Saw this article on Gil McL.
Like a pig in mud"More than four, less than six."
That was the answer Gil McLachlan gave the Phil Davis Podcast in an excellent 2020 interview, when he was asked how many hours he sleeps each night. It was a conversation that did well to reveal the work ethic of the departing AFL chief executive.
McLachlan choked back tears as
he announced he will leave the post
at the end of the season. Cue the op-eds, profiles and anecdotes. They tend to zero in on his silver spoon upbringing, the love of polo and his penchant for horrendous mustard coats and flat caps (the tweed kind, not the gangsta kind). The quips are equal parts predictable and gormless — I should know, I've probably made them from time to time.
He may be a blue blood and he may come from wealth, but as Davis found, a fierce work ethic came alongside those things.
"We all called my Dad 'singlets' because he was never off our back."
McLachlan chuckled as he remembered his effort to sell piglets in order to spin a buck.
"Our first venture was a beautiful family pet, a pig called Ruby. Dad said: 'ok if you want to get that venture going, you've gotta work with me for so long. I'll buy the materials to build the pigsty, then I'll build it with you, then you can borrow the money off me to buy the pig.' He was pretty clear about how those things should work. There were no easy wins."
No easy wins. Sound familiar?
The AFL chief executive role is a bit like being a politician, and pollies are easy to kick. No doubt there have been imperfections to the tenure. He told the media on Tuesday he had no regrets and while no one in the room was about to argue the toss in that instant, it cannot be true. During his time at the AFL he dealt with the Melbourne Demons tanking scandal, the Essendon supplement drama, and the Adam Goodes racism episode. The fact
he and the AFL apologised to Goodes
tells you, quite literally, he regretted the handling of the issue.
You can measure the high points by the impact they have had beyond Australian rules. His push to establish the women's game at a time many considered it premature created a competitive tension for female talent across the sport landscape. He inadvertently accelerated the women's cause in rugby league, cricket, soccer, to name a few: "Get your house in order or the AFL will provide a pathway for your talent."
His broadcast deals redefined what was appropriate money for your product. It's no shock that after record AFL deals, historic contracts flowed for rugby league and cricket.
A famed deal maker, navigating two COVID ravaged seasons was perhaps his finest negotiation of the tenure.
What's left before he goes? Another TV deal, a collective bargaining agreement with players, a possible expansion to Tassie. All of that is intriguing, but I wonder if he will secure his own White Whale.
When Davis asked him who would be the ideal Grand Final entertainment, the AFL boss was unequivocal about wanting The Boss.
"Give me Springsteen … you can get him for five million. If I had an unlimited budget, I'd pay him."
There is one more shot.
