On October 2, 2023, Andrew Dillon will officially become the AFL’s new CEO, ending a 538-day handover from predecessor Gillon McLachlan.
The path to find the AFL’s next boss has been arduous and filled with detours, but the league’s announcement on Monday finally put an end date – for real this time – on McLachlan’s tenure at the helm, which officially began on June 5, 2014.
While McLachlan will have served as league chief for 3,406 days by the time he steps down, it’s the last few hundred that have proved most fascinating. Foxfooty.com.au breaks down the timeline.
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AFL CEO HANDOVER TIMELINE
April 12, 2022 – Gillon McLachlan announces he’ll step down from his role as AFL CEO at the end of the 2022 season.
April 2022 – New York-based consultancy firm Spencer Stuart begins its search for the league’s next boss, with the list of candidates to be provided to the AFL Commission, chaired by Richard Goyder. The AFL opts not to advertise for the role.
September 6, 2022 – The AFL confirms a seven-year extension to its broadcast deal, worth $4.5 billion. It is worth $643 million a season, up from the $473 million per season deal that was revised during Covid until the end of 2024.
September 21, 2022 – McLachlan announces the AFL will conduct an investigation with a four-person independent panel into historic allegations against former Hawthorn officials Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt.
October 20, 2022 – Terms of reference are announced for the independent investigation into Hawthorn, with a projected end date of December 22, 2022.
November 11, 2022 – McLachlan, announcing the inaugural edition of ‘Gather Round’ in Adelaide, re-emphasises “I am leaving”, but acknowledges a departure date is not clear. He says: “It’s not going to be late next year, but it’s certainly going to be over the coming months.”
November 23, 2022 – McLachlan’s departure is pushed to at least after Gather Round in April 2023.
March 2023 – The AFL’s search narrows down to at least three applicants: Andrew Dillon, Travis Auld and Brendon Gale, with the three to be interviewed in mid-March.
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April 2023 – The AFL makes its first proposal for the next collective bargaining agreement, with a significant gap between the league and the AFL Players’ Association. The AFL proposes a nine-year deal, while the AFLPA proposes a four-year deal.
April 10, 2023 – At the launch of Gather Round, with club heavyweights in attendance, AFL Commission chair Richard Goyder jokes that South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas’ good looks and amateur football background could have him in line to be the league’s next CEO. His comments ruffle the feathers of some, given the growing frustration with the search. Goyder later reassures several executives the search will be over in weeks.
April 16, 2023 – McLachlan and Malinauskas announce Gather Round will remain in South Australia for at least the next three seasons. As a result of the 2023 edition of Gather Round, each club received $750,000, with $500,000 going to players, who would be paid on a pro-rata basis.
April 26, 2023 – Reports emerge that Andrew Dillon has been agreed upon as the next AFL CEO.
April 29, 2023 – The Federal Government confirms $240 million of funding for the Macquarie Point urban renewal project, with a stadium at its centre, paving the way for Tasmania to receive the 19th AFL licence, which loomed as one of McLachlan’s final goals in the role.
May 1, 2023 – The AFL confirms Andrew Dillon’s appointment as AFL CEO-elect, with Dillon to officially take the reins on October 2.
