"But you have to say it's very hard for any detractors to mount a really substantive case given the progress that's been made on his watch You'd have to say that at this stage the AFL is in better shape than any other football code in the country. But now, a sudden round of interviews granted by Demetriou poses the question of whether the corporate journeyman, who has previously headed up companies making false teeth and managing waste, might be positioning himself for life after football. 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. Ben Buckley, his teammate at North Melbourne, later his No. Were working to restore it. He was a good, though never a great, player. Demetriou has a regular spot with Red Symons on Melbourne radio station ABC 774. It's convenient to hate the AFL.". Were working to restore it. "You can write that down. Australian sport's reputation blackened: Abbott. There's been speculation before, most famously when the now-defunct Bulletin magazine declared in late 2007 that he was about to pull the pin to spend more time with his family, even retreat to a holiday home on Italy's Lake Como. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. What followed next was his second marriage in 2002 with Symone, who is currently his wife. He is a member of famous Player with the age 61 years old group. Date of Birth: 14 April 1961. . His parents followed his playing career faithfully, his father rarely missing a game. There, above the Norm Smith medals and behind the gang of administration girls admiring a new engagement ring ("Show me that rock!" And Andrew's allowed me to express them. "Later, Symone qualifies her husband's involvement. He has treated us fairly and with respect and I admire that. "With a chuckle, he continues: "I have to say, that board meeting takes longer than the meetings of other boards that I've been on they're talking about different designs, the manufacturers in India, what colours we should do. "We're now 50-50," says Andrew Demetriou. The game is certainly more dominant and far wealthier than when he took over and, according to his chairman, he has given the game a conscience. "Expansion is going to make things much tougher for clubs in the short term," says Gale, speaking as Richmond CEO. If you're going to have relationships, they've got to be meaningful. 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.' But no, it didn't.". We take these people and put them into a club environment and we expect them all to behave exactly the same. "Andrew Demetriou was born, the youngest of four boys, in Melbourne to Greek Cypriot parents in 1961. Correction: CLARIFICATION A profile of AFL boss Andrew Demetriou published yesterday in The Age (Melbourne) Magazine referred to the 1998 AFL players' deal as the first collective agreement struck on their behalf. It had got a lot easier by the time Andrew went through - his cohort was that big '60s influx of migrants - but I know he copped it on the footy field. In 1996, Bassett was diagnosed with breast cancer. 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. The day of our interview, he leaves work early to go to his four-year-old daughter's birthday party "at one of those Japanese restaurants where they throw things in the air". ', and she said, 'Well, he's very good. Now in his sixth year at the helm, the 48-year-old youngest son of Greek Cypriot migrants who was raised in a Coburg fish-and-chip shop, appears to be at the top of his game. "And some day he'll move on. [3] He was elected by the board of directors at the end of the 2003 season, taking over from the outgoing CEO Wayne Jackson. 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. She was his tutor, several years older than him and a noted academic. We've never underestimated them. "We are living in an age of scrutiny that we've never experienced before and it's not just football. 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's revolutionised the code's response to illicit drug use; initiated a policy to improve the treatment of women; allowed free movement of uncontracted, end-of-term players between clubs; and supported some of the strongest anti-discrimination policies in international sport. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 59 years old? Even if it's 10 o'clock at night he'll still be responding to emails or taking calls. 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. At 61 years old, Andrew Demetriou height Plate of heart Soccer's Jose Mourinho is The Special . "I try to get out the door of the office by five. The couple tied the wedding knot in November 2021, a year after their engagement. We're changing people's lives. She would have been 14 at the time of his most cherished football moment, but by then had jumped onto the bandwagon of the team that would go back-to-back that year, Essendon. "History will tell.". "But that boyfriend Scott. It never affected me.". Now, as the AFL's chief, with salary and bonus exceeding $1.5 million last year, he is the driver of the AFL Commission's greater ambition for 17th and 18th teams - for the Gold Coast (from 2011) and Sydney's sprawling west (a year later). [14] Sydney won the 2012 premiership implementing a style of relentless tackling and attacking play. They have three daughters and a son. There's no doubt he would hate for history to say the same thing about him.". And, of course, it was Symone. We provided a small injection of capital which gave the business the ability to borrow money and it's grown incredibly well. ", "Andrew Demetriou," wrote Bassett, "has taught me much about life.". "Andrew plays the great game at all times," his friend Red Symons once said. He's not intimidated by power, perhaps because he enjoys it too much, perhaps he knows the truth about bullies. "Sometimes in the exercise of that power, feathers get ruffled. Andrew Demetriou at Monday's announcement.Credit:Penny Stephens. Even as an 18-year-old, he had larger horizons. "Demetriou can absorb a punch or two, clearly. Andrew J. Demetriou | Corporate Attorney | Los Angeles | Husch Blackwell Andrew J. Demetriou Senior Counsel Los Angeles phone: 213.356.2949 fax: 213.337.6551 email: andrew.demetriou@huschblackwell.com Overview Experience Thought Leadership Outside the Office Community Leadership Download Bio Download vCard Overview Demetriou is not one of them. The family was close, and Demetriou grew up conscious of his parents' love, sacrifice and work ethic. It represents to him what is best about Australia: egalitarianism, acceptance, encouragement of talent. I'll read junk, too. Former AFL chief Andrew Demetriou is a strong family man. [citation needed], Between 1998 and 2000, Demetriou was CEO of the AFL Players Association. [citation needed], He had a brief move to Hawthorn in 1988, but played only three games and kicked one goal. Whatever will be will be.". 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. [21], Demetriou's first wife died in 1999. I don't think there's anything wrong with giving people options.". But, Mrs Demetriou, you're going to have to stop him putting up his hand - he's too smart for his own good.' That's the reality of the world we're living in. Have views on everything. Then there's a long silence, during which he appears to be considering weighty matters of national significance. He's also almost tripled the AFL's annual turnover, partly via a record-breaking $780-million media rights deal in 2006. Aug 2020 - Present2 years 7 months. Demetriou, who has sat on Crown's board since 2015, told the inquiry that the company's risk management processes were good but that important information was not escalated to the board. "He likes to present himself as not ambitious. "He really stood out," says Unglik. He probably should have got into law school, but he missed that. In terms of game attendance, AFL is the most popular sport in Australia. He seems relaxed but self-possessed, friendly but not confiding. "Can you imagine?". They'll have a women's round, an indigenous round, a tie-a-ribbon-around-everything round. "You've got to give it to her, she's a consistent performer. Wife Symone and their four children, whom he described as his greatest achievement and who all attended his farewell press conference, he said were his sunshine. "He's telling the truth about that," says Don Watson. Two years later, Demetriou had begun to learn his lesson. Demetriou, who takes his girls to his local Auskick at weekends, where he's likely to run into Eddie McGuire and a host of footy influentials, says he's not fussed. "And finally, I want the right amount of time to consider my responsibilities to my workplace and my family and to make sure the balance works for both. Eventually, the Australian arm bought out its Italian parent. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. "I think anyone who has strong views about things and seeks by dint of their own strength of personality to force things through, always runs the risk of alienating people," observes Sydney Swans president Richard Collis. I get home and see the children, help with the bath, reading books, getting to bed. 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. "We grew up in an area where you just laughed at those things," he says. Of course, despite all the tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth, the NRL and the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) have been stealing each other's players for years. In fact, Demetriou's term as chief is almost certain to be judged on the success of the AFL's latest foray. "I remember my mum telling me about going to a parent-teacher night when Andrew was in grade 2," says James. Folau was paid a reported $3 million for three years; Hunt was persuaded to switch to AFL by Demetriou himself. Her sense of humanity, and my father's too, they were very generous and were always looking for the good in people. noted some who passed including his first wife Jan and heaped love on his wife and four kids. And it was possibly a greater asset to him than his kicking, which could be a bit hit and miss. I always appreciate the great obligation we've got to the game. ", Admits O'Neill, "We all have to play to our own competitive advantages, but I envy the AFL their deep pockets. 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. Andrew Demetriou was born on 14 April, 1961 in Australian, is an Australian rules footballer, born 1961. His parents, Tony and Chrysi, met in the early 1950s, married and opened Tony's Fish and Chip shop in Melbourne's Pascoe Vale South. Demetriou has been highly influential in the AFL Commission's desire for a team to be based on the Gold Coast. "Two bunk beds and four boys in one room," recalls his eldest brother, lawyer James Demetriou. 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. There will be a bit of talk about the next season. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. JANE BALLANTYNE What we've said all along is that we're just offering another option for young children to take up the game. I've said it 3000 times. "I don't make any decisions without everything having been thought through, chewed up, sliced, diced, looked at inside out, been criticised," he says. This board of directors includes Demetriou, wife Symone and couple Mirabai Winford and Sanjay Gill, who founded Purebaby, a brand for babies and toddlers that sources garments made of organic cotton in Indian factories that eschew sweatshop conditions.When the Demetrious' twin girls arrived in 2003 - two days after the businessman and former player took over the AFL's top job from departing chief executive Wayne Jackson - Symone went scouting for baby clothes and was drawn to the natural fabric and styles of the Purebaby range being sold in a Surrey Hills shop.She hit it off immediately with Winford and eventually introduced the entrepreneurial couple to her husband. "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. I've always done that from the day they were born.". People think he's a bit of a dealmaker, but he's massively respected in terms of making money for the game.". Meanwhile, in February, the code announced its highest-ever revenue, for last year's season: $335.8 million; its biggest operating surplus, $23 million; and record club membership of more than 614,000. I'm very outspoken. "A bit different from the rest of us, all putting the Gold Coast and AC/DC.". . "The scene is not played out in the sleek and softly lit inner sanctum of the league's Docklands headquarters, with its polished hardwood table, swivel chairs and portraits of football's long lineage of powerbrokers, but one that normally takes place in the kitchen of the Demetriou family home in Toorak. I remember my mother getting the same call. Andrew Demetriou, the million-dollar boss of Australia's dominant sports code, joins his fellow board members around the table once a month. North Melbourne rejected that offer and, in January 2008, the AFL chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick and Demetriou announced that the Gold Coast Football Club would enter the AFL in 2011. Part of the secret is planning: he's created a five-person strategy team at the AFL to crunch numbers and model scenarios. "Those who work closely with him reckon Demetriou has achieved all of that. "He's comfortable in any environment," says author and commentator Don Watson, who's known him since 1995. An incredible human being. This is no doubt true - but not the whole truth. Andrew Demetriou's AFL career was shaped by family and tragedy, Andrew Demetriou will stand down as AFL CEO at the end of 2014 AFL to begin 2-3 month search for a replacement Deputy CEO Gillon McLachlan among leading candidates for top job Demetriou denies AFL could have done more to prevent Essendon supplements crisis. just moments after touching on the death of his first wife. As the son of working-class migrants, says sports writer Richard Hinds, "he really taps into the psyche of the left. "Adrian Anderson, the defamation lawyer whose left-field appointment by Demetriou as football operations manager mimicked Demetriou's own path, witnessed the stand-off close up. ", "What is out there is our bread and butter. He was practising the delicate art, so valued by Australians, of high achievement without visible effort. Andrew Demetriou's net worth And Dad going off into the corner and crying. "About time! Name: Andrew Demetriou. The deal included unprecedented live TV coverage of the AFL competition in all states of Australia through free-to-air, subscription and IP television. "We've got a little board," explains Demetriou, chuffed. 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. She was quite a reserved person. Collect, curate and comment on your files. It was while Demetriou was a student at La Trobe University in 1983 that he met his first wife, historian Jan Bassett. It's a great escape. I was lucky to have someone who understood," he recalls. "But had he been misunderstood? He's there strictly for his business acumen, she insists, not his sense of kids' couture. Andrew Demetriou.Credit:Sebastian Costanzo, "Kim Kardashian," he says suddenly. In 2011, Demetriou was involved in securing a record breaking A$1.25 billion TV rights deal for the period of 20122016. And all I know (about) what we did was as a game (we) always put the players first to protect the integrity of the game., When pressed later about his own level of culpability Demetriou was firmer: I do not accept any responsibility for people who seek to infiltrate the game, who inject young men with god knows what substances, to introduce substances which are abhorrent to the game and to families.. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. "His father, nearly 80, still lives in Coburg but these days spends the winters back in Cyprus. Demetriou, for his part, was "overwhelmed" by the support he received from the footballing community after Bassett's death. "Just the way he's championed the cause of women in general and other initiatives here. In 2009, Demetriou earned $1.8 million for his role at the AFL. And that was okay; I didn't think there was anything wrong with that. [13], Seven years later, Demetriou praised the Swans for their new attacking style of play under second-year coach John Longmire and rated them as serious contenders for the premiership. Andrew Demetriou knows about people yelling abuse at the footy. I wasn't that gifted; I made the most of the ability I had. Join 1.7 Million Subscribers "Whatever it is, I honestly don't know. ", He probably should have got into the Victorian cricket side, too - he was playing in the Victorian and Australian under-21 sides at 16 - but in those days, as his long-time friend and AFL medical commissioner Dr Harry Unglik puts it, "who had ever heard of a Demetriou in the Australian cricket team?". In 2002 he married his current wife Symone, and they have three daughters and a son. 1988 He had a brief move to Hawthorn in 1988, but played only three games and kicked one goal. Andrew Demetriou. "And in return? The deal included unprecedented live TV coverage of the AFL competition in all states of Australia through free-to-air, subscription and IP television. "From day one, and we're genuine about it, we have had a very healthy respect for the NRL," he says. Demetriou was made CEO of the AFL in 2003, replacing Wayne Jackson. What he lacks in celebrity style, however, he makes up for in knowledge. [5], In 2005 he was instrumental in securing a record breaking A$780 million TV rights deal. Today it's like heaven in comparison. At a time when, north of the border, the aftermath of the 1995-97 Super League war was still fracturing relationships in rugby league, "Andrew understood that the key to any successful deal is to create value for all parties," says Brendon Gale. [4], In 2009, Demetriou earned $1.8 million for his role at the AFL. We don't own this game. "Both he and Jan loved travelling; I can remember him sitting in cafes in Europe, devouring the newspapers front to back, just as he does here.". He was 24. Symone and Andrew Demetriou, expecting their fourth child and partners in a babywear business. They met for dinner, got talking and soon the Demetrious had taken a one-third interest in the fledgling business. He also claimed that the Swans would not win a premiership with the way they were playing, and this statement was underlined when the team suffered a 43-point defeat to St Kilda in Round 10. His parents, Tony and Chrysi, met in the early 1950s, married and opened Tony's Fish and Chip . 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. His 103 North games resulted in 54 wins. There's a world demand for false teeth, even in recessions." Demetriou became emotional when he talked about those loved ones and colleagues he had lost during his time in the game's administration - his first wife Jan Bassett, mother Chrysi, former AFL . Andrew Demetriou is the CEO of the AFL Commission (which runs the AFL competition) and, like Lindsay Lohan, he's a consistent performer. 2023 Getty Images. Demetriou in 2014 became the Chairman of the Advisory Board at Acquire Learning. "It was a case of 'winners are grinners'," she says without a hint of guilt. We spoil them from time to time, but we also want them to want. He looks momentarily uncomfortable, as if he's never thought about it. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Mackenzie filed for divorce on Monday . But there's something about his knees, as if he were once pigeon-toed, or injured in some way, that makes him kick out his feet as he walks. So, these clubs are great survivors. And because he was so good at both footy and cricket, that probably aggravated some people: 'How come you're better than us, you bloody wog?' Either way, Purebaby seems the perfect antidote to Demetriou's pressure-cooker life running the national league, perhaps the most heavily scrutinised public role in this town and state alongside that of Premier. Just quietly: Andrew Demetriou has lost another gig. 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. By the time we've got two teams there the Swans will have been playing in Sydney for 31 years. But then, you know, by just a miracle in many ways, I met my current wife, and it really was like the darkness lifted.". Jennifer bodymeasurement and social media presence. "He was absolutely a source of help and advice.". Yes," says his head of communications, Brian Walsh, grinning. And, he adds, "You've got to be fair. He was no Trojan horse on behalf of the players, but nor did he give up on them when he assumed a role on the opposite side of the negotiating table. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Put it this way, says footy's head honcho of his current circumstances, "I've learnt more about baby wear than I thought I ever would. That deal is up for renegotiation, and he's expected by many to winkle more than $1 billion out of broadcasters this time around. Keep up with all the latest signings here. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. ", "Even though the commission has always had expansionist aspirations, there's clearly a lot of Andrew in it as well," adds Richmond's Brendon Gale. And we watch a bit of junk on television. He had a brief move to Hawthorn in 1988, but played only three games and kicked one goal. Demetriou was 38. Director, Commercial. "He's quite immune to status and reputation and the thuggery that tends to go with it. The expansion has been planned and supported by Demetriou's AFL at its streamlined, spin-savvy best, with a massive fighting fund, an aggressive recruiting policy and a much-denied-but-hard-to-escape determination to become the dominant football code in Australia. but that is not to say that he hasn't experienced challenges to get to that point and won't continue to. Does he ever have time on his own? "Although he might find himself tethered to his Blackberry, Demetriou more often than not walks through the front door at 5.30pm and rolls up the sleeves when needed. I understand it. Suitably enough, Demetriou met Symone Richards, then a corporate accounts manager, in 2001 at a grand-final-day function. Demetriou is also the highest-paid executive in any code: last year he earned $2.2 million. She died in 1999, aged 47. "Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, Pennant Hills: it's an upper-middle-class socio-economic group they want. 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. 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. I don't know why people are so obsessed by that." But Toorak, Melbourne's most prestigious suburb, can seem a long way from Coburg. In 2005 he was instrumental in securing a record breaking A$780 million TV rights deal. In the business-class lounge at 6.30am, top button undone and pale blue tie looped around his neck, the most powerful man in Australian football scours the newspapers for news. I think he must have taken it in the best spirit because he still recounts that story. This month marks a great high point in Demetriou's power. "Now he's Mr Opera, Mr Art.". Right now, Demetriou doesn't look to be going anywhere, though he insists he'll know when it's time to move on long before others know it of him. Chief Andrew Demetriou and wife Symone arrive at the David Jones Summer 2006 Collections Launch on August 17, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. 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. 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. I don't begrudge that at all. Andrew Demetriou: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. (Kardashian is the star of US reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.) Demetriou currently leads a great life - great job, great family, great health etc. USER IS NOT PERMITTED TO DOWNLOAD OR USE IMAGE WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL. McLachlan also played the pivotal role in negotiations which saw the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval as an AFL venue - an achievement which will see the season launched there on Wednesday and which Demetriou described as his greatest professional effort given the degree of difficulty involving the South Australian football body, the cricket association and the state government. [11] This proved to be the turning point in the Swans' season, as they lost only two further home-and-away games for the season, both by single-figure margins,[12] and eventually won the premiership. The youngest of four boys born to Greek Cypriot parents, Demetriou was good enough to play top-level football in the 1980s, eking out. Much has been made in the past of a possible move into politics, though Demetriou has consistently denied it. "I'm not a reader of books, which is a disgrace when it's all said and done, but I'm a prolific reader of newspapers, back to front," he says. 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 met his second wife, Symone, then a corporate sales executive at the AFL in 2001 and they married a few years later. I played golf once three or four years ago, and when I got home after six hours " - he pauses, smiling - "no, no. The chief executive of Crown Resorts, Ken Barton, and a non-executive director of the casino group, Andrew Demetriou, . Please try again later. "Every time we expand, we grow," says Demetriou. 1988: Played three games for Hawthorn before retiring. His self-assessment went like this: "I am impatient when I see injustice, I am not happy with mediocrity, I have no place for lack of integrity, lack of honesty, lack of respect for others. "Along with my wife, we used to go away as a foursome on holidays," recalls Unglik. He had moved from the AFLPA to the AFL Commission in 2000 as general manager of football operations. "Our numbers are very impressive in western Sydney," he says, when he says anything at all. "We've had some differences and clashes over years. But as the code that stands to lose the most, not only in terms of money but in historic heartland support, privately there's both frustration and cynicism within the NRL's ranks. That would leave a massive hole at the competitions governing body and the game at the crossroads. ""Our game takes 17-year-olds from completely different backgrounds. Historically, in fact, it's tried to go even further. But are they role models? But that's just part and parcel of the job. "You could see, even at that young age, that he was very erudite, well-read, interested in travel.". 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. Nor does she recall easily his number. Andrew Demetriou is the quintessential boy done good. It was all give, it was incredible giving. [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.
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