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Ex-Collingwood president building momentum to replace Goyder
Sam Edmund • August 27th, 2025 11:19 am
Jeff Browne will be interviewed for a seat on the AFL commission in the coming days as the ex-Collingwood president gains significant support for a run at the game’s top job.
Browne will front the nominations committee as part of the process to find the next commissioners, but there is a growing collection of club presidents now pushing for him to replace Richard Goyder as commission chairman.
Browne only last year resigned as Collingwood president to focus on his health. Now fit and healthy after battling myeloma, he has thrown his hat into the commission ring.
Browne only last week hinted at a desire to become the next chairman of the AFL commission.
“Unfortunately, one of my problems in life, I’ll see that there’s a problem, and if something’s looking all over, I’d like to sort of get into it, so you never know. Never say never,” Browne told a Collingwood president’s function.
Goyder reaches the end of his term next March, but he is seeking a three-year extension. He joined the commission in 2011 and has been chairman since 2017.
Goyder also chairs the nominations committee ultimately – and somewhat bizarrely - tasked with finding his successor.
This committee is believed to include North Melbourne president Sonja Hood, Adelaide president John Olsen, Sydney’s Andrew Pridham, St Kilda’s Andrew Bassat and the AFL’s executive general manager-people, Sarah Fair.
Club presidents feel Goyder has been good for the game, but a growing number are of the view that change is overdue, while others want more football and club experience around the commission table.
Goyder, Paul Bassat and Simone Wilkie all reach the end of their terms early next year.
Former Australian Sports Commission chairman John Wylie, former Geelong president Craig Drummond, ex-Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon and Port Adelaide president David Koch have also been among those linked with a run.
Browne was the AFL’s legal advisor for 22 years, the managing director of the Nine Network and holds vast corporate – and football – experience.
Since late last year he has served as chairman of Myeloma Australia.
