By Greg Blood

This article documents the leadership timeline of the 18 clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL) that was established in 1990. Leadership is documented in terms of – presidents/chairs, CEOs, head coaches and captains to examine issues such as stability and diversity in relation to success .

I have previously documented national sports organisations Presidents/Chairs and CEOs to review the stability of these organisations.

My interest in sport management is related to the relationship between leadership stability and diversity and its relationship with success. Stability does not guarantee success but it more likely to assist in this sporting goal.

Some interesting findings –

• Longevity of chairs and CEOs is more likely to be a indicator of a successful club – premierships, finals and financial viability.
• In recent years, two women have been chairs when their club won the premiership – Peggy O’Neal (Richmond) and Kate Roffey (Melbourne).
• Limited number of former players have been appointed club presidents/chairs – predominantly high profile businessmen have been appointed to this role.
• There appears to be a trend of former players been appointed CEO’s – in 2023 there are seven CEO’s that played in VFL/AFL era.
• Lack of diversity in terms of women and First Nations people in leadership positions – women are only now being appointed to administrative leadership positions and there have been no First Nations head coaches.
• Head coaches are more likely to be successful outside the club they played for. Only John Worsfold (West Coast) and Mark Williams (Port Adelaide) have won premierships for clubs that they played for.
• Limited number of Brownlow medallists have become head coaches.
• Only two AFL head coaches have won premierships at more than one club – Leigh Matthews and Mick Malthouse. Appointing premiership coach does not guarantee success.
• High percentage of premiership players are appointed head coaches.
• Dual captaincy model that came more common since 2000 has not correlated to premiership success.

Several leaders in the list below have bridged the VFL and AFL eras and their VFL period has been included.

Information for this article has been predominantly sourced from AUSTRALIANFOOTBALL.COM website.

PRESIDENTS/CHAIR IN THE AFL ERA

• Longevity – ten years or more: John Elliott (Carlton 1984-2002), Richard Colless (Sydney 1995-2013), Peter Gordon (Western Bulldogs 1990-1996, 2013-2010), David Smorgon (Western Bulldogs 1997-2012), Eddie Maguire (Collingwood 1999-2020), Frank Costa (Geelong 1999-2010), Greg Boulton (Port Adelaide 1997-2008), Tony Sheppard (GWS 2012-). Western Bulldogs have only had three presidents/chairs and only won one premiership but success could also be determined by the fact that they overcome the possibility of a merger through strong leadership.
• More than one stint at a club: Peter Gordon (Western Bulldogs 1990-1996, 2013-2010), Jeff Kennett (Hawthorn 2006-2011, 2018-2022), Allen Aylett (North Melbourne 1971-1976, 2001-2005).
• Past State League/AFL Players: Ian Collins (Carlton 2003-2005), Ron Evans (Essendon 1989-1992), David Shaw (Essendon 1993-1996), Ron Hovey (Geelong 1989-1998), Kevin Rose (Collingwood 1996-1998), Stephan Kernahan (Carlton 2008-2014), Andy Gowers (Hawthorn 2022-), Allen Aylett (North Melbourne 2001-2005), Ben Buckley (North Melbourne 2017-2022), Neville Crowe (Richmond 1987-1993), Travis Payze (St Kilda 1987-1992) and Dalton Gooding (2003-2007). This indicates that only a limited number of past players have held this role. Stephan Kernahan is the most high profile former player to hold this position.
• Former Politicians: Jeff Kennett (Victorian Premier – Hawthorn 2006-2011, 2018-2022), Lindsay Tanner (Federal Minister -Essendon 2016-2020), John Olsen (South Australian Premier – Adelaide 2021-)
• Business people: Predominantly businessmen have held the position of president/chair with notable examples being John Elliott (Carlton), David Smorgan (Western Bulldogs), Richard Pratt (Carlton), Paul Little (Essendon) and Joe Gutnick (Melbourne)
• Media personalties: Mike Willesee (Sydney 1989-1992), Ron Casey (North Melbourne 1991-2000), James Brayshaw (North Melbourne 2008-2016), Eddie Maguire (Collingwood 1999-2020), David Koch (Port Adelaide 2013- ). This is often viewed in positive and negative terms.
• More than One Club:Richard Colless (West Coast 1987, Sydney 1995-2013)

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS in AFL ERA

• Longevity & multiple clubs: Brian Cook (West Coast 1990-1998, Geelong 1999-2021, Carlton 2022-), Trevor Nisbett ( West Coast 1999-) , Andrew Ireland (Brisbane 1990-2001, Sydney 2010-2018), Gary Pert ( Collingwood 2007-2017, Melbourne 2019-) , Brendon Gale (Richmond 2009-), Cameron Schwab (Richmond 1989-1994, Melbourne 1997-1999, 2008-2013, Fremantle 2002-2008), David Matthews (GWS 2012-) , Peter Jackson (Essendon 1996-2009, Melbourne 2013-2018), Greg Swann (Collingwood 2000-2006, Carlton 2007-2014, Brisbane 2016-), Steven Trigg (Adelaide 2001-2014, Carlton 2014-2017), Bill Sanders (Adelaide 1991-2001), Simon Garlick (Western Bulldogs 2011-2014, Fremantle 2020-). Brian Cook and Trevor Nisbett have been CEOs for over twenty years.
• Former VFL/AFL Players as CEO’s: Andrew Ireland (Brisbane & Sydney), Ian Collins (Carlton), Peter Hudson (Hawthorn), Gary Pert (Collingwood & Melbourne), Craig Kelly (Collingwood) , Roger Hampson (Essendon), Simon Garlick (Western Bulldogs & Fremantle) , Brian Cook (West Coast, Geelong & Carlton) , Steven Hocking (Geelong), Hassa Mann (Melbourne), Greg Miller (North Melbourne), Ken Montgomery (North Melbourne), Brian Cunningham (Port Adelaide), Keith Thomas (Port Adelaide), Mark Brayshaw (Richmond), Brendon Gale (Richmond), Michael Nettlefold (St Kilda), Barry Breen (Sydney), Kelvin Templeton (Sydney), Tom Harley (Sydney). Generally not many former players move into the CEO role but in 2023 this role is filled by – Brian Cook (Carlton), Gary Pert (Melbourne), Steven Hocking (Geelong), Craig Kelly (Collingwood), Tom Harley (Sydney), Brendon Gale (Richmond) and Simon Garlick (Fremantle)
• CEOs with multiple premierships: 5 – Brian Cook (West Coast / Geelong), 3 – Stuart Fox (Hawthorn), Brendan Gale (Richmond), 2 – Greg Miller (North Melbourne), Bill Sanders (Adelaide), Michael Bowers (Brisbane), Andrew Ireland (Brisbane/Sydney), Trevor Nisbett (West Coast)

HEAD COACHES IN AFL ERA

• Longevity – Ten or more years: Kevin Sheedy (Essendon(1981-2007, GWS 2012-2013), Mick Malthouse (Footscray 1984-1989), West Coast 1990-1999, Collingwood 2000-2011), Leigh Matthews (Collingwood 1987-1995, Brisbane 1999-2008), David Parkin (Hawthorn 1977-1980, Carlton 1981-1985, Fitzroy 1986-1988, Carlton 1991-2000), (Denis Pagan (North Melbourne 1993-2002, Carlton 2004-2007), Alistair Clarkson (Hawthorn (2005-2021, North Melbourne 2023-), Damian Hardwick (Richmond 2010-2023), Paul Roos (Sydney 2002-2010, Melbourne 2013-2016), John Longmire (Sydney 2011-), Chris Scott (Geelong 2011-), Ross Lyon (St Kilda 2007-2011, Fremantle 2012-2019, St Kilda (2023-), John Worsfold (West Coast 2002-2013, Essendon 2016-2022), Mark Williams (Port Adelaide 1999-2010) and Mark Thompson (2000-2010). It was in their eighth year that Mark Thompson (Geelong) and Damian Hardwick (Richmond) won the premiership – an example of staying the course with a head coach. Generally longevity is tied to a coach winning premierships or leading clubs to successive finals series. Ross Lyon in the AFL era is the only coach to return to a club. David Parkin coached in the VFL and AFL eras.
• Number of premierships: Leigh Matthews (Brisbane – 3, Collingwood – 1), Alistair Clarkson (Hawthorn – 4) Damian Hardwick (Richmond – 3), Mick Malthouse (West Coast 2 – Collingwood – 1), Denis Pagan (North Melbourne – 2 ), Malcolm Blight (Adelaide – 2), Mark Thompson (Geelong – 2), Chris Scott (Geelong – 2), Kevin Sheedy (Essendon – 4 (2 in AFL era). Only Leigh Matthews and Mick Malthouse have coached two clubs to premierships.
• Former captains into head coaches: Simon Goodwin (Melbourne) , Michael Voss (Brisbane/Carlton), Brett Ratten (Carlton,/St Kilda) Mark Williams (Port Adelaide), Tony Shaw (Collingwood), Nathan Buckley (Collingwood), Tim Watson (St Kilda), Mark Thompson (Geelong), Gary Ayres (Geelong), James Hird (Essendon), Leigh Matthews (Collingwood,/Brisbane)), Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn), Wayne Schimmelbusch (North Melbourne), Adam Simpson (West Coast), Matthew Primis (Port Adelaide), Kevin Bartlett (Richmond ), Kevin Sheedy (Richmond), Matthew Knights (Essendon), Danny Frawley (Richmond), Alex Jesaulenko (St Kilda), John Worsfold (West Coast/Essendon), Guy McKenna (Gold Coast). John Worsfold only player to captain and then coach their club to a premiership. Club captains to coach a premiership team – Simon Goodwin, Mark Williams, Mark Thompson, Leigh Matthews, Adam Simpson, Kevin Sheedy and John Worsfold.
• Premiership players becoming head coaches: Ben Allan (Hawthorn), Stan Alves (St Kilda) Gary Ayres (Hawthorn/Geelong), Neil Balme (Richmond), Kevin Bartlett (Richmond), Ron Barassi (Sydney), Malcolm Blight (Adelaide / St Kilda), Gary Buckenara (Sydney). Stewart Dew (Gold Coast), Rodney Eade (Sydney / Western Bulldogs / Gold Coast), Simon Goodwin (Melbourne), Damien Hardwick (Richmond), Mark Harvey (Fremantle), James Hird (Essendon), Ken Judge (West Coast), Adam Kingsley (GWS), Dean Laidley (North Melbourne), Justin Leppitsch (Brisbane), John Longmire (Sydney), Leigh Matthews (Collingwood/Brisbane), Guy McKenna (Gold Coast), John Northey, David Parkin (Hawthorn, Fitzroy, Carlton), Brett Ratten (Carlton / St Kilda), Wayne Schimmelbusch (North Melbourne), Rhyce Shaw (North Melbourne), Brad Scott (North Melbourne/Essendon), Chris Scott (Geelong), Tony Shaw (Collingwood), Kevin Sheedy (Essendon), Ken Sheldon (St Kilda), Adam Simpson (West Coast), Mark Thompson (Geelong/Essendon), Michael Voss (Brisbane/Carlton), Terry Wallace (Western Bulldogs/Richmond), Robert Walls (Brisbane/Richmond), Tim Watson (St Kilda), Mark Williams (Port Adelaide) and John Worsfold (West Coast/Essendon). Premiership players that have coached premiership teams – Malcolm Blight, Simon Goodwin, Damien Hardwick, John Longmire, Leigh Matthews, Chris Scott, Kevin Sheedy, Mark Thompson, Mark Williams and John Worsfold.
• Brownlow medallists as head coaches: Malcom Blight (1978), James Hird (1996), Michael Voss (1996), Nathan Buckley(2003) and Sam Mitchell (2012). Interestingly only a limited number of Brownlow medallists have been appointed head coaches. Do the best players make high performing coaches?
• Number of head coaches: Of the original AFL clubs, West Coast and Geelong have had only four permanent head coaches followed by Collingwood with five.
• Club captains as head coaches of their club: Michael Voss (Brisbane), Brett Ratten (Carlton), Tony Shaw (Collingwood), Nathan Buckley (Collingwood), James Hird (Essendon), Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn), John Worsfold (West Coast). Only John Worsfold has been able to captain and then coach their club to an AFL premiership. AFL coach David Parkin achieved this record in the VFL era. It appears coaching success lies outside the club they played for.
• First Nations indigenous head coaches: No head coaches – Barry Cable (76 games as VFL head coach for North Melbourne from 1981-84) and Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer (66 games for Geelong in VFL from 1973-75) in the VFL era. This is a disappointing feature of the AFL era.

CAPTAINS in the AFL ERA

• Longevity of club captains: Stephan Kernahan (Carlton 1987-1997), Joel Selwood (Geelong 2012-2022), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda 2005, 2007, 2008-2016), Paul Kelly (Sydney 1993-2002), Nathan Buckley (Collingwood 1999-2007), Scott Pendlebury Collingwood (2014-2022), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle 2007-2015), David Neitz (Melbourne 2000-2008), Wayne Carey (North Melbourne 1993-2001), Trent Cotchin (Richmond 2013-2021), James Hird (Essendon 1998-2005), John Worsford (West Coast 1991-1998). Longevity as captain can assist with sustained success but does not guarantee a premiership.
• Most number number of captains: 14 – Brisbane, Sydney , 13- Carlton, Hawthorn, 11 – Geelong, Melbourne, 10 – St Kilda, Melbourne
• Brownlow medallists as captains: Scott Wynd, Gavin Wanganeen, Paul Kelly, Michael Voss, Shane Crawford, Simon Black, Mark Ricciuto, Adam Goodes, Nathan Buckley, Chris Judd, Ben Cousins, Gary Ablett jnr, Sam Mitchell, Trent Cotchin, Nathan Fyfe, Patrick Dangerfield, Lachie Neale, Ollie Wines, Patrick Cripps. Highlights the best and fairest players have a high likelihood to become a club captain.
• Clubs with dual captains in premiership year: Only Adam Goodes and Jarrad McVeigh have been joint captains in the year that their team won the premiership in 2012. Several club captains missed out on premierships due to season ending injuries – Port Adelaide’s Matthew Primius replaced by Warren Tredrea in 2004 and Western Bulldogs Robert Murphy replaced by Easton Wood in 2016. This raises the question whether shared leadership assists in premiership success.
• Clubs with sole captain appointment: Collingwood, Hawthorn and Western Bulldogs are the only clubs not to appointed dual captains. Several clubs had more than one captain in a year but this was due to selected captains being injured for a significant periods.
• Captains with multiple premierships: Michael Voss (Brisbane 2001, 2002, 2003), Trent Cotchin (Richmond 2017, 2019 & 2020), John Worsfold (West Coast 1992 & 1994), Wayne Carey (1996 & 1999), Mark Bickley (Adelaide – 1997 & 1999). Besides Bickley, all these players had long periods as club captain.
• First Nations captains: Gavin Wanganeen (Port Adelaide), Chris Johnson (Brisbane), Michael Long (Essendon), Adam Goodes (Sydney), Alex Pearce (Fremantle), Steven May (Gold Coast) and Jy Simpkin (North Melbourne). Only Gavin Wanganeen and Alex Pearce have been sole captains.
• No.1 Draft Selections – Andrew Swallow (North Melbourne), Marc Murphy (Carlton), Luke Hodge (Hawthorn), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda),

TIMELINE OF AFL CLUB LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS

Australian Football League

• CEO: Ross Oakley (1986-1996), Wayne Jackson (1996-2003), Andrew Demetriou (2003-2014), Gillon McLachlan (2014-1 Oct 2023), Andrew Dillon (from 2 Oct 2023-)
• Chair: Ross Oakley (1986-1996), John Kennedy Snr (1993-1997), Ron Evans AM (1997-2007), Mike Fitzpatrick AO (2007-2017), Richard Goyder AO (2017-)

Adelaide

• Premierships: 1997, 1998 Runners up: 2017
• Wooden spoons: 2020
• President/Chair: Bob Hammond (1991-2000), Bob Campbell (2001-2003), Bill Sanders (2004-2007), Rob Chapman (2009-2020), John Olsen (2021- ) – Five chairs
• CEO: Bill Sanders (1991-2001), Steven Triggs (2001-2014), Andrew Fagan (2014-2021), Tim Silvers (2021- ) – Four CEO’s
• Head Coach: Graham Cornes (1991-1994), Robert Shaw (1995-1996), Malcolm Blight (1997-1999), Gary Ayres (2000-2004), Neil Craig (2004-2011), Mark Bickley (2011 interim), Brenton Sanderson (2012-2014), Phil Walsh (2015), Scott Camporeale (2015 interim), Don Pyke (2016-2019), Matthew Nicks (2020- ) – Eight head coaches
• Captain: Chris McDermott (1991-1994), Tony McGuiness (1995-1996), Mark Bickley (1997-2000), Mark Ricciuto (2000-2007), Simon Goodwin (2008-2010), Nathan van Berlo (2011-2014), Taylor Walker (2015-2019), Rory Sloane (2019-2022), Jordan Dawson (2023- ) – Nine captains

Brisbane

• Premierships: 2001, 2002, 2003 Runners-up: 2004
• Wooden spoons: 1990, 1991, 1998, 2017
• President/Chair: Noel Gordon (1990-1998), Alan Piper (1999-2000), Graeme Downie (2000-2005), Tony Kelly (2006-2010), Angus Johnson (2011-2013), Bob Sharpless (2014-2016), Andrew Wellington (2018- ) – Seven chairs
• CEO: Andrew Ireland (1990-2001), Michael Bowers (2002-2010), Malcolm Holmes (2011-2013), Greg Swann (2016- ) – Four CEOs
• Head Coach: Norm Dare (1990), Robert Walls (1991-1995), John Northey (1996-1998), Roger Merritt (1998), Leigh Matthews (1999-2008), Michael Voss (2009-2013), Mark Harvey (2013), Justin Leppitsch (2014-2016), Chris Fagan (2017- ) – Nine head coaches
• Captain: Roger Merrett (1990-1996), Alistair Lynch (1997-2000), Michael Voss (1997-2006), Simon Black (2007-2008), Jonathon Brown (2007-2013), Chris Johnson (2007), Nigel Lappin (2007-2008) , Luke Power (2007-2008), Jed Adcock (2013-2014), Tom Rockcliff (2015-2016), Dayne Beams (2017-2018), Dayne Zorko (2018-2022), Harris Andrews / Lachie Neale (2023- ) – Fourteen captains

Carlton

• Premierships: 1995 Runners up: 1993, 1999
• Wooden spoons: 2002, 2005, 2006, 2015, 2018
• President/Chair: John Elliott (1984-2002), Ian Collins (2003-2005), Graham Smorgon (2006), Richard Pratt (2007-2008), Stephen McKernahan (2008-2014), Mark LoGuidice (2015-2021), Luke Sayers (2021- ) – Seven chairs
• CEO: Ian Collins (1989-1993), Stephen Gough (1993-2000), John Gurreri (2000-2001), Don Hanly (2001-2002), Michael Malouf (2003-2006), Greg Swann (2007-2014), Steven Trigg (2014-2017), Cain Liddle (2018-2021), Brian Cook (2021- ) – Nine CEOs
• Head Coach: Alex Jesulenko (1990-1991), David Parkin (1991-2000), Wayne Brittain (2001-2002), Denis Pagan (2003-2007), Brett Ratten (2007-2012), Mick Malthouse (2013-2015), John Barker (2015 interim), Brendon Bolton (2016-2019), David Teague (2019-2021), Michael Voss (2022- ) – Nine head coaches
• Captain: Stephan Kernahan (1987-1997), Craig Bradley (1998-2001), Brett Ratten (2002-2003), Andrew McKay (2003), Anthony Koutoufides (2004-2006), Lance Whitnall (2007), Chris Judd (2008-2012), Marc Murphy (2013-2018), Patrick Cripps (2019- ), Sam Docherty (2019-2021) – Ten captains

Collingwood

• Premierships:1990, 2010 Runners up: 2002, 2003, 2011, 2018,
• Wooden spoons: 1999
• President/Chair: Allan McAllister (1986-1995), Kevin Rose (1996-1998), Eddie Maguire (1999-2020), Mark Korda (2021), Jeff Browne (2022- ) – Five chairs
• CEO: Bob Petrie (1991-1996), John May 1996-1999), Greg Swann (2000-2006), Gary Pert (2007-2017), Mark Anderson (2018-2022), Craig Kelly (2023- ) – Six CEOs
• Head Coach: Leigh Matthews (1987-1995), Tony Shaw (1996-1999), Mick Malthouse (2000-2011), Nathan Buckley (2012-2021), Robert Harvey (2021 interim), Craig McRae (2022- )- Five head coaches
• Captain: Tony Shaw (1987-1993), Gavin Brown (1994-1998), Nathan Buckley (1999-2007), Scott Burns (2008), Nick Maxwell (2009-2013), Scott Pendlebury (2014-2022), Darcy Moore (2023- ) – Seven captains

Essendon

• Premierships: 1993, 2000 Runners up: 1990, 2001
• Wooden spoons: 2016
• President/Chair: Ron Evans (1989-1992), David Shaw (1993-1996), Graeme McMahon (1997-2003), Neil Kissock (2004-2006), Ray Horsburgh (2007-2009), David Evans (2010-2013), Paul Little (2014-2015), Lindsay Tanner (2016-2020), Paul Brasher (2021-2022), David Barham (2022- ) – Ten chairs
• CEO: Roger Hampson (1989-1996), Peter Jackson (1996-2009), Ian Robson (2010-2013), Xavier Campbell (2014-2022), Andrew Thorburn (2022), Craig Vozzo (2022- ) – Six CEOs
• Head Coach: Kevin Sheedy (1981-2007), Matthew Knights (2008-2010), James Hird (2011-2013, 2015), Simon Goodwin (2013), Mark Thompson (2014), Matthew Egan (2015 interim ), John Worsfold (2016-2020), Ben Rutten (2021-2022), Brad Scott (2023- ) – Eight head coaches
• Captain: Tim Watson (1989-1991), Mark Thompson (1992-1995), Gary O’Donnell (1997-1997), James Hird (1998-2005), Michael Long (1999), David Hille (2006), Matthew Lloyd (2006-2009), Jobe Watson (2010-2015), Brendon Goddard (2016), Dyson Heppell (2017-2022), Zac Merrett (2023- ) – Eleven captains

Fremantle

• Runners up: 2013
• Wooden spoons: 2001
• President/Chair: Ross Kelly (1995-1998), Ross McLean (1999-2001), Rick Hart (2002-2009), Steve Harris (2010-2016), Dale Alcock (2017- ) – Five chairs
• CEO: David Hatt (1995-2001), Cameron Schwab (2002-2008), Steve Rosich (2008-2018), Graeme Parker (2019), Simon Garlick (2020- ) – Five CEOs
• Head Coach: Gerard Neesham (1995-1998), Damian Drum (1999-2001), Ben Allan (2001), Chris Connolly (2002-2007), Mark Harvey (2007-2011), Ross Lyon (2012-2019), David Hale (2019 interim), Justin Longmuir (2020- ) – Seven head coaches
• Captain: Ben Allan (1995-1996), Peter Mann (1997-1998), Chris Bond (1999), Adrian Fletcher / Shaun McManus (2000-2001), Peter Bell (2002-2006), Matthew Pavlich (2007-2015), David Mundy (2016), Nathan Fyfe (2017-2022), Alex Pearce (2023- ) – Ten captains

Geelong

• Premierships: 2007, 2009, 2011, 2022 Runners up: 1992, 1994, 1995, 2008, 2020
• President/Chair: Ron Hovey (1989-1998), Frank Costa (1999-2010), Colin Carter (2011-2020), Craig Drummond (2021- ) – Four chairs
• CEO: Ken Gannon (198-1991), Greg Durham (1992-1997), Neil King (1997), Phil Nunn (1998), Brian Cook (1999-2021), Steven Hocking (2022- ) – Six CEOs
• Head Coach: Malcolm Blight (1989-1994), Gary Ayres (1995-1999), Mark Thompson (2000-2010), Chris Scott (2011- ) – Four head coaches
• Captain: Andrew Bews (1990-1991), Mark Bairstow (1992-1994), Garry Hocking / Ken Hinkley / Gary Ablett (1995), Gary Ablett / Barry Stoneham (1996), Barry Stoneham (1997-1998), Garry Hocking / Leigh Colbert (1999), Ben Graham (2000-2002), Steven King (2003-2006), Tom Harley (2007-2009), Cameron Ling (2010-2011), Joel Selwood (2012-2022), Patrick Dangerfield (2023- ) – Thirteen captains

Gold Coast

• Wooden spoons: 2011, 2019
• President/Chair: John Witheriff (2011-2017), Tony Cochrane (2018-2023), Bob East (2023- ) – Three chairs
• CEO: Travis Auld (2001-2014), Andrew Travis (2015-2017), Mark Evans (2018- ) – Three CEOs
• Head Coach: Guy McKenna (2011-2014), Rodney Eade (2015-2017), Dean Solomon (2017 interim), Stewart Dew (2018-2023), Steven King (2023 interim), Damien Hardwick (2024- ) – Four head coaches
• Captain: Garry Ablett jnr (2011-2016), Steven May / Tom Lynch (2017-2018), David Swallow / Jarrod Witts (2019-2021), Jarrod Witts / Touk Miller (2021- ) – Six captains

Greater Western Sydney

• Wooden spoons: 2012, 2013
• Runners up: 2019
• President/Chair: Tony Sheppard (2012-) – One chair
• CEO: David Matthews (2012- ) – One CEO
• Head Coach: Kevin Sheedy (2012-2013), Leon Cameron (2014-2022), Mark McVeigh (2022 Interim), Adam Kingsley (2023- ) – Three head coaches
• Captain: Callan Ward (2012-2013), Callan Ward / Phil Davis (2014-2019), Stephen Coniglio (2020-2021), Stephen Coniglio / Toby Greene / Josh Kelly (2022), Toby Greene (2023- ) – Six captains

Hawthorn

• Premierships: 1991, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015 Runners up: 2012
• President/Chair: Trevor Coote (1998-1993), Geoff Lord (1993-1995), Brian Coleman (1996), Ian Dicker (1997-2005), Jeff Kennett (2006-2011), Andrew Newbold (2012-2015), Richard Garvey (2016-2017), Jeff Kennett (2018-2022), Andy Gowers (2022- ) – Seven chairs
• CEO: John Lautritz (1983-1994), Peter Hudson (1995-1996), Morton Browne (1997), Michael Brown (1998-2002), Steven Leighton (2003-2004), Jason Dunstall (2004), Ian Robson (2004-2009), Stuart Fox (2010-2016), Tracey Gaudry (2017), Justin Reeves (2018-2023), Ashley Klein (2023- ) – Eleven CEO’s
• Head Coach: Allan Jeans (1990), Alan Joyce (1991-1993), Peter Knights (1994-1995), Ken Judge (1996-1999), Peter Schwab (2000-2004), Donald McDonald (2004 Interim)), Alistair Clarkson (2005-2021), Sam Mitchell (2022-) – Seven head coaches
• Captain: Michael Tuck (1986-1991), Gary Ayres (1992-1993), Chris Langford (1994), Jason Dunstall (1995-1998), Shane Crawford (1989-2004), Richie Vanderbergh (2005-2007), Sam Mitchell (2008-2010), Luke Hodge (2011-2016), Jarryd Roughead (2018-2018), Ben Stratton (2019-2020), Ben McEvoy (2021-2022), James Sicily (2023- ) – Twelve captains

Melbourne

• Premierships: 2021 Runners up: 2000
• Wooden spoons: 1997, 2008, 2009
• President/Chair: Stuart Spencer (1986-1991), Ian Ridley (1992-1996), Joe Gutnick (1996-2001), Gabriel Szondy (2001-2003), Paul Gardner (2004-2008), Jim Stynes (2008-2011), Don McLardy (2012-2013), Peter Spargo (2013), Glen Bartlett (2013-2020), Kate Roffey (2021- ) – Ten chairs
• CEO: Tony King (1987-1992), Hassa Mann (1992—1997), Cameron Schwab (1997-1999), John Anderson (1999-2002), Ray Ellis (2003), Steve Harris (2004-2008), Paul McNamee (2008), Cameron Schwab (2008-2013), Peter Spargo (2013), Peter Jackson ( 2013-2018), Gary Pert (2019- ) – Eleven CEO’s
• Head Coach: John Northey (1986-1992), Neil Balme (1993-1997), Greg Hutchinson (1997 interim ), Neale Danniher (1998-2007), Mark Riley (2007 Interim)), Dean Bailey (2008-2011), Todd Vinney (2011 Interim)), Mark Neeld (2012-2013), Neil Craig (2013 Interim)), Paul Roos (2013-2016), Simon Goodwin (2017- ) – Seven head coaches
• Captain: Greg Healy (1988-1990), Garry Lyon (1991-1997), Todd Viney (1998-1999), David Neitz (2000-2008), James McDonald (2009-2010), Brad Green (2011), Jack Grimes / Jack Trengove (2012-2013), Jack Grimes / Nathan Jones (2014), Nathan Jones (2015-2016), Nathan Jones / Jack Viney (2017-2019), Max Gawn (2020- ) – Eleven captains

North Melbourne

• Premierships: 1996, 1999 Runners up: 1998
• Wooden spoons: 2021, 2022
• President/Chair: Ron Casey (1991-2000), Andrew Carter (2000-2001), Allen Aylett (2001-2005), Graham Duff (2006-2007), James Brayshaw (2008-2016), Ben Buckley (2017-2022), Sonja Hood (2022- ) – Seven cChairs
• CEO: Ken Montgomery (1990-1994), Greg Miller (1995-2001), Michael Easy (2001-2002), Geoff Walsh (2002-2007), Eugene Arocca (2008-2012), Cameron Vale (2012), Carl Dilena (2013-2019), Ben Amarfio (2020-2022), Jen Watt (2022- ) – Nine CEO’s
• Head Coach: Wayne Schimmelbusch (1990-1992), Denis Pagan (1993-2002), Dean Laidley (2003-2009), Darren Crocker (2009 Interim)), Brad Scott (2010-2019), Rhyce Shaw (2019-2020), David Noble (2021-2022), Leigh Adams (2022 Interim), Alistair Clarkson (2023- ) –Seven head coaches
• Captain: Matthew Larkin (1990-1992), Wayne Carey (1993-2001), Anthony Stevens (2002-2003), Adam Simpson (2004-2008), Brent Harvey (2009-2011), Andrew Swallow (2012-2016), Jack Ziebel (2017-2022), Luke McDonald / Jy Simpkin (2023- ) – Nine captains

Port Adelaide

• Premierships: 2004 Runners up: 2007
• President/Chair: Greg Boulton (1997-2008), Brett Duncanson (2009-2012), David Koch (2013- ) – Three chairs
• CEO: Brian Cunningham (1997-2004), John James (2005-2008), Mark Haysman (2009-2011), Keith Thomas (2012-2020), Matthew Richardson (2020- ) – Five CEO’s
• Head Coach: John Cahill (1997-1998), Mark Williams (1999-2010), Matthew Primus (2010-2012),Gary Hocking (2012 Interim), Ken Hickley (2013-) – Four head coaches
• Captains: Gavin Wanganeen (1997-2000), Matthew Primus (2001-2003), Matthew Primus / Warren Tredrea (2004-2005), Warren Tredrea (2006-2008), Dominic Cassisi (2009-2012), Travis Boak (2013-2018), Ollie Wines / Tom Jonas (2019), Tom Jonas (2020- ) – Seven captains

Richmond

• Premierships: 2017, 2019, 2020
• Wooden spoons: 2004, 2007
• President/Chair: Neville Crowe (1987-1993), Leon Daphne (1993-1999), Clinton Casey (2000-2005), Gary March (2006-2013), Peggy O’Neal (2014-2022), John O’Rourke (2023- ) – Six chairs
• CEO: Cameron Schwab (1989-1994), Jim Malone (1994-1999), Mark Brayshaw (2000-2002), Ian Campbell (2003-2004), Steven Wright (2004-2009), Brendon Gale (2009- ) – Six CEO’s
• Head Coach: Kevin Bartlett (1989-1991), Allan Jeans (1992), John Northey (1993-1995), Robert Walls (1996-1997), Jeff Gieschen (1997-1999), Danny Frawley (2000-2004), Terry Wallace (2005-2009), Jade Rawlings (2009 Interim)), Damien Hardwick (2010-2023), Andrew McQualter (2023 Interim), Adem Yze (2024-)- Ten head coaches
• Captain: Dale Weightman (1988-1992), Jeff Hogg (1993), Tony Free (1994-1996), Matthew Knights (1997-2000), Wayne Campbell (2001-2004), Kane Johnson (2005-2008), Chris Newman (2009-2012), Trent Cotchin (2013-2021), Dylan Grimes / Toby Nankervis (2022- ) – Ten captains

St Kilda

• Runners up: 1997, 2009, 2010
• Wooden spoons: 2000, 2014
• President/Chair: Travis Payze (1987-1992). Andrew Plympton (1993-2000), Rod Butterss (2001-2007), Greg Westaway (2008-2013), Peter Summers (2014-2018), Andrew Bassat (2019- ) – Six chairs
• CEO: Rick Watt (1988-1992), Gary Bail (1993), Don Hanly (1995-2000), Jim Watts (2001, 2005-2006), Brian Waldron (2002-2004), Archie Fraser (2006-2008), Michael Nettlefold (2009-2013), Matt Finnis (2014-2022), Simon Lethlean (2023-) – Nine CEO’s
• Head Coach: Ken Sheldon (1990-1993), Stan Alves (1994-1998), Tim Watson (1999-2000), Malcolm Blight (2001), Grant Thomas (2001-2006), Ross Lyon (2007-2011), Scott Watters (2012-2013), Alan Richardson (2014-2019), Brett Ratten (2019-2022), Ross Lyon (2023- ) – Ten head coaches
• Captain: Danny Frawley (1987-1995), Nathan Burke / Stewart Loewe (1996-1998), Nathan Burke (1999-2000), Robert Harvey (2001-2002), Aaron Hamill (2003), Lenny Hayes (2004), Nick Riewoldt (2005), Luke Ball (2006), Lenny Hayes / Nick Riewoldt / Luke Ball (2007), Nick Riewoldt (2008-2016), Jarryn Geary (2017-2020), Jarryn Geary / Jack Steele (2021), Jack Steele (2022- ) – Ten captains

Sydney

• Premierships: 2005, 2012 Runners up: 1996, 2006, 2014, 2016, 2022
• Wooden spoons: 1992, 1993, 1994
• President/Chair: Michael Willesee (1989-1992), John Gerahty (1991-1992), Alan Schwab (1992), Ken Gannon (1992), Peter Weinert (1993-1995), Richard Colless (1995-2013), Andrew Pridham (2014- ) – Seven chairs
• CEO: Barry Breen (1988-1990), Barry Rogers (1990-1993), Ron Joseph (1994), John Curtain (1995), Kelvin Templeton (1996-2002), Colin Seary (2002), Myles Baron-Hay (2004-2009), Andrew Ireland (2010-2018), Tom Harley (2019- ) – Nine CEOs
• Head Coach: Col Kinear (1989-1991), Gary Buckenara (1992-1993), Brett Scott (1993 interim), Ron Barassi (1993-1995), Rodney Eade (1996-2002), Paul Roos (2002-2010), John Longmire (2011- ) – Six head coaches
• Captain: Dennis Carroll (1986-1992), Paul Kelly (1993-2002), Stuart Maxfield (2003-2005), Barry Hall (2005), Leo Barry / Barry Hall / Brett Kirk (2006-2007), Leo Barry / Craig Bolton / Brett Kirk (2008), Adam Goodes / Craig Bolton / Brett Kirk (2009-2010), Adam Goodes / Jarryd McVeigh (2011-2012), Jarryd McVeigh / Kieren Jack (2013-2016), Josh Kennedy (2017-2018), Josh Kennedy / Luke Parker / Dane Rampe (2019-2021), Callum Mills / Luke Parker / Dane Rampe (2022-) – Fourteen captains

West Coast

• Premierships: 1992, 1994, 2006, 2018 Runners up: 1991, 2005, 2015
• Wooden spoons: 2010
• President/Chair: Terry O’Connor (1990-1993), Dwane Buckland (1994-1996), Murray McHenry (1997-1998), Michael Smith (1999-2002), Dalton Gooding (2003-2007), Mark Barnaba (2008-2010), Alan Cransberg (2011-2022), Paul Fitzpatrick (2022- Eight Presidents
• CEO: Brian Cook (1990-1998), Trevor Nisbett (1999- ) – Two CEO’s
• Head Coach:Mick Malthouse (1990-1999), Ken Judge (2000-2001), John Worsfold (2002-2013), Adam Simpson (2014- ) – Four head Coaches
• Captain: Steve Malaxos (1990), John Worsford (1991-1998), Guy McKenna (1999-2000), Dean Kemp / Ben Cousins (2001), Ben Cousins (2002-2005), Chris Judd (2006-2007), Darren Glass (2008-2014), Josh Kennedy (2014), Eric Mackenzie (2014), Scott Selwood (2014), Matt Priddis (2014), Shannon Hurn (2014-2019), Luke Shuey (2020-2023), Vacant – Nine captains

Western Bulldogs

• Premierships: 2016 Runners up: 2021
• Wooden spoons: 2003
• President/Chair: Peter Gordon (1990-1996), David Smorgon (1997-2012), Peter Gordon (2013-2020), Kyle Watson-Wheeler (2021- ) – Three chairs
• CEO: Dennis Galimberti (1987-1996), Mark Patterson (1997-2001), Bernard Saundry (2002), Campbell Rose (2002-2010), Simon Garlick (2011-2014), David Stevenson (2015-2016), Gary Kent (2016-2017), Ameet Bains (2018- ) – Eight CEOs
• Head Coach: Terry Wheeler (1990-1994), Alan Joyce (1994-1996), Terry Wallace (1996-2002), Peter Rohde (2002-2004), Rodney Eade (2005-2011), Paul Williams (2011 Interim)), Brendan McCartney (2012-2014), Luke Beveridge (2015- ) – Seven head coaches
• Captain: Doug Hawkins (1990-1993), Scott Wynd (1994-2000), Chris Grant (2001-2002), Chris Grant / Scott West (2003), Chris Grant (2004), Luke Darcy (2005), Brad Johnson (2006-2010) , Matthew Boyd (2011-2013), Ryan Griffin (2014), Robert Murphy (2015-2017), Easton Wood (2016, 2018-2019), Marcus Bontempelli (2020 – ) – Ten captains