Gillon McLachlan | |
|---|---|
 McLachlan pictured during the inaugural AFL Women's match in February 2017 | |
| Born | 1973 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Other names | Gil McLachlan |
| Occupation | CEO of AFL |
Personal[edit]
McLachlan grew up on his family farm "Rosebank", located in Mount Pleasant, South Australia. His parents are Angus, a former first class cricketer, and Sylvia.[1][4] He is the eldest of four brothers: Hamish, Will and Banjo.[1] His uncle, Ian McLachlan, was an Australian government Minister for Defence, and was long term President (up to 2014) of the South Australian Cricket Association.
After completing secondary school as a boarder at St Peter's College, Adelaide,[1] he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Adelaide in 1995 and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at the University of Melbourne in 1996, where he was a resident at Trinity College. He later completed the Senior Executive Program at Stanford University.[1] He is married to Laura Blythe, who was a fellow resident at Trinity College and is the daughter of former Spotless Chairman, Brian Blythe.[1] The McLachlans have four children.[1][4]
Sporting career[edit]
McLachlan played Australian football in the Hills Football League colts competition for the now defunct Pleasant Valley club. After moving to Melbourne, he played with Melbourne University Blues in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA).[1] Besides playing as a ruckman for the club (1994-2003), he was captain (2000-2002), was awarded the C.W. McLeod Trophy for best-and-fairest (2000),[5] committee member and made a life member (2003).[1][6] He was a regular VAFA Representative including captain. He was on the Carlton Football Club supplementary list from 1996 to 1997. McLachlan has represented Victoria in polo and has been a national selector.[1]
Business career[edit]
After leaving university, McLachlan worked as a management consultant with Accenture.[1] In 2000, he was employed as a strategy consultant to the AFL by CEO Wayne Jackson.[1]
AFL executive roles[edit]
In 2003, he was appointed as General Manager of Commercial Operations and in 2008 was appointed Chief Operating Officer.[7]
AFL CEO[edit]
In December 2012, he was appointed Deputy CEO.[8] Before taking on the CEO role at the AFL, McLachlan played a major role in delivering stadiums for two new teams - Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants, established the AFL media department and negotiated the media broadcast deal of $1.25 billion.[9][10] In 2013, he supervised the AFL's investigation into the Melbourne Football Club tanking scandal and the negotiations with Essendon Football Club supplements controversy.[9][11] On 30 April 2014, the AFL Chairman Mike Fitzpatrick announced McLachlan would be appointed as AFL CEO replacing Andrew Demetriou.[12] At the announcement of his appointment, McLachlan stated: "I've been part of the community of football and I know how important it is. I played over 200 games of amateur or country football, I've captained a club, I've been on a committee of a club, I'm a life member of a club. I've had my share of cold showers and freezing committee meetings. I've been part of appointing coaches and sacking coaches. I have a clear vision of where the game needs to go and how we're going to get there. For me that vision is about having an unassailable hold on the Australian community."[13]
In 2012, it was reported that he rejected the CEO positions at the National Rugby League[9] and Liverpool F.C.[14]
In 2014, McLachlan was appointed Patron for the Children's Cancer Foundation. McLachlan stated: "Australian football is built on community. We are only as strong as the community in which we reside. The Children's Cancer Foundation's values reflect the AFL's commitment to effecting positive social change." Since 2015, McLachlan has also been a member of The Million Dollar Lunch Committee.[15][16]
On 12 April 2022, McLachlan announced he would step down from his role as AFL CEO at the end of the 2022 AFL season.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has announced he is stepping down as league boss at the end of the 2022 season.
Key points:
- Gillon McLachlan will step down as AFL CEO after the 2022 men's season
- McLachlan has been in the role for eight years, after taking over from Andrew Demetriou in 2014
- McLachlan would not be drawn on who his replacement would be, other than saying the new boss would be "completely different"
McLachlan spoke to the media with chairman Richard Goyder this morning. You can watch the press conference replay here.
McLachlan has been in the top job for eight years after taking over from Andrew Demetriou in 2014.
"There is relief, there is regret, there is everything," McLachlan said as he fought back tears.
"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.
"I make tens of thousands of decisions. They are not all right and there is always things you would do differently but substantively, I feel OK where we are at.
"You make a number of different decisions but the big ones, I feel good. That was a tough period these last couple of years. There were some big moments and some big calls we had to make. We have come through that pretty well and that's where we are today."
McLachlan said he made the call to stand down on the weekend as he travelled to Adelaide for the AFLW grand final.
Richmond chief Brendon Gale is reportedly in the running to be McLachlan's successor after missing out on the job in 2014, while football boss Andrew Dillon, executive Travis Auld, and Western Bulldogs president Kylie Watson-Wheeler are also in the discussion.
Asked about his thoughts on who should replace him, McLachlan said the new boss would be "completely different".
"That is not a decision for me. I'm not trying to be churlish about it. Richard [Goyder] and the commission, it is their decision to make," he said.
"What I do feel absolutely certain about, that whoever replaces me will be completely different. They will have to bring their own style and be their own person, man or woman.
"That [is my] 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 the advice given to me by Andrew Demetriou and I have hopefully brought that to bear every day I have been here."
There had been speculation that McLachlan would stand down during the past couple of years, but he resolved to stay on as the sport negotiated the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 49-year-old is the son of Angus McLachlan, a former first-class cricketer and South Australian pastoralist, and the older brother of Channel 7 commentator Hamish McLachlan.