No, declared Demetriou, because Ill tell you what I didnt do - I never injected anyone. They now have four children, Alexandra, Francesca, Mattea and Sacha and they were at the media conference with Symone as well as other family members. 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! "I don't think the AFL has the slightest interest in the community of western Sydney," says Roy Masters. Collect, curate and comment on your files. In April 2014, it was announced that Gillon McLachlan, Demetriou's then deputy, would be his successor. "Symone and my children are my . "I'm forever reading for work, reports and documents and whatever. I just know it won't be politics." And we watch a bit of junk on television. "I don't think we want to get Andrew involved in the grow suits. She was quite a reserved person. "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. 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. "Just the way he's championed the cause of women in general and other initiatives here. The defeat was the turning point in the Swans' season, with the Swans losing only two more home-and-away games for the season, both by single-figure margins and eventually winning the 2005 Premiership. "The answer is, 'I don't know', because the things I've done are all very, very different - garbage, false teeth, football, so I think anything's possible. According to our Database, He has no children. "We grew up in an area where you just laughed at those things," he says. [citation needed] During the 2013 Finals Series he also co-hosted Talking Footy for the Seven Network. "Andy Demetriou" redirects here. [6], In 2011, Demetriou was involved in securing a record breaking A$1.25 billion TV rights deal for the period of 20122016. Demetriou was made CEO of the AFL in 2003, replacing Wayne Jackson. "It was relatively innocuous, but at the same time I thought, 'This is very unlike Andrew.' "You've got to give it to her, she's a consistent performer. 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. 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. "Sometimes in the exercise of that power, feathers get ruffled. You go through very, very dark periods, and I just threw myself into work. 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. 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. Then there's Purebaby, to add a bit of fun. [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. 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. "I'm never going into politics," he insists now, almost stamping a foot. Industrial harmony has been a cornerstone of the AFL's recent success, though there are always issues brewing. 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. 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. He was elected by the board of directors at the end of the 2003 season, taking over from the outgoing CEO Wayne Jackson. [17], Demetriou has interests in factories in Brazil and India which manufacture dental products and exports them to 70 markets, including Australia. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. They never saw their mothers after they left. But then, you know, by just a miracle in many ways, I met my current wife, and it really was like the darkness lifted.". Ryan Edwards and his wife, Mackenzie, have officially called it quits amid their ongoing legal issues. noted some who passed including his first wife Jan and heaped love on his wife and four kids. It's based in northern Italy. And we adopted an attitude of making the most of every day and every hour. I wish more powerful people had his attitude.". Former AFL chief Andrew Demetriou is a strong family man. By the time we've got two teams there the Swans will have been playing in Sydney for 31 years. I'm very optimistic about what's going to happen in greater western Sydney, very optimistic. [19][20] Acquire Learning entered voluntary administration in May 2017, shortly after Demetriou left the company. 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. "If you've done all the prep, you can't do more than that, so I never think about it. 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. ANDREW DEMETRIOU | CHAIRMAN Former Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Football League (AFL), Andrew has been a CEO across a number of business sectors. There will be a bit of talk about the next season. She was his tutor, several years older than him and a noted academic. "I try to get out the door of the office by five. Demetriou has been a remarkable leader of Australias greatest and most successful football code. No responsibility for Essendon scandal: Demetriou, No responsibility for Bombers scandal: chief. He met his second wife, Symone, then a corporate sales executive at the AFL in 2001 and they married a few years later. 2023 Getty Images. "He was absolutely a source of help and advice.". There'd be trees to sit under, and coffee to drink, and papers to read. "A bit different from the rest of us, all putting the Gold Coast and AC/DC.". "He was the boy from the northern suburbs," one observer puts it. I think he said there were 100 teams in South Africa, set up by people who'd followed the gold rush, and a team in Ipswich who played Melbourne. First Name Andrew. They have three daughters and a son. Of course, the less you appear to care, the more you are likely to care. The Demetriou boys regularly drop by and the commitment to family and to one another remains strong. I remember that really clearly, and a great photograph of (coach) John Kennedy hugging Schimmer who was spent, just spent. View the profiles of professionals named "Andrew Demetriou" on LinkedIn. Chief Andrew Demetriou and wife Symone arrive at the David Jones Summer 2006 Collections Launch on August 17, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. The comic wore a white tuxedo with a matching black tie. 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. I don't think there's anything wrong with giving people options.". Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Andrew Demetriou, the million-dollar boss of Australia's dominant sports code, joins his fellow board members around the table once a month. Bit like Lindsay Lohan.". 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. So, how much is Andrew Demetriou worth at the age of 61 years old? Suddenly, he was switching teams.The irony was hardly lost on his new colleagues. "I think the task is absolutely massive," says Ireland. Her son was knocked out by Leigh Matthews and carried off. And that was okay; I didn't think there was anything wrong with that. But Toorak, Melbourne's most prestigious suburb, can seem a long way from Coburg. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. "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. Have views on everything. Today it's like heaven in comparison. "I thought, 'Bloody hell, what have I walked into here? Demetriou appears to have a knack of finding common ground. "He's comfortable in any environment," says author and commentator Don Watson, who's known him since 1995. "You could see, even at that young age, that he was very erudite, well-read, interested in travel.". "But I really can't fault him. "I don't stress about these things," says Demetriou. [1], Before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry. Demetriou insists that the policy, which forces two-time offenders into rehabilitation before any suspension, is working. 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. "Symone cannot recall noticing her husband on-field. 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. So, these clubs are great survivors. But I always had my eye on other things. ", Demetriou had spent his years with Bassett teaching and developing his business interests, primarily in a company manufacturing acrylic teeth, called Ruthinium. "I went to uni, did arts and a dip ed, majored in legal studies and politics, and got a job teaching year 12 politics. And because of where the new AFL teams are based, who will play in them and how the money will flow, the most serious impacts are almost certain to be felt by AFL's main competitor for fans, players and cash: the National Rugby League. Andrew Demetriou has a distinctive walk. 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. Please try again later. He admits to a simple philosophy: "You should never walk away from a negotiation if one party feels dudded. He didn't have an ounce left in him. He understands the power and responsibility of running the "people's game". Beyond this foundation, the brothers' childhoods combined both genuine acceptance and deep-rooted racism. It is well known, of course, that in a country already saturated by four national football competitions, giving people options in a new place means taking them from an old one. "), Andrew Demetriou, 49, sits in his modest, shiny office, meditating upon world domination. "Of that opening remark, Lindsay recalls: "It was a throwaway line, really. "That was hard. 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. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images 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. But we are where we are based on this unbelievable industry, and the fact is we've got 10 teams in Melbourne that 10 years ago had 200,000 members and now have 400,000. "But had he been misunderstood? Whatever will be will be.". Demetriou became emotional when he talked about those loved ones and colleagues he had lost during his time in the games administration - his first wife Jan Bassett, mother Chrysi, former AFL chairman Ron Evans, ground operations boss Jill Lindsay and Jim Stynes. Andrew Demetriou.Credit:Sebastian Costanzo, "Kim Kardashian," he says suddenly. To many league supporters, it was the defection of top players Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt - both State of Origin and international stars - that made what had been a largely theoretical idea of an 18-team AFL suddenly intensely personal. 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. 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. It's a great escape. [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. 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. "He has all the qualities of a good politician," says Don Watson, who, as Prime Minister Paul Keating's speech writer, should know. What's next for AFL's most powerful man Andrew Demetriou. We run a football code. We've carefully put building blocks along the way to target a time, and the time is right now because if it's not now when (the league) is in a strong position, then when? In 1996, Bassett was diagnosed with breast cancer. ". In the dedication of a final book, she made an unusual reference to her husband. Tania Hird, the wife of the suspended Essendon coach, has repeated the controversial claim that AFL boss Andrew Demetriou tipped off the club. "But I remember the euphoria in the rooms after. "Our numbers are very impressive in western Sydney," he says, when he says anything at all. 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. ""Our game takes 17-year-olds from completely different backgrounds. He probably should have got into law school, but he missed that. `` just the way he 's championed the cause of women in general and other initiatives.... At those things, '' he says `` Symone can not recall noticing her husband.... 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