Gil McLachlan Successor Named: It's Dillon

AFL executive Andrew Dillon has been appointed the successor to AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan. Dillon currently is the AFL's executive general manager of football operations, legal, integrity and general counsel. He has worked at the AFL in numerous roles since 2000. Dillon will officially take over in October, but will act as the CEO-elect for now. The general manager of competition management, Laura Kane, will take on the role as acting general manager of football. The general manager of legal and regulatory, Stephen Meade, has been appointed to replace Dillon as the AFL general counsel. The process of finding McLachlan's successor has stretched out for 14 months and not all of the reasons for the long delay are clear, particularly since an internal candidate was chosen in the end.

Dillon said he was honored and humbled, then continued, "... "Football has been a defining part of my life and it is a privilege to be able to lead the industry in ensuring our game remains relevant, accessible and welcoming to all Australians. It is important that we continue to strengthen every part of our game ... and I am looking forward to working with our AFL team, our clubs, our players and the wider industry to ensure our game expands its reach ... Every touch point in footy should be a positive and memorable one, from attending a match, to a parent signing their child up for Auskick for the first time, a player being drafted, or a community umpire debuting on a Saturday afternoon. Our game connects with so many ... It is really important that we are a game for everyone ... Our AFL and community clubs are the lifeblood of our game, and I will be club and community focused ... I believe in the power of football to connect people regardless of our background, gender or beliefs and want us to work to have footy in every home across the country ... our mission is to be unrivalled in comparison to other sports and to develop a growing global interest.”

As well as being the AFL general counsel since 2000, he also served as general manager of legal and business affairs from July 2004, its general manager of national and international development and its general counsel from December 2011, its general manager of legal, integrity and compliance from 2013, the responsibility of game development from March 2017, and executive general manager of football operations from July 2021.

AFL Chairman Richard Goyder had been a "... key leader and voice ... " at the AFL and was involved with broadcast and partnership deals as well as helping address key social issues. He also said, " ...  Andrew has a massive love and care for the game that he has demonstrated over his 23 years at the AFL. He knows football, he knows the football community, he knows our supporters, our volunteers and participants and he has a clear vision of taking our game to more and more people ... He knows football, he knows the football community, he knows our supporters, our volunteers and participants and he has a clear vision of taking our game to more and more people."

Source: afl.com.au