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Gillon McLachlan made his share of mistakes but the game was always foremost in his thinking | Jonathan Horn
The departing AFL CEO’s ability to ‘see around corners’ helped him take the unpredictability of the league in his stride
Andrew Demetriou was at the vet, tending to his injured cat, when he phoned Gil McLachlan to congratulate him on becoming the new AFL CEO. They were two very different men. Demetriou came from humble stock. He was an old school bruiser. As the Essendon supplements scandal dragged on, he was increasingly irascible, and arguably out of his depth. His replacement would be more conciliatory, and a cooler head. Yes, he came from the polo set. But he understood grassroots football. He was willing to consult and listen. A canny negotiator, he was just the man to secure a monumental TV rights deal.
No one barracks for the AFL. They’re all too easy to bag, and to blame. Sometimes, we seem to expect more of them than our own elected officials. They’re invariably on a hiding to nothing. McLachlan certainly made his share of mistakes. He said as much at Tuesday’s press conference. He completely shilly-shallied throughout the Adam Goodes affair. On his watch, the AFL has had a desultory attitude to Tasmanian football. They continue to throw obscene amounts of money at the Gold Coast Suns. They still don’t seem completely sure of what do to with their women’s competition. And underpinning everything is the sense that the sport has been handed over to the host broadcasters. Indeed, at the announcement of the 2015 broadcast deal, on the same day James Hird was sacked as Essendon coach, McLachlan was flanked by Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Stokes. The AFL was now groaning with money. But at what cost?
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