Clubs demand a secret ballot on Brownlow Medal day as power struggle on AFL Commission to replace Richard Goyder continues

It has been a spectacular piece of mismanagement on Goyder’s behalf and eerily similar to his attempt to push current Bulldogs president Kylie Watson-Wheeler as Gillon McLachlan’s replacement back in 2023. That move briefly diminished Andrew Dillon’s candidacy and ultimately embarrassed Watson-Wheeler.

Much has been made of Goyder’s abject failure to put in place a succession plan as he tried to remain in power for another term, despite assuring the clubs back in 2023 that this would be his last as chairman. He was determined to chair the nominations committee, despite the clubs’ attempts in March to unseat him.

That move failed, but the clubs had a win last month when – led by Adelaide’s John Olsen and Sydney’s Andrew Pridham – they told Goyder he had to quit or might find himself forced out.

Then Goyder hit back by introducing Gordon in a bid to thwart Browne, who had said he would not serve on a board under Goyder. The other candidate who said he would not serve on a Goyder-led commission was David Koch, and he failed to make it to Goyder’s shortlist.

Another potential candidate for the chairmanship was investment banker John Wylie, who previously chaired the MCG Trust and the Australian Sports Commission. But he was overlooked by Goyder’s nominations committee, which preferred one-time Essendon director businessman Peter Allen.

This is an unedifying saga that has divided the AFL community. Goyder has scant support at club level but the strong backing of recently departed AFL corporate affairs and communications boss Brian Walsh, who has been working the phones pushing the cause of Goyder and his preferred candidate, Gordon.

Gillon McLachlan’s role in the story remains intriguing, with a number of clubs convinced that Goyder was clinging to power with a view to installing McLachlan back to a leadership role at the game’s head office. McLachlan announced his departure at the start of the 2022 season but later regretted the decision and stayed in the job until the end of 2023.

Paul Bassat, Andrew’s brother and a strong Goyder man, is also likely to stand down in March, which would create a second vacancy, but Goyder has refused to divulge that information to the presidents.

But the cavalier manner in which the chairman has handled the governance of Australia’s most powerful sport has antagonised most of its most traditionally powerful clubs, notably Collingwood, Carlton, West Coast, Essendon and Adelaide. Sydney and Port Adelaide remain equally disenchanted, although Swans chairman Andrew Pridham’s role in the power struggle has been overplayed by the Goyder camp.

Loading

John Olsen, the former South Australian Premier who played a leading role in the historic Adelaide Oval deal and who negotiated with Goyder during the botched handling of the Izak Rankine homophobic slur, has emerged as a strong player. He was not due to come face-to-face with Goyder at the Crows’ home semi-final on Friday night, as Goyder will not attend the AFL semis this weekend due to family reasons.

Almost three years have passed since Goyder asked the 18 club presidents to ratify his leadership for another three-year term. Questions were asked at the time but Goyder refused to discuss his plans until after he had been voted back in.

He later told the club presidents that he would step down at the start of 2026. The outgoing chairman would have all manner of reasons for changing his mind, but none have resonated as truly unselfish. The sad fact remains for Goyder that attempts to protect his legacy have proved fruitless and further diminished by the clumsy manner of his departure.

That he could not find one commissioner on his board over his past three years to emerge as a suitable replacement is an indictment. That he has put the pursuit of his own cause ahead of the game is worse. If Goyder has a legitimate reason for opposing Jeff Browne, he should have spoken up and not indulged in this shadowy power play.

It is true the clubs could cave in as Goyder supporters work to divide and conquer, but rarely have they seemed this close to being united in their disappointment at such poor treatment and lack of clarity.

Three years ago, grand final week was haunted by the emergence of horrific claims of racism against the Hawthorn Football Club and some of its key figures, who were later cleared of wrongdoing. Goyder’s poor governance and bungled exit strategy, which now has key influencers working the phones and crunching the numbers after more than a decade of remote leadership, seems minor by comparison.

But this discord between the competition’s governors and the clubs, and the staggering lack of trust and transparency, has hurt the game and its reputation as Australia’s all-powerful Indigenous code – one that has gone from strength to strength in this era of globalisation and worked for decades to set a cultural tone.

This at a time when the game needs to reassess its priorities, strategise its role in a changing media landscape, rebuild at community and grassroots level, refocus its gambling revenue obsession, create a 19th team and strengthen AFLW.

It feels embarrassing that the commission, which was put in place back in the 1980s to wrest control from selfish clubs and better govern the game, is so dangerously at odds with those clubs as it has failed to oversee a clean and respectful handover. And while the man at the top has tried to cling to power.

This masthead has contacted Goyder for comment.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.