Demetriou himself rejects the idea of deliberate discrimination in his early life, but it seems more likely that, for an able and confident kid, it did exist and he simply brushed it off. Or, as he would put it, giving people options. [1], Before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry. he exclaims.Unquestionably, says the Swans' Richard Collis, expansion will be remembered "as a part of the Demetriou era".How long an era? [7], Demetriou has been highly influential in the AFL Commission's desire for a team to be based on the Gold Coast. The AFL are incredibly good at leveraging causes into money. Even if it's 10 o'clock at night he'll still be responding to emails or taking calls. You've got to invest in the things you care about.". Happily ensconced in their $7-million Toorak mansion, replete with the trappings of an executive lifestyle, the Demetrious revel in life with their twins, Francesca and Alexandra, now five, and two-year-old daughter, Mattea. The youngest of four boys born to Greek Cypriot parents, Demetriou was good enough to play top-level football in the 1980s, eking out. ("Bizarre, I know," he told one reporter. I wanted to see what his reaction would be. "And in return? [citation needed], Between 1998 and 2000, Demetriou was CEO of the AFL Players Association. Her son was knocked out by Leigh Matthews and carried off. And Britney," Demetriou changes tack. Symone and Andrew Demetriou, expecting their fourth child and partners in a babywear business. He had a brief move to Hawthorn in 1988, but played only three games and kicked one goal. View the profiles of professionals named "Andrew Demetriou" on LinkedIn. Demetriou, a straight talker who supporters and critics alike recognise for his negotiating steel as much as they do for his decisiveness on policy issues, has used his CEO tenure to build on the league's expanding reputation as a force for cultural and social change, championing racial equality, cancer awareness and respect for women while putting player welfare at the forefront of league policies on pay and illicit drug use. It was that meeting that convinced Karmichael that he should move to AFL.". "I went to uni, did arts and a dip ed, majored in legal studies and politics, and got a job teaching year 12 politics. David. . 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"Not with four children, no. "Except, perhaps, the meta-narcissism of some of the best political leaders. Please try again later. James Hird's wife Tania says Andrew Demetriou knew about payments to suspended coach UPDATE: James Hird says he will fight to protect his right to his $1 million salary while serving his 12-month suspension. "Later, Symone qualifies her husband's involvement. If you'd said I was going to be working in football 20 years later, I'd have thought you were mad.". Join 1.7 Million Subscribers In fact, Demetriou's term as chief is almost certain to be judged on the success of the AFL's latest foray. We have estimated Gallop refuses to admit publicly to anything other than total confidence in rugby league. Ex-AFL boss Andrew Demetriou makes humiliating exit from Crown board along with the CEO as James Packer's embattled gaming empire makes desperate bid to reverse ban on opening its new Sydney. Demetriou played 103 games for the North Melbourne Football Club between 1981 and 1987, finishing his playing career with a three-game stint for Hawthorn in 1988. Right now, he's enjoying himself, in the job and in general. [19][20] Acquire Learning entered voluntary administration in May 2017, shortly after Demetriou left the company. In those days it was quite humorous, and in a bizarre way acceptable: 'Oh well, wog, dago, they don't really know what they're talking about.' It was all give, it was incredible giving. And the caption said something like: 'That's what it takes'. "Huh? "There is tremendous power vested in Andrew's position," says Brendon Gale, former head of the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) and CEO of Richmond Football Club. Demetriou was 38. In his role as head of the AFL Commission, he was responsible for a number of changes, including the expansion of the league from 16 to 18 teams, the restructuring of the tribunal system, and the brokering of two new television rights deals. Andrew Demetriou (born 14 April 1961) is an Australian businessman, sports administrator, and former Australian rules football player who was chief executive officer (CEO) of the Australian Football League (AFL) up to June 2014. Were working to restore it. Demetriou, for his part, was "overwhelmed" by the support he received from the footballing community after Bassett's death. Just quietly: Andrew Demetriou has lost another gig. When I bring up this dedication, Demetriou smiles - a big smile, perhaps the first of the interview. "Symone cannot recall noticing her husband on-field. "He was absolutely a source of help and advice.". Leaves it to others. Demetriou's first wife died in 1999. Demetriou in 2014 became the Chairman of the Advisory Board at Acquire Learning. "Don't quote me on this, I could get it wrong. I remember those calls"I just remember their work ethic and their sacrifice to give us better opportunities. And the heads of other codes - Buckley, the NRL's David Gallop and the ARU's John O'Neill - have all maintained upbeat public attitudes towards expansion. Demetriou now has four children - twin girls born two days after he took on the CEO role, the Monday after the 2003 grand final, another daughter born in 2007, and a little boy born in 2009. Part of the secret is planning: he's created a five-person strategy team at the AFL to crunch numbers and model scenarios. He convinced the Players' Association to accept random testing for illicit drugs, not just performance-enhancing ones, something that is rare in sporting codes the world over, and unheard of in most professions. That would leave a massive hole at the competitions governing body and the game at the crossroads. "I don't make any decisions without everything having been thought through, chewed up, sliced, diced, looked at inside out, been criticised," he says. It's a great escape. Demetriou remains a shareholder and board member. "But what I do know is that in greater western Sydney, there are 220 different ethnic groups, 220 languages spoken and 180,000 indigenous people. Demetriou's lasting impression was of his parents' deep commitment and love for their family, but also the pain for them of distance and separation. Jill Lindsay, in charge of league grounds and one of the AFL's longest-serving executives, looked Demetriou square in the eye on day one and said: "So, you're the guy who stuffed the league." With his second wife, Symone, Demetriou raised twin daughters, as well as an additional daughter and a son. "Expansion is going to make things much tougher for clubs in the short term," says Gale, speaking as Richmond CEO. But his mother went only once, to the MCG for a final against Hawthorn in 1982. As head of the AFL Players' Association, the footballers' union, Demetriou had played hard ball on the way to achieving his coup de grace - the first collective agreement (involving him) for the competition's 600-plus professional players, which gave them a massive pay rise, justly recognising them as the real stars of the show. ', he would say things like, 'You know, I don't know what the right way to feel is, but at the moment I don't feel comfortable doing that.' . He was awarded the University's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009 and a Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) in 2015 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to sport management and to Australian society through his leadership and support of important social issues, and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor. He suffered heartbreak a decade ago when his first wife, the academic and historian Jan Bassett, died of cancer, but today Andrew Demetriou's life seems very much on an even keel. But, you know, that's Andrew defending his patch. [5], In 2005 he was instrumental in securing a record breaking A$780 million TV rights deal. Giving up cricket, Demetriou joined North Melbourne football club, and played 103 games as an "unobtrusive wingman" between 1981 and 1987, as well as three games for Hawthorn in 1988. Demetriou currently leads a great life - great job, great family, great health etc. We don't own this game. "To be frank, if the clubs had had their way, there'd be no national expansion," says Gale. It's based in northern Italy. [17], Demetriou has interests in factories in Brazil and India which manufacture dental products and exports them to 70 markets, including Australia. The pairing - cheeky young footy player, independent older woman - seemed unlikely, but their friends remember them as a wonderful couple. Demetriou has a regular spot with Red Symons on Melbourne radio station ABC 774. "And some day he'll move on. 1998 Between 1998 and 2000, Demetriou was CEO of the AFL Players Association. Aug 2020 - Present2 years 7 months. "He has all the qualities of a good politician," says Don Watson, who, as Prime Minister Paul Keating's speech writer, should know. They have three daughters and a son. "I try to get out the door of the office by five. ", Finally - and perhaps most importantly - he believes (or persuades others he believes) that no deal is worth dying for. Andrew Demetriou is the quintessential boy done good. Demetriou was made CEO of the AFL in 2003, replacing Wayne Jackson. Given her mother followed North Melbourne, she thinks she must have seen him in passing, if only on Saturday evening's TV replay, but she couldn't be sure. "Nine years on, having moved from football operations to the top job, football's consensus is that Demetriou has done anything but stuff the league. [citation needed] He claimed that the Swans would not win the premiership with the way they were playing,[10] and this statement was underlined when the team suffered a 43-point defeat to St Kilda in Round 10. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 25: AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and wife Symone Demetriou arrive for the 2006 AFL Brownlow Medal Dinner at Crown Casino September 25, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. The AFL chief executive, whose successor could be named as early as May, has declared a wish to serve out the 2014 football season, demanded and received great loyalty from his staff who became emboldened themselves by a leader they regarded as fearless. Country: Australia. If I hadn't had footy this year, it would have been a lot worse. This is true for the AFL Commission as a whole, and for Demetriou personally. The idea of expansion is also in the DNA of the AFL. Everyone has to because that's just the expectation. ", Admits O'Neill, "We all have to play to our own competitive advantages, but I envy the AFL their deep pockets. Sydney won the 2012 premiership implementing a style of relentless tackling and attacking play. I'm very optimistic about what's going to happen in greater western Sydney, very optimistic. And some suggested a life in politics back in 2005, when he openly questioned whether Australia had become mean-spirited compared to the optimistic country that welcomed his parents in the 1950s, challenging directly the Howard Government's tough asylum-seeker laws in the wake of the Tampa incident. The mistake was made in production. In 2002 he married his current wife Symone, and they have three daughters and a son. Andrew is currently non Executive Director of Crown Resorts, Chairman of Capital Health Group and Cox Architects and sits on the Australian Reconciliation Council. At AFL House, there's also a sense of higher purpose: a desire for expansion to carry the torch of Aussie rules enlightenment into the darkness of heathen league, union and soccer lands. "He likes to present himself as not ambitious. is 182cm (6ft 0in) and Weight 80kg (176lb). I played golf once three or four years ago, and when I got home after six hours " - he pauses, smiling - "no, no. I understand it. "The business is a good business. He took his first job back in football in 1997, partly so he could be at home with Bassett during her illness. "What we've got is five years of data (that) shows we're doing nearly triple the number of tests, and the percentage (of those caught) is dropping. 2023 Getty Images. [18], Demetriou had a regular spot with Red Symons on Melbourne radio station ABC 774. He was awarded the University's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009 and a Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) in 2015 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to sport management and to Australian society through his leadership and support of important social issues, and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor. It's the day before our Lindsay Lohan conversation, and he's leaning back in a dark sofa, one arm hanging over its side. The game will need all the money it can get. Even Demetrious fellow commissioners enjoyed his press conferences - despite the odd misstep - as much as anything and they would not have been disappointed by his first farewell performance on Monday morning at AFL headquarters. No one barracks for the AFL, put it that way. Andrew and Symone Demetriou moved there 18 months ago from Hawthorn, into a two-storey 1930s home with lap pool, cellar and five-car garage, essentially to be nearer their daughters' school. The deal included unprecedented live TV coverage of the AFL competition in all states of Australia through free-to-air, subscription and IP television. He was educated at La Trobe University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1983 and a Diploma of Education in 1984. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. ", Demetriou had spent his years with Bassett teaching and developing his business interests, primarily in a company manufacturing acrylic teeth, called Ruthinium. [2], Recruited from Pascoe Vale, Demetriou played for the North Melbourne Football Club as a winger between 1981 and 1987, playing 103 games and kicking 47 goals. "But had he been misunderstood? And Dad going off into the corner and crying. I didn't take things as seriously.". "I don't know about a fortune," he responds. What might have been acceptable 10 years ago is not acceptable now. Michael Warner and Ashley Argoon 5 min read December 12, 2013 - 5:27PM HeraldSun But there wouldn't be footy. Demetriou, of course, knows this very well. ""When (players) leave the game they're infinitely better people, more rounded, because they've been educated, involved in a club, they've got experts talking to them. Two years later, Demetriou had begun to learn his lesson. "Andrew Demetriou's first appointment to the Australian Football League hierarchy in May 2000 was characterised as a case of poacher-turned-gamekeeper. "He'll get massive kudos, or massive condemnation out of it," says Richard Hinds. And probably dish them out. And it was possibly a greater asset to him than his kicking, which could be a bit hit and miss. JANE BALLANTYNE She has $200 thousand as her net worth from her career as professional florist. Demetriou is also the highest-paid executive in any code: last year he earned $2.2 million. Chief Andrew Demetriou and wife Symone arrive at the David Jones Summer 2006 Collections Launch on August 17, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. "Two bunk beds and four boys in one room," recalls his eldest brother, lawyer James Demetriou. Chairing several companies after his retirement from playing, he was appointed CEO of the AFL Players Association in 1998, and was responsible for negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players. (But) I was very careful not to tread on too many toes. He seems relaxed but self-possessed, friendly but not confiding. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. So, these clubs are great survivors. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. And he dismisses those who have branded the AFL incursion into western Sydney mere bravado or "bigger-than-Jesus hubris", as one Sydney rugby league commentator damned it. Demetriou insists that the policy, which forces two-time offenders into rehabilitation before any suspension, is working. His 103 North games resulted in 54 wins. I want that for all who work for the AFL. " Red Symons recalls. They never saw their mothers after they left. Demetriou is uniquely fitted for the expansionist task by two great strengths: his belief in the game's ability to promote causes like multiculturalism and egalitarianism, and his expertise in harnessing exactly these causes to make a great deal of money. Australian sport's reputation blackened: Abbott. "Andrew's not frightened (to take heat) and he encourages us to think long term and make decisions in the long-term interests of the game and not be worried about short term criticisms there's no doubt he came under personal pressure from the Federal Government at that time. So we have a population that is very diverse, that's very proud of what it's achieved. Tania Hird, the wife of the suspended Essendon coach, has repeated the controversial claim that AFL boss Andrew Demetriou tipped off the club. The AFL is debt-free and soon will have "squirrelled away" a $50-million contingency.Overall, the league is unrecognisable as the once-bereft and bankrupt Victorian competition of 1985, the year the 12 original clubs handed control to an independent commission. They've just gone to Blacktown because they think they can get some money from the government.". The commission has not guaranteed McLachlan the job and appointed an executive search team to test the market for Demetrious successor long before he told Fitzpatrick at the 2014 Super Bowl that he would officially resign in early March. He seems to be content with running a very large, fractious, tending-to-testosterone-soaked organisation in a civilised and imaginative way and looking after his family.". Term, '' recalls his eldest brother, lawyer James Demetriou in 1997, so! 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