AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder to step down after nine-year reign

EXCLUSIVE

AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder will step down from his post in March after a nine-year reign.

7NEWS can reveal Goyder has confided in his inner circle that he won’t be seeking re-election to lead the AFL beyond 2026.

Speculation dating back as far as last year had clubs expecting Goyder to chase another term until at least 2028.

However, he will soon walk away from his AFL tenure that included six years as a Commissioner before he replaced Mike Fitzpatrick as chair in 2017.

Rumblings in recent months indicated a handful of club presidents were considering a move to overthrow Goyder from the top job.

Despite pressure on his position intensifying, Goyder has chaired the Commission’s nominations committee across August-September to find the League’s next chair.

Names heavily linked to succeed him include former Collingwood president Jeff Browne, ex-Western Bulldogs chair Peter Gordon and former Geelong president Craig Drummond.

It is widely viewed that no current commissioners would be in position to replace Goyder.

It’s understood Goyder has told those close to him in recent weeks that the nominations process has opened his eyes to now being the right time to walk away.

Goyder last year stepped down as chair of Qantas.

The League’s nominations committee has also included club presidents John Olsen (Adelaide), Andrew Wellington (Brisbane), Sonja Hood (North Melbourne), Andrew Bassat (St Kilda) and Andrew Pridham (Sydney).

Simone Wilkie and Andrew Ireland joined Goyder from the Commission.