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 even convinced those behind enemy walls to join his crusade. "About time! 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. He still has this quality of que sera sera effortlessness, say those close to him. Even in his own code, many have been horrified by the prospect. "Every dollar that goes to the GWS, that's a dollar less to the existing clubs or players.". Andrew Demetriou at Monday's announcement.Credit:Penny Stephens. And it was possibly a greater asset to him than his kicking, which could be a bit hit and miss. The deal included unprecedented live TV coverage of the AFL competition in all states of Australia through free-to-air, subscription and IP television. Of course, the less you appear to care, the more you are likely to care. That deal is up for renegotiation, and he's expected by many to winkle more than $1 billion out of broadcasters this time around. "I'm forever reading for work, reports and documents and whatever. 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. It's convenient to hate the AFL.". Jennifer bodymeasurement and social media presence. "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.". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Michael Warner and Ashley Argoon 5 min read December 12, 2013 - 5:27PM HeraldSun 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. "Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, Pennant Hills: it's an upper-middle-class socio-economic group they want. Andrew Demetriou is the CEO of the AFL Commission (which runs the AFL competition) and, like Lindsay Lohan, he's a consistent performer. She was his tutor, several years older than him and a noted academic. "And in return? "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. He didn't have an ounce left in him. 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. And it was as AFLPA CEO in 1998 that he secured a historic collective-bargaining agreement that delivered a significant pay rise to the competition's 600-odd players. "We've been around for 150 years, and we understand that for a lot of our supporters, their club is in their DNA, their bloodlines. Thu 11 Feb 2021 06.27 EST First published on Thu 11 Feb 2021 02.37 EST. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. (m). But Demetriou became close to tears when referring to the football family and the people in the game. We provided a small injection of capital which gave the business the ability to borrow money and it's grown incredibly well. Demetriou is best known for his position as CEO of the Australian Football League. Demetriou gives little away. WHEN you are the chief executive of the AFL you carry a big stick and you walk the corridors of power. We spoil them from time to time, but we also want them to want. 1983 If I hadn't had footy this year, it would have been a lot worse. 1988: Played three games for Hawthorn before retiring. In 2002 he married his current wife Symone, and they have three daughters and a son. Plate of heart Soccer's Jose Mourinho is The Special . Demetriou insists that the policy, which forces two-time offenders into rehabilitation before any suspension, is working. He speaks with his chin down, dark eyes watchful behind his rimless glasses. I didn't take things as seriously.". Were working to restore it. 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. 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. "Now he's Mr Opera, Mr Art.". "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.". More than anything, at all stages of his life, football has allowed Demetriou both to stand out, and to fit in. He's not intimidated by power, perhaps because he enjoys it too much, perhaps he knows the truth about bullies. "From day one, and we're genuine about it, we have had a very healthy respect for the NRL," he says. Discover Andrew Demetriou's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. It was.Post football, Demetriou set out teaching at first, legal studies and politics, then got into business running Ruthinium, a company that imported dental products. 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. 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. "Normally, Jan's acknowledgments were succinct, formal and scrupulously alphabetical," explained her friend Peter Rose, "but this time there was a new note - a kind of relaxation - and a deliberate tribute to her second husband. In 2002 he married his current wife Symone, and they have three daughters and a son.[22]. [citation needed], Demetriou in 2014 became the Chairman of the Advisory Board at Acquire Learning. Yes," says his head of communications, Brian Walsh, grinning. Leaves it to others. Everyone has to because that's just the expectation. 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. "I took a decision very early on that I wanted to see them grow and help my wife," he says. We've never underestimated them. But, yeah, he's always on call. Demetriou, in fact, was better at most things than most people. "Andrew Demetriou was born, the youngest of four boys, in Melbourne to Greek Cypriot parents in 1961. 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. ", Demetriou had spent his years with Bassett teaching and developing his business interests, primarily in a company manufacturing acrylic teeth, called Ruthinium. The western Sydney move is a brave one; we're all looking at that with great interest.". Acquire Learning entered voluntary administration in May 2017, shortly after Demetriou left the company. Andrew Demetriou: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. "He likes to present himself as not ambitious. When the AFL season begins on Thursday, it will include a new team, the Gold Coast Suns, and in 2012, the Suns will be joined by the Greater Western Sydney Giants (GWS); then, for the first time in its 115-year history, the VFL/AFL will have 18 teams in its top competition. 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. "He was amazing during her illness," says Unglik. It was the first public example of his negotiating skill. He has treated us fairly and with respect and I admire that. So my career was teaching. 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. He understands the power and responsibility of running the "people's game". Part of the secret is planning: he's created a five-person strategy team at the AFL to crunch numbers and model scenarios. Then there's a long silence, during which he appears to be considering weighty matters of national significance. I remember that really clearly, and a great photograph of (coach) John Kennedy hugging Schimmer who was spent, just spent. He was practising the delicate art, so valued by Australians, of high achievement without visible effort. In 2009, Demetriou earned $1.8 million for his role at the AFL. "We have an agenda and someone takes the minutes and Mirabai and Sanjay are pretty much out the door by 11 o'clock," adds Symone, who met her husband while working in the AFL's commercial department and keeps her hand in by helping Purebaby with marketing. I just want to punch his lights out. 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. "He was absolutely a source of help and advice.". To do what? 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. 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. "It wasn't whim. Keep up with all the latest signings here. It was like winning a Grand Final because we were gone." And, he adds, "You've got to be fair. "My wife and I talk about it now, about how we try to find a balance for our children. What we've said all along is that we're just offering another option for young children to take up the game. "He's comfortable in any environment," says author and commentator Don Watson, who's known him since 1995. ""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. We manufacture and distribute false teeth. "We grew up in an area where you just laughed at those things," he says. "I think the task is absolutely massive," says Ireland. "The Sydney Swans went there in 1981. When he told his children on Sunday night he was stepping down their first question was whether they could still go to the football. 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. The advice of former AFL chairman the late Ron Evans rings true for him, daily.Evans took Demetriou aside on the day he was appointed, telling him straight: "I want you to remember one thing: you, me, everyone who works in football at our level gets to borrow the game. "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. And I read the form guide, which I love. I used to go to the races. Andrew Demetriou at Monday's announcement. It was that meeting that convinced Karmichael that he should move to AFL.". Tania Hird, the wife of the suspended Essendon coach, has repeated the controversial claim that AFL boss Andrew Demetriou tipped off the club. Feb 18, 2021 - 10.20pm. They have three daughters and a son. The AFL's headquarters are at afl House in Melbourne's Etihad Stadium. We don't own this game. Gallop refuses to admit publicly to anything other than total confidence in rugby league. USER IS NOT PERMITTED TO DOWNLOAD OR USE IMAGE WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL. ", Finally - and perhaps most importantly - he believes (or persuades others he believes) that no deal is worth dying for. You've got to invest in the things you care about.". 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.". But, Mrs Demetriou, you're going to have to stop him putting up his hand - he's too smart for his own good.' 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. "Later, Symone qualifies her husband's involvement. Western Bulldogs great Luke Darcy tells Sarah Olle the one piece of wellbeing advice he'd give to his younger self, Sarah Olle and Josh Gabelich with the latest footy news, Join us as 'The Journey' begins for the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, Nat Edwards with all the latest footy news, The Fremantle coach admits he could have done things differently to try to keep some of his big-name players, Jeppa and Fry have been providing rookie content for years and pick the best of the 2023 crop, Take a look back at the highs and lows from the glory days of the old pre-season cup, Brad Scott tells Callum Twomey how his time at North Melbourne has him primed for a second crack at senior coaching, The priority signing period has officially kicked off! View the profiles of professionals named "Andrew Demetriou" on LinkedIn. Australian sport's reputation blackened: Abbott. But his mother went only once, to the MCG for a final against Hawthorn in 1982. He admits to a simple philosophy: "You should never walk away from a negotiation if one party feels dudded. In fact, it was not the first, but the first involving Mr Demetriou. "Demetriou's values were sewn into his very fabric by his humble upbringing, by the work ethic and sacrifice of parents hell-bent on building a life for their children in a new land. That's the reality of the world we're living in. He might be just a very good actor, but I don't think he's addicted to the clout he has - I'm sure he likes it, and I'm sure he likes winning and doesn't like losing. [7], Demetriou has been highly influential in the AFL Commission's desire for a team to be based on the Gold Coast. ". Demetriou remains a shareholder and board member. He is not dating anyone. I always put the players first: Andrew 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. 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. Initially, Andrew Demetriou worked in the industry of dental imports They'll have a women's round, an indigenous round, a tie-a-ribbon-around-everything round. In 2002 he married his current wife Symone, and they have three daughters and a son. "Not with four children, no. And the caption said something like: 'That's what it takes'. 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. Demetriou was made CEO of the AFL in 2003, replacing Wayne Jackson. Thirty-one years!" My mother, who passed away three years ago, was an incredible woman. Andrew Demetriou. "Though one of nine AFL commissioners, the buck stops with Demetriou. I think he must have taken it in the best spirit because he still recounts that story. I've always done that from the day they were born.". I just never envisaged that I could meet anybody else. Name: Andrew Demetriou. ', 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.' During the 2013 Finals Series he also co-hosted Talking Footy for the Seven Network. He lacks fanaticism. Join 1.7 Million Subscribers Director, Commercial. I remember those calls"I just remember their work ethic and their sacrifice to give us better opportunities. 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. Today it's like heaven in comparison. "I went to uni, did arts and a dip ed, majored in legal studies and politics, and got a job teaching year 12 politics. "Along with my wife, we used to go away as a foursome on holidays," recalls Unglik. [16], In April 2014, it was announced that Gillon McLachlan, Demetriou's then deputy, would be his successor. That would leave a massive hole at the competitions governing body and the game at the crossroads. "His father, nearly 80, still lives in Coburg but these days spends the winters back in Cyprus. But I think it was 28." [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. But, you know, that's Andrew defending his patch. 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. "We've got a little board," explains Demetriou, chuffed. We have estimated 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). But that's part of the game. I want that for all who work for the AFL. He looks momentarily uncomfortable, as if he's never thought about it. The Demetriou boys regularly drop by and the commitment to family and to one another remains strong. Organise, control, distribute, and measure all of your digital content. He's a dignified man, and holds himself well: back straight, arms relaxed, briefcase swinging. 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. 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. This month marks a great high point in Demetriou's power. "I'm never going into politics," he insists now, almost stamping a foot. "In year 12 he had major issues with a couple of teachers who took exception to his brashness and his confidence and the way he excelled. 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. But one doubts it. It's the day before our Lindsay Lohan conversation, and he's leaning back in a dark sofa, one arm hanging over its side. He respected me as somebody in an organisation. Folau was paid a reported $3 million for three years; Hunt was persuaded to switch to AFL by Demetriou himself. "I try to get out the door of the office by five. As the AFL's most visible symbol, it can also be convenient to hate Andrew Demetriou. Does he ever have time on his own? At this point in time, no one knows if Andrew Demetriou can make the AFL expansion work. "Was it four years?" And what about (her step-father) Bruce? Aghast, she never went back. No responsibility for Essendon scandal: Demetriou, No responsibility for Bombers scandal: chief. ', and she said, 'Well, he's very good. Beyond this foundation, the brothers' childhoods combined both genuine acceptance and deep-rooted racism. "I've said from day one I regard it as a privilege to be in the role; I love the job, but I'm sensible enough to know one day it will come to an end.". He is currently single. Andrew Demetriou has a distinctive walk. What's next for AFL's most powerful man Andrew Demetriou. "The business is a good business. But to be truthful, I never thought I'd last long in football. "Informality quickly makes way for more formal discussion on those evenings when the four business partners order in. Aries. And we adopted an attitude of making the most of every day and every hour. This is what we do. The pairing - cheeky young footy player, independent older woman - seemed unlikely, but their friends remember them as a wonderful couple. [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. Have views on everything. "But had he been misunderstood? Chief executive Andrew Demetriou is kissed by his wife Symone during an AFL press conference at AFL House on March 3, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia.. The year after Bassett's death, Ben Buckley's first wife, Kim, was also diagnosed with breast cancer. That always amuses me. [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. It's been a real joy to be a part of. His early days are well recorded: he and older brothers James, George and Phivos with his parents Tony and Chrysi all sharing two bedrooms, the boys often minded in the shop and then pitching in as they grew older. Says Demetriou now: "It was an incredibly powerful statement. I was lucky to have someone who understood," he recalls. Chief Andrew Demetriou and wife Symone arrive at the David Jones Summer 2006 Collections Launch on August 17, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. Andrew Demetriou, the million-dollar boss of Australia's dominant sports code, joins his fellow board members around the table once a month. But football was never the main game. Encouraging kids and beginners to try your code is one thing; seducing mature athletes from a rival code after years of development is quite another. I played golf once three or four years ago, and when I got home after six hours " - he pauses, smiling - "no, no. ""Our game takes 17-year-olds from completely different backgrounds. is 182cm (6ft 0in) and Weight 80kg (176lb). She has $200 thousand as her net worth from her career as professional florist. He's also almost tripled the AFL's annual turnover, partly via a record-breaking $780-million media rights deal in 2006. Her sense of humanity, and my father's too, they were very generous and were always looking for the good in people. I've said it 3000 times. "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. If the other person feels they've been dudded, it's not a negotiation worth having. He'd had one great relationship in his life; that was all anyone could expect. 'I'm just ringing to say your brother has died.' The comic wore a white tuxedo with a matching black tie. "Just the four of us. "It's an amazing game," he says, smiling. , money, salary, income, and assets. Jennifer Hageney is the first wife of Andrew Shue, an American actor with whom she has three children named Nathaniel Shue, Aiden Shue and Wyatt Shue. Not even the global economic crisis could cool Demetriou's hot gospel on why expansion should not be stalled. Please try again later. [21], Demetriou's first wife died in 1999. ""If you started with a blank piece of paper you wouldn't have 10 teams in Melbourne. Andrew Demetrious income source is mostly from being a successful Player. Demetriou is also the highest-paid executive in any code: last year he earned $2.2 million. But Demetriou, the negotiator, has talked them around. "We are living in an age of scrutiny that we've never experienced before and it's not just football. "I don't stress about these things," says Demetriou. "Sometimes in the exercise of that power, feathers get ruffled. First Name Andrew. 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. This is no doubt true - but not the whole truth. I invest heavily in my family, and in friends and colleagues. Expansion work, who passed away three years ; Hunt was persuaded to switch to AFL ``! Remember them as a foursome on holidays, '' says Unglik around the once... 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