AFL Commission Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick today announced the appointment of Gillon McLachlan as Chief Executive Officer of the AFL.

“On March 3 when Andrew Demetriou announced his resignation, I made it clear that the AFL Commission would appoint the best person for what we think is the biggest job in sport in this country,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

“It is very rewarding to be able to appoint from our own game the highest quality and stand out candidate for this position. It is testament to Gill and the quality he brings, and testament to our industry’s capacity to develop and plan for our game’s future.

“Gill clearly has the experience and knowledge to lead the AFL.

“But he also put to the AFL Commission a compelling and detailed view of the challenges and issues for the future of our game, and his plan for these challenges.

“The AFL Commission is especially pleased to be able to appoint a CEO with such strong support across our industry.

“Gill is well known across our game as a strong consensus leader who delivers, and I know all our stakeholders and most importantly our clubs will welcome this announcement.

“He has been part of some of the biggest decisions affecting our game in the last few years, and he clearly has the respect and support of our industry to lead us through the next generation of challenges.”

Mr Fitzpatrick said he would like to thank the executive search team, and AFL Commissioners Linda Dessau and Bill Kelty in joining him on the sub-committee to oversee the selection process.

“This appointment is a result of an extensive executive search process which identified up to 100 potential candidates, after which a list was narrowed to twenty, and finally to three candidates who were interviewed by the AFL Commission on Monday,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

Mr Fitzpatrick also announced that following Mr McLachlan’s appointment which was confirmed yesterday, he met with Andrew Demetriou and had agreed that his final day at the AFL would be on Thursday, June 5.

“The role of any Chief Executive Officer is to develop people from within, and as Chairman, I want to thank Andrew for the job he has done in ensuring our game had such a high quality and experienced candidate to step into this role,” Mr Fitzpatrick said.

“I speak for the whole Commission and for the industry in welcoming Gillon to this new role at the AFL, and I look forward to working with him on the next stage of the AFL’s growth”, he said.

Mr McLachlan said he was honored to be appointed to the position.

“I know how our game is an intrinsic part of so many people’s lives – how important it is to people, to communities, to towns and cities,” Mr McLachlan said.

“I am accountable to our Chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick and the AFL Commission but ultimately I serve four masters – the fans, the community, the clubs and the players.

“They have sometimes competing interests but it is my commitment that I will never prioritise one at the expense of another.

“I want to congratulate Andrew Demetriou on his success and thank him for his support. He leaves incredibly big shoes to fill.  He leaves a massive legacy which I hope to build on.

“We have an amazing game, played by the most extraordinary athletes, with the most tribal of clubs and the most passionate of fans. We have our challenges but we are in an amazingly strong position and I am incredibly excited about our future”, he said.

Career background:

• Has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Adelaide
• Worked in a strategic role at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) which involved a variety of industries in different countries.
• Joined the AFL in May 2000 as a strategic planner and was appointed General Manager Commercial Operations in November 2003 before assuming additional responsibilities in the areas of broadcasting and major projects in 2006.
• Was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer in 2008 with responsibility for AFL broadcasting and digital media, fixturing, venue agreements and stadia infrastructure.
• Appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer, December, 2012

Football background:

• Elected as a Life Member of University Blues Football Club in 2003
• Played for the University Blues Football Club in the VAFA competition
• Club Captain for 3 years
• Represented Victoria and captained the state.
• On supplementary list at Carlton for about 6 months : October - March (1996-97)

Family background:

Gillon and his wife Laura have three children – Edie, aged 6, Cleo, 4 and Sydney, 2