Drummond Ascends: How Goyder‘s Departure Shaped the AFL Leadership Landscape
The Australian Football League is moving forward with Craig Drummond as its new chair, a selection solidified following the departure of Richard Goyder. This outcome effectively ended a push for former Channel Nine executive and Collingwood president, Peter Gordon, to take the role.
The effort to install Gordon lost momentum when Goyder formally announced his intention to leave in March. Gordon subsequently withdrew from the process before presenting to the full AFL Commission, effectively conceding the position.
Like Goyder, Drummond is a prominent figure in corporate Australia, currently serving as chairman of Transurban and previously as CEO of Medibank. This appointment, as noted in commentary, “confirms the code’s drift towards the Business Council class.” Both men share a preference for allowing their CEOs or executives to maintain a higher public profile, and are not known for making provocative public statements.
However, while Goyder’s tenure was marked by criticism regarding AFL governance – specifically a lack of succession planning for his position and a protracted handover from Gillon McLachlan to Andrew Dillon – Drummond is expected to excel in this area, drawing on his experience in public companies and with Geelong.
The case for Gordon rested on the perception that current CEO Dillon is more understated and consultative than his predecessor, McLachlan, and that Drummond shares a similar style. It also acknowledged the NRL’s gains under Peter V’landys, especially in commercial revenue and market share (primarily through broadcasting).
Drummond is anticipated to give AFL clubs a greater voice in the game’s administration, while preventing them from adopting the more assertive approach seen in the NRL. His background within “clubland” suggests a strong understanding and empathy for the concerns of AFL clubs.
Key challenges facing Drummond include player health (specifically concussion and injury), strengthening the grassroots level of the game, improving audience engagement with AFLW (particularly in comparison to the NRLW), the Tasmanian project, and securing a lucrative broadcast deal – described as the code’s “version of Norway’s oil reserves.”
Ultimately, despite presenting as a conservative and measured leader, drummond’s success will be determined by his response to the unavoidable crises that arise within the AFL.
