In today’s AFL briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Gillon McLachlan unfazed by the time it is taking the AFL to find his replacement.
- Start date for season eight of the AFLW has been announced.
McLachlan defends CEO process
Marc McGowan
Outgoing AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has vigorously defended the lengthy process that league headquarters has undertaken to find his replacement as chief executive.
More than a year has passed since an emotional McLachlan announced that, after eight seasons in charge, he would pass the torch to someone else.
Andrew Dillon has been hotly tipped this week to be McLachlan’s successor, but the AFL is yet to confirm his appointment or say when that will happen.
But McLachlan said it was normal in the corporate world for important hiring decisions to take time, and he had not met these “anonymous people who are furious”.
Gillon McLachlan is comfortable with how long the CEO process has taken.Credit: Getty Images
“We are a big, very public organisation, and what happens is that every decision that’s big plays out in public, and so people demand stuff,” McLachlan told 3AW on Friday.
“But if it was damaging, people in public would care – they’d be talking about it, or crowds would be different.
“The game is the only thing that matters, and the supporters and the clubs are the only [things] that matter, and they’re loving their football in record numbers and record ratings.
“I’ve never seen our supporters so happy. I go to a lot of football, and I’ve never had one of them talk about any angst about this, so I don’t know what everyone’s worried about.”
McLachlan said it was “not my place” to reveal the timeframe for his replacement to become public knowledge.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce in Hobart this weekend that the federal government will chip in $240 million to help bankroll the new stadium that is set to trigger a Tasmanian team as the AFL’s 19th licence.
But McLachlan stopped short of confirming the stadium funding.
“There has been speculation; there’s clearly been some leaks,” he said. “We feel like we’ve prosecuted a good pitch to the federal government but nothing’s done until it’s out and announced – and it’s pretty hard for me to comment other than that.”
McLachlan also explained why the league insisted on the Tasmanian government paying the lion’s share for the stadium’s construction, which amounts to $375 million, compared to the AFL’s $15 million.
“It’s a stadium that will be owned by the government of Tasmania, built in Hobart, that is a multipurpose precinct – it’s about urban development, it’s about a whole series of things,” he said.
“It’s got nothing to do with us … then we bring games and content and tourism, so it’s a community-owned asset that actually brings economic stimulus, jobs and frankly, pride that changes the whole state.
“You’ve only got to go and look at what’s happened in Adelaide around Adelaide Oval, where it’s an asset that’s owned by the community and ultimately has driven pride, economic impact and changed the state, the same as the Optus Stadium in Perth.”
AFLW reveals season eight start date
Marnie Vinall
The AFL has confirmed a start date for the upcoming AFLW season, with season eight to commence in the first weekend of September to coincide with the men’s pre-finals bye round.
However, the season’s length and structure is still being discussed as part of ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
The AFL notified clubs of the start date on Friday morning, with pre-season to start on May 29.
Demons’ premiership star Tayla Harris.Credit: Getty
Andrew Dillon, the league’s executive for football operations, legal and integrity, and pegged to replace Gillon McLachlan as the league’s the new CEO, said he was pleased to provide certainty to players and clubs for the season ahead.
“We want to provide certainty to AFLW players, clubs and fans while the CBA negotiations
are ongoing,” Dillon said.
“The first weekend of September is the best time for the 2023 season to start, with all eyes on the AFLW due to the bye in the AFL.”
Dillion said despite the ongoing CBA negotiations, planning is well underway for the season ahead.
The last CBA expired at the end of season seven. The AFL Players’ Association is pushing the league for a joint AFL-AFLW agreement.
AFL Players Association boss Paul Marsh revealed on Monday that the league made its first proposal three weeks ago, but players and the AFL were “a long way apart on everything”.
The AFL wants a nine-year deal, which would come with no increase to AFLW season length during that time. The union is pushing for a four-year deal, which would see a steady increase to the number of rounds the women play over the years.
Currently, the AFLW is 10 rounds plus finals, while the men play 23 rounds, with the introduction of Gather Round this year, and finals. The AFLPA has also tabled an extra round for the men in CBA talks.
The AFLPA is pushing for 32 per cent of total revenue to be returned to players in a joint AFL-AFLW collective bargaining agreement. Under the previous CBA the AFL players received 28 per cent and the AFLW players the equivalent of 2.5 percent. Marsh said the effective combined level had been at 30.5 per cent and the players were now looking at an increase to 32 per cent.
The upcoming season start has a week set, but no specific day, meaning the season opener could be a Thursday or Friday night match.
