Most were expecting an announcement during the September Grand Final, but the AFL have jumped the gun and appointed Gillon McLachlan as AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou’s successor.
Demetriou said he would stay on as CEO until the season’s end, but will be relieved of his duties a little earlier than expected. McLachlan will be sitting in the CEO chair by June 5.
McLachlan previously filled the CEO role for two months in 2012 when Demetriou went on long service leave and was named deputy chief executive later that year.
Demetriou has always been quick to praise his second in command, doing his best to promote his cause without breaking any rules.
“Gill has made a significant contribution to the AFL across a number of strategic fronts and this promotion is well deserved,” Demetriou said while announcing the re-shuffling of the AFL’s executive structure.
“McLachlan has done so much to support me, and the AFL’s agenda, with little thanks, or profile,” he said at a season launch in Adelaide this year.
McLachlan has also served as chief operating officer since 2008 and spent some time as acting head of football operations.
Since becoming COO he has been vital in bringing the Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney Giants in as the 17th and 18th teams in the league and securing lucrative stadium deals.
He also led the AFL’s negotiations with Essendon during last year’s ASADA/supplements scandal, investigated claims of tanking by the Melbourne Demons and has been pivotal in improving the media and broadcast deals.
Tassie team could be on the cards
McLachlan has already made a few suggestions about what will change under him, saying this week he would like to see just one team make the trip to Tasmania, rather than the two we have now.
North Melbourne plays two games a year in Hobart while Hawthorn has a long-standing deal with the State Government to play four home games in Launceston.
That arrangement expires in 2016.
The idea of a Tasmanian team is still a decade off, McLachlan said.
