AFL Commission


The Australian Football League Limited is governed by a board of directors called the AFL commission. Its chairman, since 4 April 2017, is Richard Goyder.
In 1985, the AFL formed the commission as a body independent of its member clubs, to operate its competition. In 1993, the independent commissioners took over from the AFL's board of directors, who had been representatives of its then-15 member clubs.
In 1995, the AFL took over the operations of the Australian National Football Council which had published the Laws of Australian Football. The AFL's constitution self-proclaims it to be the "keeper of the code" responsible for the sport of Australian football. The AFL operates the All-Australian team, World team and Australian Football Hall of Fame.
The AFL operates its competitions and maintains a professional talent pathway for players through the AFL draft, AFL Draft Combine, AFL Academy and academies through its member clubs and affiliated bodies, Underage Men's and Underage Women's championships, the Australian Football International Cup and through its worldwide affiliates, numerous regional representative tournaments.
The AFL operates the premier professional Australian Football competition in Australia and the State of Origin competition. Since 1998, it has also overseen Australia's involvement in the International Rules Series.

History

An independent governing body for the competition was first moved in December 1984 during the fallout of VFL president Allen Aylett's resignation following the South Melbourne Football Club's financially disastrous relocation to Sydney. The club, managed from Melbourne but playing in Sydney, had sustained substantial finanical losses in Sydney and large loans had been written out by the league to keep them viable, which was also impacting the finances of the competition.
Under its first chief commissioner, Jack Hamilton, the VFL began a restructuring toward a franchise model, whereby member clubs operate licenses owned by the league. The model helped make private ownership of the Swans possible in 1985, as well as the sale of new licenses, resulting in the entry of the Brisbane Bears and West Coast Eagles in 1987. Under the new model, many Melbourne clubs struggling for financial viability such as St Kilda, Fitzroy and North Melbourne could be kept afloat by a combination of private ownership and league subsidies from the sale of new clubs and television rights. The restructuring paved the way for the VFL's expansion into a national competition.
Despite continuing financial troubles at many clubs, including the Swans and Footscray, the AFL was able to turn the competition's finances around by 1989, aided by increased television rights and the sale of $4 million licenses to interstate expansion clubs.
In 2014, all AFL players were fully-paid professionals for the first time in the competition's history.

Governance of AFL

The AFL is governed by its board of directors, called the AFL Commission.
In 1995, the AFL took over the operations of the Australian National Football Council, which ceased operations after 89 years of existence. In 2002, it took over the operations of the International Australian Football Council. In 2010, it took over the operations of Women's Football Australia, which ceased operations in 2015.
The AFL took over the operations of the New South Wales Australian Football League Limited, and the AFL subsidiary, AFL NSW/ACT now operates in Australia's most populous eastern state and the ACT. The AFL promotes and brands the sport under its own name rather than of the formal name of Australian Football.
The ten commissioners are elected by the 18 AFL clubs, with each of the 18 clubs entitled to make nominations, but other Australian Football leagues, associations and clubs do not have any control or representation.
The AFL approves new club franchise licenses to expand its competition. Since 1987, it has been instrumental in the merger that created the Brisbane Lions, while the Sydney Swans were fully owned by the AFL, which retains a controlling interest and reversion rights in the event the Sydney Swans do not repay debts to the AFL. The AFL also fully owns the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
Other clubs to have an AFL appointed board include the Sydney Swans, the Gold Coast Suns, Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club. The AFL operates a Competitive Balance Fund, which redistributes profits to the clubs most in need to help ensure that all of its member clubs are financially sustainable in the long-term.
The AFL is financially dependent on the success of its competitions with the majority of its funding coming from the AFL competition broadcasting rights. The 2025-2031 rights will earn $4.5 billion, the most lucrative in Australian sporting history. The majority is invested in ensuring that the AFL continues to sustain its future revenues, such as protecting the primacy of its competition, as well as growing its broadcast audience, talent pathways and professionalism to attract the best available players.
The AFL operates the Australian Football Hall of Fame, the AFL men's underage championships and AFL Women's underage championships. It is also responsible for senior State of Origin competition, which will return in 2026 after a 27-year hiatus.

AFL role in national and international game development

The AFL is administered by its commission of company directors, which sets policy and has directed the VFL/AFL as the game's most professional league since December 1985.
In 1993, the independent commissioners took over as the directors of the AFL from its Board of Directors, which had been appointed as delegates of its then 15 member clubs. The Board of Directors voted itself out of existence, and the AFL's then 15 member clubs also voted to abolish the old system of club appointment of directors and to adopt a new Memorandum and Articles of Association for the AFL.
This was a significant change of power: between 1985 and 1993, the VFL/AFL had required explicit approval by a 75% vote of its member teams for major items such as further expansion, mergers, relocations, and major capital works.
In 1995, the AFL took over the operations of the ANFC.
The AFL also created an international policy in 2005 and took over the operations of the International Australian Football Council.
Amateur and semi-professional Australian Football competitions across Australia are mostly self-sufficient from the AFL. These competitions, their clubs and teams often buy equipment and apparel that is AFL branded which provides revenue to the AFL. Some junior competitions pay to use the AFL proprietary Auskick program and junior clubs pay the AFL for give-away packs at AFL run promotions in their localities.
The AFL has established a pathway that features junior Academies and scholarships from representational level up to its member clubs. The highest level is the AFL Academy, with academies for each state being managed by their respective AFL clubs and affiliated governing bodies.
Between 2010 and 2021, the AFL spent between $6–38 million per annum on game development grants globally. With a new TV rights deal in 2022 and to help the game at the grassroots continue its recovery post COVID-19 pandemic, the AFL increased its community grants to $67 million.

Management of Official Player Recognition for the Sport

The ten commissioners are nominated and elected by vote of the 18 AFL member clubs. A two-thirds majority of member clubs have the power to veto over commission decisions. The commission elects its chairman and employs a chief executive officer to oversees the management and operations of the AFL.

Current commissioners & CEO

The current membership of the commission is:
NameCurrent RoleAppointed
Richard Goyderchairman2017
Andrew Dillonchief executive officer2023
Paul Bassatcommissioner2011
Kim Williamscommissioner2014
Major General Simone Wilkiecommissioner2015
Jason Ballcommissioner2015
Andrew Newboldcommissioner2016
Gabrielle Trainorcommissioner2016
Robin Bishopcommissioner2017
Professor Helen Milroycommissioner2018

Current and former commissioners & CEOs

Chief executive officers

While the commission is responsible for directing AFL policy, it has, on occasions, become directly involved in on and off-field matters relating to AFL competitions, players, coaches and managers. Sometimes these interventions have been in controversial circumstances.