A historic appointment of a woman as CEO may be just what the AFL needs

P erusing the list of former chief executive officers of the AFL does not make for a particularly diverse reading experience. Only 13 people have held the role since its inception – when it was called VFL president – in 1897. All 13 have been white men – with an average age of 49 years on beginning the role. Many have been privately educated and played football at a high level. The list is a living embodiment of the oft-uttered phrase in long-established organisations: “That’s the way we’ve always done things.”

Few would be surprised that it is such a homogenous list. The role of the AFL CEO is one of the most important in Australian sport, and it appears heavily guarded from those who do not fit the traditional view of what a sporting CEO might look like. The role’s salary is no longer publicly disclosed, but was last declared at $1.74m in 2017. It is one of the most highly sought after jobs in the country.

With the time drawing closer to the day Gillon McLachlan finally steps down after announcing his retirement a year ago, conjecture about who will become the 14th member of this exclusive club is rife. Among the names of the contenders, one stands out.

Kylie Watson-Wheeler originally indicated she would not be applying for McLachlan’s role, but there is increasing speculation she is in the running to become the first woman to take AFL’s top job. While Watson-Wheeler is the president of the Western Bulldogs and passionate about football, if she is to obtain the keys to the AFL kingdom, she will not have done so by walking the traditional path. She is currently the managing director of the Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand and has also worked for Hallmark, Coca Cola and Penguin Books.

Naturally there will