Andrew Demetriou, the million-dollar boss of Australia's dominant sports code, joins his fellow board members around the table once a month. ", 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?". [citation needed], Demetriou in 2014 became the Chairman of the Advisory Board at Acquire Learning. He didn't have an ounce left in him. 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. He is presiding over an enterprise whose growth in recent years has been little short of exponential, with rising memberships, ballooning revenues and top ratings underscoring the might of the indigenous code in an era of unprecedented competition, in particular from the round ball behemoth that is The World Game. 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. 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. "I've said continuously that it's not going to be easy," says Demetriou calmly. They've just gone to Blacktown because they think they can get some money from the government.". [citation needed], Demetriou is best known for his position as CEO of the Australian Football League. "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. As the only indigenous code in the country, it regards itself as the one true national code, and since 1982 it has put six teams into states outside Victoria, two of them - the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions (formerly the Brisbane Bears) - far beyond its traditional boundaries. Jennifer bodymeasurement and social media presence. I've got to say he was absolutely amazing. Have views on everything. Date of Birth: 14 April 1961. . It's convenient to hate the AFL.". I'm very outspoken. "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. "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.". Andrew Demetriou was born on 14 April, 1961 in Australian, is an Australian rules footballer, born 1961. As the son of working-class migrants, says sports writer Richard Hinds, "he really taps into the psyche of the left. 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. But are they role models? "I try to get out the door of the office by five. He's a dignified man, and holds himself well: back straight, arms relaxed, briefcase swinging. He has the air, sometimes seen in confident people, of not needing to charm you. People think he's a bit of a dealmaker, but he's massively respected in terms of making money for the game.". 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. Country: Australia. She has $200 thousand as her net worth from her career as professional florist. USER IS NOT PERMITTED TO DOWNLOAD OR USE IMAGE WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL. Crown Resorts director Andrew Demetriou has resigned from the board of the embattled gaming giant but has vowed to defend his reputation. He looks momentarily uncomfortable, as if he's never thought about it. It represents to him what is best about Australia: egalitarianism, acceptance, encouragement of talent. 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. I just know it won't be politics." But his mother went only once, to the MCG for a final against Hawthorn in 1982. There has been much talk of the $200-million war chest that will fund the expansion, and those on the inside say it will take all this and more. 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). If you see what he's done it becomes clear he must be ambitious, and possess a certain amount of drive. Michael Warner and Ashley Argoon 5 min read December 12, 2013 - 5:27PM HeraldSun For the South Melbourne and Port Melbourne player, see, Proposed relocation of the North Melbourne Football Club, "Pssst: Introducing Doctor Andrew Demetriou", "We reveal AFL boss Andrew Demetriou's $7m Toorak base", "AFL boss Andrew Demetriou scores .4 million", Demetriou earned his $1.8 million, says AFL chairman, AFL secures TV rights deal for next five years worth $1.253 billion, "Ugly ducklings to make up for the sin of St Kilda", Love is in the air as Andy and Dickie revive flagging relationship, AFL chief Andrew Demetriou likes Sydney Swans' flag chances | Herald Sun, Tackle happy - Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club, "What you need to know about the AFL's new boss, Gillon McLachlan | News.com.au", "Fans should see red over the hypocrisy of footy going green", "Acquire Learning: Andrew Demetriou's new education venture facing ASQA scrutiny amid allegations of unethical behaviour", "Andrew Demetriou to lead Acquire Learning | afr.com", "Acquire Learning goes into voluntary administration", AFL boss Andrew Demetriou revisits playing days, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andrew_Demetriou&oldid=1120957313, Australian rules footballers from Melbourne, Australian people of Greek Cypriot descent, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 9 November 2022, at 19:01. In 2005 Demetriou criticised the Sydney Swans and then-coach Paul Roos, labelling the team's play as "unattractive" and "ugly". He is currently single. "Nine years on, having moved from football operations to the top job, football's consensus is that Demetriou has done anything but stuff the league. It's a great escape. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Demetriou is the youngest son of Greek Cypriot immigrants. He probably should have got into law school, but he missed that. ", "But it's completely unacceptable today. "Well, nobody said anything about my mother, thank God. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Back in his playing days - 106 games for North Melbourne and Hawthorn - fitness came naturally. He respected me as somebody in an organisation. I don't think there's anything wrong with giving people options.". 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. "His favourite holiday destination was St Moritz, and 'classical' was his favourite music," Buckley laughs. It was like winning a Grand Final because we were gone." This is what we do. It was while Demetriou was a student at La Trobe University in 1983 that he met his first wife, historian Jan Bassett. "Two bunk beds and four boys in one room," recalls his eldest brother, lawyer James Demetriou. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. I wish more powerful people had his attitude.". Demetriou in 2014 became the Chairman of the Advisory Board at Acquire Learning. More importantly, they're great institutions for the community and economy in this state.". 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. 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. 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. "Later, Symone qualifies her husband's involvement. Andrew finished his tenure with the AFL in June. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. 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. Her son was knocked out by Leigh Matthews and carried off. 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. [3] He was elected by the board of directors at the end of the 2003 season, taking over from the outgoing CEO Wayne Jackson. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Please try again later. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 14 April. 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. Its leafy luxury contrasts sharply with the suburban landscape of postcode 3058. She was his tutor, several years older than him and a noted academic. Or, as he would put it, giving people options. View the profiles of professionals named "Andrew Demetriou" on LinkedIn. 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. Name: Andrew Demetriou. "We are living in an age of scrutiny that we've never experienced before and it's not just football. Demetriou's negotiating skills have gained almost mythological status. "That was hard. [1], Before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry. 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. I want that for all who work for the AFL. "Of that opening remark, Lindsay recalls: "It was a throwaway line, really. 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. I was lucky to have someone who understood," he recalls. "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. Andrew Demetriou is the quintessential boy done good. And Britney," Demetriou changes tack. Andrew is currently non Executive Director of Crown Resorts, Chairman of Capital Health Group and Cox Architects and sits on the Australian Reconciliation Council. As the AFL's most visible symbol, it can also be convenient to hate Andrew Demetriou. That would leave a massive hole at the competitions governing body and the game at the crossroads. Two years later, Demetriou had begun to learn his lesson. 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