Some clubs were left disappointed by a dinner joke from AFL Commission Chair Richard Goyder around the league’s drawn-out search for a new chief executive, according to veteran reported Caroline Wilson, who declared it “one of the worst processes I’ve ever seen in a CEO search in the AFL”.
Goyder last week told presidents that Gillon McLachlan, who announced just over one year ago that he’d stand down as AFL chief executive at the end of 2022, would remain in his position for the next few weeks. McLachlan, once his delayed departure became clearer late last year, indicated he was planning to leave his post after Gather Round.
The Herald Sun reported last week that Kylie Watson-Wheeler – the Western Bulldogs president and senior vice-president and managing director of The Walt Disney Company in Australia and New Zealand – had surged into genuine contention, alongside AFL executive general manager football operations, legal and integrity Andrew Dillon, to become the next AFL boss. The other three candidates are Tigers boss Brendon Gale, as well as AFL executives Travis Auld and Kylie Rogers.
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Speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified on Monday night, Wilson reported Watson-Wheeler was “highly embarrassed” her increasing likelihood to land the AFL top job had publicly emerged last week, with the Dogs president refusing to answer questions from reporters in Adelaide.
Wilson said the AFL Commission was “divided” between picking Dillon and Watson-Wheeler, who’s been “a firm favourite of chairman Richard Goyder and I understand one or two other commissioners, including Paul Bassat”.
But Wilson said Goyder was receiving a lot of criticism from clubs.
“I have never seen an AFL chairman so underwhelmingly received by the rest of the clubs. The clubs are very disappointed with Richard Goyder and not happy with the process,” Wilson told Footy Classified.
“We saw one-on-one meetings during the weekend, broadcasters lobbying the AFL not necessarily thinking Kylie Watson- Wheeler should get the job, fairly or unfairly. We had candidates with Richard Goyder meeting him one-on-one, including Andrew Dillon trying to convince the chairman – because there is a suggestion Andrew Dillon doesn‘t want the job enough. I think he does.
“Where this leaves Brendon Gale, Travis Auld and Kylie Rogers is anybody’s guess. But as we sit here, they haven‘t been told they’re not out of the running.”
Wilson later added: “Gillon McLachlan didn‘t have a strong succession plan, but his anointed one now – and it’s changed a bit – is Andrew Dillon. For some reason, Gillon has not supported Brendon Gale’s nomination – and I don’t understand why – however, I don’t think the Commission has a succession plan either.
“The clubs say they‘re concerned about the Chairman’s performance, but who is the next chairman of the AFL Commission? Are they sitting on the Commission now? I’m not so sure they are.”
Wilson later in the show took aim at Goyder for a joke at last week’s Gather Round launch dinner referring to AFL’s long CEO search process.
“The problem was it wasn‘t funny. Waxing lyrical about the South Australian Premier, his tall stature, his good looks and his amateur footy background, Goyder joked that Peter Malinauskas was not unlike Gillon McLachlan and maybe he should be the next AFL CEO. Frankly this was insulting, certainly to four of the five candidates who were in the room when he made that joke – all of whom have spent the best part of the last year devoting themselves to going for the job and all of whom have had their brands tarnished by Richard Goyder’s performance,” Wilson said.
“Not funny, Richard.”
Footy Classified co-host and Sports Entertainment Network chief executive Craig Hutchison had a different take to Wilson, which sparked a heated debate between the duo.
Craig Hutchison: I thought the Richard Goyder joke was funny. Someone had to break the ice on the situation … No-one took it seriously, maybe other than you.
Caroline Wilson: Craig, you are being completely disingenuous. I’m prepared to cop some of your complete …
CH: No I understand …
CW: … phony behaviour. You were there, I was there. So many club bosses were so disgusted by that joke – and you know they were. So don‘t pretend you don’t know that. I’m not going to put up with it.
CH: No I know …
CW: No, I’m not going to cop that, Craig …
CH: … I know your view was shared …
CW: I‘m not going to cop it. Many, many club bosses – all the ones I spoke to – thought it was in really poor taste.
CH: But it was just a joke …
CW: Don‘t be disingenuous.
CH: It was just a joke at the end of the day.
CW: No one is denying it was a joke. It just wasn’t funny … and it was in poor taste.
CH: Righto …
CW: And you agree that all those candidates have had their brands tarnished by what’s gone on.
CH: No, I think it’s a different story. The process has been clumsy and too long. But I think having a joke about it was not the end of the world.
CW: Don‘t be disingenuous, Craig.
Gather Round to stay in South Australia | 00:49
Wilson then pointed to comments from Swans chief executive Tom Harley on another lingering league issue: The stand-off between the AFL and AFL Players’ Association about the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd said the AFL was fortunate more commentators don’t call out “what a dog‘s breakfast it’s been and the lack of leadership from above with no decisions being made on a head of footy and a boss of the AFL”.
Wilson replied: “You can say that because you’re not a client of the AFL, like Craig is.”
Cue Round 2.
CH: He said a joke, Caro. I have a different view to you …
CW: Craig …
CH … I hear yours. Hopefully at some point you can respect mine.
CW: … You didn‘t read the room if you thought most people thought it was funny.
CH: I think when someone says a joke, half the people think it‘s funny and the other half probably thought it was offensive …
CW: It was in poor taste …
CH: Which is your opinion …
CW: … and when the AFL stuff up, they make a joke of it.
CH: … and now you’ve heard mine.
Dew feeling pressure after poor start | 03:44
Wilson said Dillon, who’s been considered the favourite for the AFL top role for nearly all of the drawn-out process, would still get the job, but added Gale should also be strongly considered.
Wilson said “clubs are horrified the way he (Gale) is being treated”, reporting something might’ve gone wrong for Gale when he presented for the job.
The other curveball, according to Wilson, is it’s been “really difficult” for McLachlan to leave and that the Commission “don’t want him to leave”. She added some Commissioners had even tried to convince McLachlan to stay.
Asked if there was a chance McLachlan would stay, Wilson said: “I can’t definitively say that he’s going. I think he will (go). I think there will be good news for the AFL in Tasmania. There‘s so much unfinished business to do.
“We had one president, (Sydney’s) Andrew Pridham, say ‘you can‘t rule from the grave’ – well that’s exactly what’s going on now. Gillon McLachlan did another three-year deal with the South Australian government for Gather Round – a deal you would think he won’t be there to see out.”
