In the dedication of a final book, she made an unusual reference to her husband. "If I were to believe you guys," he told the audience of journalists, "I'm a hot-tempered, loud, heavy-gambling Cypriot, prone to fly off the handle without warning. It was all give, it was incredible giving. "She said to the teacher, 'How's Andrew going? I'm the little chairman. [1], Before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry. ANDREW DEMETRIOU | CHAIRMAN Former Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Football League (AFL), Andrew has been a CEO across a number of business sectors. 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. But then, you know, by just a miracle in many ways, I met my current wife, and it really was like the darkness lifted.". Demetriou found himself playing alongside some of North's greats - Keith Greig, Wayne Schimmelbusch, Ross Glendinning, the Krakouer brothers and Malcolm Blight to name a few - but by the time he was in his prime in the mid-'80s that premiership era had passed. The pairing - cheeky young footy player, independent older woman - seemed unlikely, but their friends remember them as a wonderful couple. And, he adds, "You've got to be fair. [8] North Melbourne rejected that offer and, in January 2008, the AFL chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick and Demetriou announced that the Gold Coast Football Club would enter the AFL in 2011. 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. Its leafy luxury contrasts sharply with the suburban landscape of postcode 3058. "We've got players telling our doctors 'thank God, you saved me'. he exclaims.Unquestionably, says the Swans' Richard Collis, expansion will be remembered "as a part of the Demetriou era".How long an era? "He spoke about where the game had been 100 years ago. They'll share a couple of pizzas, maybe have a glass of wine. "Clearly, we've had great opportunities because of what our parents did for us," says Demetriou. They'll have a women's round, an indigenous round, a tie-a-ribbon-around-everything round. What might have been acceptable 10 years ago is not acceptable now. "Huh? His parents followed his playing career faithfully, his father rarely missing a game. ', 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.' "Expansion is going to make things much tougher for clubs in the short term," says Gale, speaking as Richmond CEO. In those days it was quite humorous, and in a bizarre way acceptable: 'Oh well, wog, dago, they don't really know what they're talking about.' 1983 Demetriou, a straight talker who supporters and critics alike recognise for his negotiating steel as much as they do for his decisiveness on policy issues, has used his CEO tenure to build on the league's expanding reputation as a force for cultural and social change, championing racial equality, cancer awareness and respect for women while putting player welfare at the forefront of league policies on pay and illicit drug use. 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. It's based in northern Italy. . He looks momentarily uncomfortable, as if he's never thought about it. [citation needed] During the 2013 Finals Series he also co-hosted Talking Footy for the Seven Network. "History will tell.". Whatever will be will be.". Demetriou is not one of them. The deal included unprecedented live TV coverage of the AFL competition in all states of Australia through free-to-air, subscription and IP television. [5], In 2005 he was instrumental in securing a record breaking A$780 million TV rights deal. is 182cm (6ft 0in) and Weight 80kg (176lb). "Another call. 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. Ryan Edwards and his wife, Mackenzie, have officially called it quits amid their ongoing legal issues. Crown director Andrew Demetriou becomes the third board member to resign from the gaming giant but claims the NSW gaming authority's comments about him are "unfair and unjust". ", Finally - and perhaps most importantly - he believes (or persuades others he believes) that no deal is worth dying for. [citation needed], He had a brief move to Hawthorn in 1988, but played only three games and kicked one goal. "I don't think we want to get Andrew involved in the grow suits. We have estimated According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Mackenzie filed for divorce on Monday . And on the drugs policy, the heat was coming in the form of a blowtorch from Howard Government ministers George Brandis and Christopher Pyne, who in the lead-up to the 2007 election beat a path to league headquarters, media in tow, demanding change. 1988 He had a brief move to Hawthorn in 1988, but played only three games and kicked one goal. This is in itself quite charming. Thu 11 Feb 2021 06.27 EST First published on Thu 11 Feb 2021 02.37 EST. The couple tied the wedding knot in November 2021, a year after their engagement. Collect, curate and comment on your files. 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. "Whatever it is, I honestly don't know. "If you've done all the prep, you can't do more than that, so I never think about it. Andrew Demetriou was born on 14 April, 1961 in Australian, is an Australian rules footballer, born 1961. "We grew up in an area where you just laughed at those things," he says. One of the more significant challenges he has faced was his first wife died of cancer in 1999. Andrew Demetriou and wife Symone Demetriou arrive for the 2006 AFL Brownlow Medal Dinner at Crown Casino September 25, 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. Her sense of humanity, and my father's too, they were very generous and were always looking for the good in people. "I try to get out the door of the office by five. Andrew Demetriou.Credit:Sebastian Costanzo, "Kim Kardashian," he says suddenly. He's revolutionised the code's response to illicit drug use; initiated a policy to improve the treatment of women; allowed free movement of uncontracted, end-of-term players between clubs; and supported some of the strongest anti-discrimination policies in international sport. I wish more powerful people had his attitude.". Tania Hird, the wife of the suspended Essendon coach, has repeated the controversial claim that AFL boss Andrew Demetriou tipped off the club. Demetriou in 2014 became the Chairman of the Advisory Board at Acquire Learning. "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. Not that it seems to bother him. "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. 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. What he lacks in celebrity style, however, he makes up for in knowledge. "I don't make any decisions without everything having been thought through, chewed up, sliced, diced, looked at inside out, been criticised," he says. In terms of game attendance, AFL is the most popular sport in Australia. He took his first job back in football in 1997, partly so he could be at home with Bassett during her illness. If you'd said I was going to be working in football 20 years later, I'd have thought you were mad.". In 2002 he married his current wife Symone, and they have three daughters and a son.[22]. He was educated at La Trobe University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1983 and a Diploma of Education in 1984. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. His best memory was the elation of a come-from-behind triumph over Carlton in the elimination final of 1985. [15], Demetriou announced on 3 March 2014 that he would step down from the role as AFL CEO after eleven years, at the conclusion of the 2014 AFL season. We've got a factory in Brazil, one in India now. With his second wife, Symone, Demetriou raised twin daughters, as well as an additional daughter and a son. No responsibility for Essendon scandal: Demetriou, No responsibility for Bombers scandal: chief. "I've said continuously that it's not going to be easy," says Demetriou calmly. 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. Demetriou's tastes are eclectic if nothing else. '," Demetriou reflects now. What we've said all along is that we're just offering another option for young children to take up the game. 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. [18], Demetriou had a regular spot with Red Symons on Melbourne radio station ABC 774. It was while Demetriou was a student at La Trobe University in 1983 that he met his first wife, historian Jan Bassett. My mother, who passed away three years ago, was an incredible woman. 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. People say it's how he made his fortune. Demetriou announced on 3 March 2014 that he would step down from the role as AFL CEO after eleven years, at the conclusion of the 2014 AFL season. "Sometimes in the exercise of that power, feathers get ruffled. Development of Carriageworks' commercial and major events programs to expand our . ". "Not with four children, no. If I hadn't had footy this year, it would have been a lot worse. Even as an 18-year-old, he had larger horizons. But money isn't the whole story. And some suggested a life in politics back in 2005, when he openly questioned whether Australia had become mean-spirited compared to the optimistic country that welcomed his parents in the 1950s, challenging directly the Howard Government's tough asylum-seeker laws in the wake of the Tampa incident. Much has been made in the past of a possible move into politics, though Demetriou has consistently denied it. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 14 April. "Well, nobody said anything about my mother, thank God. "He was absolutely a source of help and advice.". 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. He was betraying the sports . "I'm a big fan, and a great supporter," says Jill Lindsay, who started at league headquarters 40 years ago. Demetriou is the youngest son of Greek Cypriot immigrants. ", 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.". "Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, Pennant Hills: it's an upper-middle-class socio-economic group they want. Footy was a great way to pick up $20,000 or $30,000: that's how I bought my first home. "His favourite holiday destination was St Moritz, and 'classical' was his favourite music," Buckley laughs. He was educated at La Trobe University, where he completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1983 and a Diploma of Education in 1984. And probably dish them out. Demetriou, of course, knows this very well. The day of our interview, he leaves work early to go to his four-year-old daughter's birthday party "at one of those Japanese restaurants where they throw things in the air". And, of course, it was Symone. [14] Sydney won the 2012 premiership implementing a style of relentless tackling and attacking play. There, above the Norm Smith medals and behind the gang of administration girls admiring a new engagement ring ("Show me that rock!" Andrew J. Demetriou | Corporate Attorney | Los Angeles | Husch Blackwell Andrew J. Demetriou Senior Counsel Los Angeles phone: 213.356.2949 fax: 213.337.6551 email: andrew.demetriou@huschblackwell.com Overview Experience Thought Leadership Outside the Office Community Leadership Download Bio Download vCard Overview "But that boyfriend Scott. A month after the ex-AFL chief and former Crown Melbourne chairman gave a televised public lesson in October in how . He's even convinced those behind enemy walls to join his crusade. Acquire Learning entered voluntary administration in May 2017, shortly after Demetriou left the company. 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. It never affected me.". 'I'm just ringing to say your brother has died.' 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