Veteran AFL journalist Pete Ryan has called out the “extraordinarily poor” process to find AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan’s successor.
McLachlan wished to step down from the role at the end of 2022, but still finds himself at the helm of the country’s top sporting code well into 2023, with a decision yet to be made on who takes over.
The likes of Andrew Dillon, Travis Auld, Brendon Gale, Kylie Watson-Wheeler, Tom Harley, Kylie Rogers and more have been part of the process throughout and Ryan believes reputations have been hurt because of the drawn-out process.
“Well, the process has been extraordinarily poor in that it has taken so long to actually get to a decision and that it has affected the brands of people who are involved in the process such as Andrew Dillon and Travis Auld and Brendon Gale and now Kylie Watson-Wheeler,” Ryan told SEN’s Sportsday.
“If one of them gets the job, say for arguments sake Andrew Dillon, then why did it take so long.
“It reflects on the AFL Commission and some sort of ambivalence towards giving him the job.”
Ryan expects a new AFL CEO to be named at some point between now and May 9th, when the Federal Budget will decide the fate of a stadium in Tasmania.
“May 9th is when the Federal Budget comes down, which is when the decision will be made on funding for the Hobart stadium which opens the door for a team in Tasmania, which we think between now and then is probably when a new AFL CEO is made and it gives Gil the opportunity to go having made the decision on Tasmania,” he said.
“I believe the CEOs were told in their meeting on Friday, if you’re going to have any objections to Tasmania now is the time to talk because we don’t want to hear about it once the funding decision has been made.”
Ryan believes the biggest task awaiting the incoming AFL boss will be the continued building of the expansion teams in Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.
“I think (the biggest task for the new AFL CEO) establishing Gold Coast and the Giants as actually fair dinkum markets and getting them bedded down as strong clubs within the competition,” he said.
“I also think grassroots is a really important component of what the AFL needs to do. It’s done a great job at the AFL and at the top-end and it’s still, but it’s still how you have strength at that grassroots level so that people are engaged in the game as they always have been.”