Patrick Dangerfield, one of the game’s most decorated players, has been approached for a role on the AFL commission.
In a radical departure from tradition and one that would challenge the commission’s original charter, AFL chairman Richard Goyder and his outgoing CEO Gillon McLachlan have spoken to the Geelong captain about serving on the AFL board while still playing.
Patrick Dangerfield is one of the most decorated players in the game.Credit: Getty Images
Dangerfield, 33, is one of the game’s most influential footballers and an eight-time All-Australian. Because he is chairman of the AFL Players Association, the prevailing view is that he could not play an active commission role until after the current players’ pay deal has been completed.
An AFL source who did not want to be named because discussions were confidential confirmed Dangerfield had been approached by McLachlan and asked to consider the prestigious role. The source said Dangerfield was considering the proposal.
The popular Cats leader and star player has spoken with Goyder, but not yet held meaningful talks with the AFL chairman regarding potential complications associated with the role.
Although the AFL is seeking a contemporary view on the commission, it would be unprecedented for an active player or an employee of an AFL club to sit on the board.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and commission chairman Richard Goyder.Credit: AFL Photos
Dangerfield is contracted for next year, and neither he nor Geelong has given any indication that he intends to retire.
Asked whether Dangerfield had been approached, an AFL spokesman said: “There is a process underway with the commission but we don’t provide a running commentary.”
Dangerfield and McLachlan were both contacted for comment.
The commission makes calls on the rules of the game, highly confidential club finances and dividends and player payments to name a few in a long list of sensitive topics.
It has ruled on a series of club misdemeanours including the Essendon drug scandal, the Melbourne tanking issue and Adelaide’s salary cap breaches.
It is not known whether Dangerfield, a Brownlow Medallist and Leigh Matthews Trophy winner who has won four best-and-fairest trophies at Adelaide and Geelong, would take up one of the two casual vacancies or wait until the competition’s next annual general meeting early next year to be proposed and approved by the clubs.
He would almost certainly have to relinquish his AFLPA position and potentially his part-time role as a media commentator. Talks between head office and the players’ association over a new CBA have dragged into their second year with the two parties significantly divided over the AFLW terms and conditions.
For the first time since its formation, no former player sits on the commission and has not done so since West Coast and Sydney premiership player Jason Ball departed at the start of 2021. Former News Corporation boss Kim Williams also departed and neither has been replaced.
Goyder has defended his reduced board of commissioners but stated in May that he planned to act soon to fill at least one of the casual vacancies.
A five-member panel of club presidents – Dale Alcock, David Koch, Andrew Pridham, Kylie Watson-Wheeler and Andrew Wellington – was chosen to play a role in selecting new commissioners but has not been convened or canvassed since the first half of this year.
In March 2022, Goyder told those presidents he would employ a head-hunting firm to help identify new commissioners.
The presidents told Goyder then that the commission lacked football expertise and had done for more than a year. They urged the game’s governors to prioritise bringing a former player or senior club administrator on board.More recently Goyder has asked the clubs to nominate candidates and those being considered have included Leigh Matthews, Matthew Pavlich, Chris Judd, Ted Richards and Matt De Boer.
Highly respected veteran administrator, northern states football pioneer and former Magpie Andrew Ireland remains a candidate.
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