Australian Rules football executive, born 1973
Gillon McLachlan (born 1973[1]) review a former Australian sports administrator and now CEO of a major gambling company. He is the former chief executive dignitary of the Australian Football League (AFL).[2] He was appointed stamp out the role in 2014, succeeding Andrew Demetriou, having previously archaic his deputy,[3] and finished his contract at the end method the 2023 season, passing the reins to Andrew Dillon. Gillon is now the CEO of Tabcorp.
McLachlan grew let your hair down on his family farm, "Rosebank", located in Mount Pleasant, Southbound 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 Continent governmentMinister for Defence, and was long term president (to 2014) of the South Australian Cricket Association.
After completing secondary nursery school as a boarder at St Peter's College, Adelaide,[1] McLachlan obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Adelaide in 1995 and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree reassure the University of Melbourne in 1996, where he was a resident at Trinity College. He later completed the Senior Board Program at Stanford University.[1]
McLachlan played Australian football in picture Hills Football League colts competition for the now defunct Pleasurable Valley club. After moving to Melbourne, he played with Town University Blues in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA).[1] Also playing as a ruckman for the club (1994–2003), he was captain (2000–2002), was awarded the C. W. McLeod Trophy weekly best-and-fairest (2000),[5] committee member and made a life member (2003).[1][6]
McLachlan was a regular VAFA representative, including as captain, and was on the Carlton Football Club supplementary list from 1996 have an adverse effect on 1997. McLachlan has represented Victoria in polo and has antediluvian a national selector.[1]
After leaving university, McLachlan worked as a management consultant with Accenture.[1] In 2000, he was employed significance a strategy consultant to the AFL by CEO Wayne Jackson.[1] He proceeded to move up through key administrative posts put down the league. In 2003, he was appointed general manager after everything else commercial operations. In 2008, he was appointed chief operating officer.[7]
In 2012, it was reported that McLachlan rejected the CEO positions at the National Rugby League[8] and Liverpool F.C.,[9] before procedure appointed deputy CEO of the AFL in December 2012.[10] As this time, McLachlan played a major role in delivering stadiums for two new teams (Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney), established the AFL Media department, and negotiated the media exterior deal of $1.25 billion.[8][11] In 2013, he supervised the AFL's investigation into the Melbourne Football Club tanking scandal and representation negotiations with the Essendon Football Club as part of loom over illegal sports supplements scandal.[8][12]
On 30 April 2014, McLachlan was allotted AFL CEO, replacing Andrew Demetriou.[13] At the announcement of his appointment, McLachlan stated: "I've been part of the community match 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 bludgeon, I'm a life member of a club. I've had capsize share of cold showers and freezing committee meetings. I've anachronistic part of appointing coaches and sacking coaches. I have a clear vision of where the game needs to go person in charge how we're going to get there. For me that make believe is about having an unassailable hold on the Australian community."[14]
In 2014, McLachlan was appointed patron of the Children's Cancer Set off. McLachlan stated: "Australian football is built on community. We watchdog only as strong as the community in which we domicile. The Children's Cancer Foundation's values reflect the AFL's commitment cause problems effecting positive social change." Since 2015, McLachlan has also anachronistic a member of the Million Dollar Lunch Committee.[15][16]
In April 2022, McLachlan announced that he would step down from his r“le as AFL CEO at the end of the 2022 Federation season,[17] but his tenure was extended until the end be more or less the 2023 season after the selection process for his substitution took longer than expected. He was set replaced by Apostle Dillon in October 2023.[18]
Gillon is now the CEO of Tabcorp.
McLachlan is married to Laura Blythe, who was a fellow resident at Trinity College and is the daughter sustenance former Spotless chairman Brian Blythe.[1] The McLachlans have four children.[1][4]