AFL Ceo Gillon McLachlan has decided to stand down at the end of the season. He addressed the decision in a press conference alongside AFL Commission Chair Richard Goyder on Tuesday.
These, in his words, are the main points raised from his emotional news conference.
His opening remarks
“Firstly, I want to say that as Richard discussed, you are all going to have to put up with me for the balance of the year.
“I’m not leaving today and I think Richard has been really clear about the agenda that is in front of the team this year but I think this timeline gives Richard and the commission the right runway to work through succession process and allows us, me and the team, to time to close out what we need to do to bring this thing to what we have been planning on.
“The reality is there are four or five huge things still to get done this year.
“I would like to reiterate what I said when I accept this had role – that it is an honour and privilege to serve this game. Best game in the world. That’s why I have loved it so much. The responsibility has never been lost on me.
“I feel good that the game is in better shape now than when I took over but the scoreboard will be for the others to judge. I’m leaving now because it feels right – right for the AFL, right for me, right for my family.
” It is clearly more complicated than that but actually in simple terms it is not.
“The AFL is in incredible shape. It is incredible shape on whatever metric you assess it. Football is back pumping with a clear plan for continued growth and I feel good about that.
“The reality is the AFL has been a huge part of my life. It is all about the people. I’m not going to individualise other than to say I could never have imagined when I started of the friendships I would take from the AFL would be by far the most significant thing I will take from my time here.
“And it is not just to the AFL, it is across the clubs and their commercial and broadcast partners. Greatest game in the world is so because there is a bloody lot of passionate and material people in and around it. I think football brings out the best in them. And this includes all of you, mostly.”
McLachlan paid tribute to his wife Laura and four children.
“Laura is a peerless mother and partner,” McLachlan said. “On every issue she has ridden every bump, and after such a long time I want to thank her and the kids for being so much a part of every bit of it an for making my life and my time here so much richer. So thank you all.”
Gillon McLachlan, Chief Executive Officer of the AFL poses for a photograph with children Sydney, Edie, Cleo, Luna and wife Laura after announcing he will step down from his role. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
On the emotion of the day
“Yes, there is relief, there is regret, there is everything,” he said. “It is 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’s the right time and I have got to plan with Richard and the commission for this year.
“They can get done what they need to do. My team will do what we need to do and clearly then I feel good that my family are looking forward to a bit of a different world going forward as well and that’s clearly been part of the decision.”
McLachlan was later pushed on his “regrets” and backtracked on the usage of the term saying he meant to use the word “remorse”.
“It’s an emotional day. I think I was asked about how I’m feeling today. There is all range of emotions. I
don’t have any regrets so let’s just be clear about that,” said McLachlan.
“There is no regrets about any part of the role. There is a range of emotions today and sort of some regret about what I meant to say was that at some point you look back and go, ‘well, that was an amazing journey, it is all done.’
“That’s what I was talking about, not any aspect of the decision-making. As I said, I’m sure everyone would have things they do differently but I don’t have any part of this where I look back on it with regret. “
On how he told Goyder
“Richard and I are in constant contact. 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.’
“It just felt the right time – they could get done what they needed to this year because it might take six or seven months, whatever it is going to take, to find the right replacement and I can get that stuff done.
“Also I can have conversations with others and look ahead a bit with my family and with others. I said genuinely a month ago, one day and it just felt right on the weekend. We had that
conversation.
” We sat at the front of the plane and nutted it out and that was about it. So it wasn’t a phone call. It was seat 1A and 1C.”
On whether the Covid issues kept him around longer than he wanted
“I don’t know. There are swings and roundabouts and highs and lows with this. What was clear, once that started I would never have felt comfortable leaving until everything I thought was in order.
“It was a tough couple of years. There was moments there that I probably could have…if it was an option, you would have. But it is a hypothetical one. I’m not avoiding it, I just don’t know.
“I just feel good that leaving this year we will do what we are going to do and where the game is, that it is the right time for the game and for me and I will feel good about where the game is.
“That’s been my primary focus. It has been my job and I have taken it very seriously. As I said, it has been a real privilege and honour. I’m aware of it every day. It feels like it is time to look forward.”
On how his family will react and what comes next
“My wife would support me whatever I did every day of the week. So she clearly has views but there is just no greater ally in the world than Laura. And so they are part of the decision-making, there is no doubt about that, but this is my call and it is clearly emotional because I’m leaving a big part of my life,” McLachlan said.
“But it is the right one that when I stop reflecting on what I am missing I will look forward and I know there will look forward and I know there will be another journey for us which will be amazing.
He said he has had some thoughts around what comes next but added: “It is a bit of a blank canvas and that is terrifying but exhilarating.”
“I have no idea what I’m going to do. Someone said to me, “You can’t sell a secret” and so I have had
obviously some thoughts but I haven’t had a conversation of substance with anyone, really. I had a couple of conversations.
On the skill sets required by his replacement
“That is not a decision for me. I’m not trying to be churlish about it. Richard and the commission, it is their decision to make,” said McLachlan.
“What I do feel absolutely certain about, that whoever replaces me will be completely different. And they will have to bring their own style and be their own person, man or woman. That was the only bit of advice that whoever gets the role, just be your own self and be your own person and you will go OK. That was advice given to me by Andrew Demetriou and I have hopefully brought that to bear every day I have been here.”
On being the man in charge
“You are aware of the responsibility because it means a lot to so many people,” he said. “You are reminded of it every day. You can’t walk down the street or into a shop or you can’t cross the road.
“So I certainly have been aware of the weight of responsibility but also that’s a privilege that I felt that. And so it is not been a burden in the way that maybe it is [assumed].
“It has just been a special thing to have had and I’m eternally grateful to Mike and the commission that made the decision at the time and Richard and all those who supported me to do it. I have done the job I
have done and others can judge what they think of it but I feel that we are in good shape and I’m leaving hopefully with a thing better than when I started.”
Michael
Guest
I think what we as fans often forget is the enourmous amount of competing priorities and pressures on being AFL CEO. The need to appease fans whilst also appeasing sponsors and broadcast partners who contribute the money needed to run the game means every decision has huge ramifications that must be considered. It highlights to me why fans make terrible administrators, as we're too focused on emotion and sentiment (though you need some). I admit I was never a big fan of Gil, I found him at times to be a tad elitist. But I will say he has done a decent job, he wasn't perfect and the game has significant structural and social issues it needs to address. But overall I would rather be thr AFL than a lot of other leagues. Personally, I think some fans look at the VFL and Football in the 70's and 80's with Rose coloured glasses (easy to say coming from someone born in 93). But that's something for another time and place.
Prez
Roar Rookie
Oakley and Jackson did the heavy lifting for the AFL. They established the AFL as the dominant competition. Their contribution is far greater by magnitudes then anything Gill has done. He has been a safe pair of hands, and had to make some hard decisions with cost cutting during Covid. But as the saying goes never waste a crisis and the AFL needed a haircut.
AR
Guest
Yes, we can see that from the home crowds.
Milo
Roar Rookie
We’re always quick to bag senior people esp AFL in our sports but IMO this guy has done a great job overall. AFLW, Covid and a huge TV rights deal (2.5bn) will be his standouts but just being approachable, (mainly) transparent and a lover of grass roots footy as well as at the top level will make him fondly remembered by most. Sure he had his fails too – remember the good ol AFLX? Past competition wasn’t exactly fierce – Ross (Up Yours) Oakley, Wayne (Who TF?) Jackson and Andrew (Rip Off) Demetriou but McLachlan has been head and shoulders above them all both literally and figuratively. He made the job much more successful and effective than those AFL predecessors. Well done Gill. Hopefully Benny G doesn’t get it – we want him at PR for a few more years.
Josh
Guest
Difference being there are actually football fans in Western Sydney :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Simoc
Roar Rookie
This guys done ok. Big fail with Adam Goodes but that was beyond his ability. The game has a great following and the rule changes improve the game moving forward. I would like to see less hated umpires but this is currently a bridge to far. Something a quality CEO could address if they're up to the challenge. i just don't want mediocrity. If we're not criticizing or currently "hating" the person selected isn't delivering. They just need a thick skin.
Simoc
Roar Rookie
GWS was a Demetriou move. It has a long time to play out. I think its ok given that the Freo Dockers haven't won a Flag (we're AFL home territory) and nor have Gold Coast Suns (I predict they never will). Great Western Sydney was taken on as a long term project like a second NRL team in Melbourne's west would be now (NRL don't have the backbone of AFL, its the boys club). I think they're doing a great job. Also a great boutique stadium they built. Our half witted Redcliffe mayor called Moreton Bay Stadium the best boutique stadium in Australia. Makes you wonder if the poor guy has traveled outside Redcliffe. It is pretty ordinary at best!
Windrince
Roar Rookie
GWS waws introduced before his time josh
AR
Guest
Last week, the mighty WSW drew a whopping 5,233 fans against Brisbane at home. It was reported that an entire corner of the $300M Parramatta cauldron was heaving. We can only assume the Giants will never match those dizzying heights.
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
We do a nice line in idiot sons of the aristocracy here in SA. I know they exist in Sydney, Melbourne even Perth but some of them here in Adelaide Dear Dog!, Saying that playing most of them in old scholars was OK ( except the one on South Terrace ). There's been a lot that he has missed on his watch in house that equivalent CEOs would have addressed but if money and deals are your measure well he's a success isnt he?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
The Vasectomy Legacy?
1dawg
Roar Rookie
It still costs $300 for 1 terrible pie and bottle of water. $87.69 for a mid strength beer that tastes worse than the pie. Great day/night out though.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I won't be as embarrassed to be South Aussie anymore. Trouble is he'll be replaced by someone just as bland.
Macca
Roar Rookie
A job at channel 7 for his brother?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I know you'll bring the tissues
Nick
Roar Guru
I thought it was "treaty" by yothu yindi. He's known to bring out the didge at the polo club xmas party and have a bit of a jam sesh.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Hi theme song is "common people" by pulp.
Macca
Roar Rookie
He looks stoked in that photo!!
Nick
Roar Guru
Now he can hide behind the high walls and polo clubs and never have to worry about dealing with Indigenous issues again. Phew.
mrl
Roar Rookie
Emotional times…hopefully he’ll be okay.