discussed his decision with Goyder over many months but on Sunday, flying home from the AFLW grand final, while seated in 1A and 1B of the plane, the final timing was confirmed.
“I think if you have got a relationship like I do with Richard, you are talking about the future all of the time,” McLachlan said. “And coming out of COVID, we were talking about ... I think Richard said he was looking at a more longer-term view, and I just felt as people come back to football, as we closed out the grand final for the AFLW, Richard and I flew to Adelaide, and we had a chat and I said, ‘I think this feels right, I will come out now’.”
The league will appoint an independent recruitment firm to help in the search for a replacement; Goyder was confident that person would come from either inside AFL house, or from an AFL club.
“I feel good about the quality of people we have in the AFL system now in the AFL, and at the clubs. We have people in that group more than capable of taking over,” he said.
McLachlan is understood to be keen to play a part in nominating his successor. But he said on Tuesday it would be up to the commission to choose the right candidate.
“This decision will be based on what they want going forward and that’s nothing to do with me,” he said.
Goyder has committed his immediate future to the AFL, saying it was the appropriate thing to do to remain as chairman “for a period of time” with the new CEO. But he has not outlined a time frame for his tenure.
McLachlan’s announcement comes as the game has completed its sixth AFLW season, one of his key legacies alongside his stewardship of the game through the pandemic – when the competition had to be shut down and faced an existential crisis – and a long series of broadcast agreements that placed the league at the forefront of Australian sport.
The blot on his tenure will be the tardiness of the AFL’s apology to Adam Goodes.
But Goyder praised McLachlan’s work improving culture and inclusivity at the AFL, adding he left the game in better shape than he found it.
“I think [having games] kept most of us sane through 2020 and ’21, particularly in Victoria. We’ve come out of it [the pandemic] in a really strong position with a strong balance sheet, generating cash, and with the game in as good a shape as it’s ever been,” he said.
“On behalf of the commission and the whole footy community, thank you [Gil] for your leadership, your personal strength in terms of values, integrity, openness. Your drive, your passion, your empathy, your decision-making, and your intuition have been fantastic.”
Contenders within the AFL include football boss Andrew Dillon and fellow executive Travis Auld.
Richmond chief Brendon Gale, who interviewed for the role eight years ago, is also considered a contender and would be a heavy favourite among the clubs if he applied. However, it’s expected the AFL commission will conduct a thorough search.
with Marta Pascual Juanola
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