But money isn't the whole story. Andrew Demetrious long-anticipated and impeccably-timed resignation was punctuated with emotion, humour and a characteristic verbal whack when the subject of his legacy was inevitably linked with the Essendon drugs scandal. Were working to restore it. 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. He says the national game has a record of kicking into a stiff breeze and still scoring goals, and timing is everything: key sponsors have been bedded down until 2011, the players agreement is locked in similarly and the broadcasting rights will be re-negotiated when the country is likely pulling out of its slowdown. [18], Demetriou had a regular spot with Red Symons on Melbourne radio station ABC 774. "History will tell.". His best season was 1983, playing 23 of a possible 24 games, the club's campaign ending with a thumping in the preliminary final. 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. He is a member of famous Player with the age 61 years old group. But Toorak, Melbourne's most prestigious suburb, can seem a long way from Coburg. Then there's a long silence, during which he appears to be considering weighty matters of national significance. It's been a real joy to be a part of. Demetriou was 38. "Towards the end of the day at this function, he pointed out a woman and said, 'She's nice, isn't she?' He has treated us fairly and with respect and I admire that. Please try again later. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Seven years later though, Demetriou praised the Swans for their new attacking style of play under coach John Longmire and rated them as serious contenders for the premiership. "It's true," he says now. Have views on everything. But, Mrs Demetriou, you're going to have to stop him putting up his hand - he's too smart for his own good.' " Red Symons recalls. I've said to my staff and to myself that everyone's got to modify their lifestyle. Were working to restore it. 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. ", "Andrew Demetriou," wrote Bassett, "has taught me much about life.". He had a brief move to Hawthorn in 1988, but played only three games and kicked one goal. I understand it. Demetriou remains a shareholder and board member. "I've said continuously that it's not going to be easy," says Demetriou calmly. 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". "We're now 50-50," says Andrew Demetriou. The pairing - cheeky young footy player, independent older woman - seemed unlikely, but their friends remember them as a wonderful couple. "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. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. "When I played football," recalls James, "it was brutal, really brutal. "Our role is minimal. I just never envisaged that I could meet anybody else. "But I remember the euphoria in the rooms after. 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. [citation needed], Demetriou is best known for his position as CEO of the Australian Football League. ", Finally - and perhaps most importantly - he believes (or persuades others he believes) that no deal is worth dying for. But football was never the main game. She was quite a reserved person. The chief executive of Crown Resorts, Ken Barton, and a non-executive director of the casino group, Andrew Demetriou, . It's the largest multicultural area in Australia. He's convinced them that a truly national competition will benefit everyone in the long term, by bringing in more fans, giving sponsors a bigger platform, and making media rights more desirable and profitable. I used to go to the races. Two years later, Demetriou had begun to learn his lesson. 1988: Played three games for Hawthorn before retiring. "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.". And that was okay; I didn't think there was anything wrong with that. 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 . "Whatever it is, I honestly don't know. The Kim Williams appointment to the commission would seem good for McLachlan who does not yet boast its unanimous support. Historically, in fact, it's tried to go even further. Andrew Demetriou gives evidence at the NSW casino inquiry on Tuesday. And Dad going off into the corner and crying. In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. He seems relaxed but self-possessed, friendly but not confiding. We manufacture and distribute false teeth. Beyond this foundation, the brothers' childhoods combined both genuine acceptance and deep-rooted racism. ", "He's exceptionally adept with figures," adds James Demetriou. If the other person feels they've been dudded, it's not a negotiation worth having. Ryan Edwards and his wife, Mackenzie, have officially called it quits amid their ongoing legal issues. In common with other older, poorer clubs, Richmond will suffer from the wealth of talented young players (usually allocated to clubs via the annual draft) and financial support being channelled into the new clubs. "I think the task is absolutely massive," says Ireland. He was educated at La Trobe University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1983 and a Diploma of Education in 1984. [citation needed] North Melbourne Football Club had played three home games there in 2007 and, at the conclusion of that season, Demetriou offered the club $100 million to relocate there permanently. "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. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. ". Andrew Demetriou is the CEO of the AFL Commission (which runs the AFL competition) and, like Lindsay Lohan, he's a consistent performer. "He's a boy from Cypriot parents who used to muck around in the backblocks of Coburg, and I think he's a very driven man.". He's a dignified man, and holds himself well: back straight, arms relaxed, briefcase swinging. Just quietly: Andrew Demetriou has lost another gig. In recent months, he's been condemned for his lack of action over the St Kilda/Ricky Nixon scandal (involving a teenage girl) and pilloried for earning twice as much as the top players in his code. They'll have a women's round, an indigenous round, a tie-a-ribbon-around-everything round. But Demetriou became close to tears when referring to the football family and the people in the game. Having been directed by the commission to groom a successor, Demetriou has achieved that in his deputy Gillon McLachlan, who impressed the AFL board when he took over the reins during Demetrious long service leave of 2012. Industrial harmony has been a cornerstone of the AFL's recent success, though there are always issues brewing. Andrew . 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. "Expansion is going to make things much tougher for clubs in the short term," says Gale, speaking as Richmond CEO. Does he ever have time on his own? Crown director Andrew Demetriou becomes the third board member to resign from the gaming giant but claims the NSW gaming authority's comments about him are "unfair and unjust". The idea of expansion is also in the DNA of the AFL. Demetriou, of course, knows this very well. "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. No responsibility for Essendon scandal: Demetriou, No responsibility for Bombers scandal: chief. One of the more significant challenges he has faced was his first wife died of cancer in 1999. 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.' I remember that really clearly, and a great photograph of (coach) John Kennedy hugging Schimmer who was spent, just spent. "That was hard. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 59 years old? But it's not all beer and skittles. He'd had one great relationship in his life; that was all anyone could expect. And we adopted an attitude of making the most of every day and every hour. 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. In the dedication of a final book, she made an unusual reference to her husband. North Melbourne Football Club had played three home games there in 2007 and, at the conclusion of that season, Demetriou offered the club $100 million to relocate there permanently. "Not many people get away with calling Andrew, Andy. If you'd said I was going to be working in football 20 years later, I'd have thought you were mad.". Demetriou insists that the policy, which forces two-time offenders into rehabilitation before any suspension, is working. He was 24. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. "He spoke about where the game had been 100 years ago. He still has this quality of que sera sera effortlessness, say those close to him. WHEN you are the chief executive of the AFL you carry a big stick and you walk the corridors of power. "Oh, hairpiece," says Walsh. "Andy Demetriou" redirects here. Today it's like heaven in comparison. He was at his best when he was under the most stress and duress.". "There's a bit of the ancestry there - a bit of the old Cypriot sitting under the tree having a glass of whatever they drink over there, watching the world go by. Her son was knocked out by Leigh Matthews and carried off. "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. A fourth daughter would be fantastic. "It was relatively innocuous, but at the same time I thought, 'This is very unlike Andrew.' [citation needed] During the 2013 Finals Series he also co-hosted Talking Footy for the Seven Network. 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. I'm very outspoken. 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. Business was booming, but romance, he told friends, was over. "About time! That's the reality of the world we're living in. He has the air, sometimes seen in confident people, of not needing to charm you. "But that boyfriend Scott. 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). "I went to uni, did arts and a dip ed, majored in legal studies and politics, and got a job teaching year 12 politics. Even as an 18-year-old, he had larger horizons. The Demetriou boys regularly drop by and the commitment to family and to one another remains strong. He is from Australian. 'I'm just ringing to say your brother has died.' His parents, whose fathers were both dead, had left Cyprus in 1951 and didn't return until 1983, until after their sons had completed their university studies. "I try to get out the door of the office by five. "It was a case of 'winners are grinners'," she says without a hint of guilt. ", "Hmmm. 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. Demetriou, for his part, was "overwhelmed" by the support he received from the footballing community after Bassett's death. "A bit different from the rest of us, all putting the Gold Coast and AC/DC.". He was practising the delicate art, so valued by Australians, of high achievement without visible effort. The youngest of four boys born to Greek Cypriot parents, Demetriou was good enough to play top-level football in the 1980s, eking out. His 103 North games resulted in 54 wins. It's not worth it." Andrew Schulz's wife Emma is 27 years old as she was born on February 14, 1995. But McLachlans reputation was not enhanced when he was placed in charge of standing in judgment over Melbourne following the tanking investigation, nor by the messy completion of the Essendon negotiation. Director, Commercial. "But had he been misunderstood? We spent a hell of a lot of time travelling in the last two or three years, we did some really wonderful things together, and in some ways, she changed quite a bit as a person in that time, too. 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. "Clearly, we've had great opportunities because of what our parents did for us," says Demetriou. He admits to a simple philosophy: "You should never walk away from a negotiation if one party feels dudded. She and Andrew married soon afterwards (friends recall him saying he wished he'd done it earlier), and Bassett fought the illness for three years. "Yep, she let her guard down there!" More importantly, they're great institutions for the community and economy in this state.". [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. And probably dish them out. "It wasn't whim. We take these people and put them into a club environment and we expect them all to behave exactly the same. Plate of heart Soccer's Jose Mourinho is The Special . It's a great escape. The game will need all the money it can get. We provided a small injection of capital which gave the business the ability to borrow money and it's grown incredibly well. In 2002 he married his current wife Symone, and they have three daughters and a son. Between 1998 and 2000, Demetriou was CEO of the AFL Players Association. No one knows what Demetriou will do next, least of all Demetriou. I just know it won't be politics." "I got a kick, which helps," he laughs. What we've said all along is that we're just offering another option for young children to take up the game. "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. "I'm never going into politics," he insists now, almost stamping a foot. "James Brayshaw, the North Melbourne chairman and media personality who crossed swords with Demetriou when the AFL was pushing hard for North to relocate to the Gold Coast, says the AFL boss can bury the hatchet if he has to. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. "Sometimes in the exercise of that power, feathers get ruffled. But, you know, that's Andrew defending his patch. 1988 He had a brief move to Hawthorn in 1988, but played only three games and kicked one goal. They met for dinner, got talking and soon the Demetrious had taken a one-third interest in the fledgling business. For Demetriou, Australian rules will always be the game that embraced him and gave him social and professional status; that supported him during a great tragedy in his life. Andrew Demetriou was born, the youngest of four boys, in Melbourne to Greek Cypriot parents in 1961. There are 70+ professionals named "Andrew Demetriou", who use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. But I always had my eye on other things. It's the first time in history it's gone into a market without there being some demand for the game there.". "I don't make any decisions without everything having been thought through, chewed up, sliced, diced, looked at inside out, been criticised," he says. He has an older brother Jim Demetriou who played senior football for Essendon in the mid-1970s. "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. I think there's an expectation that they are but some of them are just young men who make some silly decisions some of the time." Andrew Demetriou is the quintessential boy done good. He has wide interests outside the AFL. She died in 1999, aged 47. My mother, who passed away three years ago, was an incredible woman. "The Sydney Swans went there in 1981. 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. "Our numbers are very impressive in western Sydney," he says, when he says anything at all. 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. Says Demetriou now: "It was an incredibly powerful statement. Right now, he's enjoying himself, in the job and in general. He's there strictly for his business acumen, she insists, not his sense of kids' couture. "Andrew Demetriou was born, the youngest of four boys, in Melbourne to Greek Cypriot parents in 1961. In 2005 Demetriou criticised the Sydney Swans and then-coach Paul Roos, labelling the team's play as "unattractive" and "ugly". ANDREW DEMETRIOU | CHAIRMAN Former Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Football League (AFL), Andrew has been a CEO across a number of business sectors. 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.". Aghast, she never went back. The comic wore a white tuxedo with a matching black tie. Andrew Demetriou knows about people yelling abuse at the footy. 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. "Not with four children, no. Demetriou married twice. Demetriou appears to have a knack of finding common ground. 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. Feb 18, 2021 - 10.20pm. 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. "Later, Symone qualifies her husband's involvement. Were working to restore it. And we watch a bit of junk on television. Jokes about people's mothers hurt people!". 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