List of VFL/AFL commissioners and club presidents

This is a listing of all the commissioners and club presidents of the VFL/AFL.

An independent VFL Commission was formed in 1985, being renamed the AFL Commission in 1990 in line with the competition.

In 1993, the AFL Commission assumed power from the clubs, and the AFL Board of Directors voted itself out of existence. In 1995, the AFL Commission assumed control of Australian rules football when it absorbed the ANFC.

A separate role of AFL Chairman was created in 1993 (see below).

VFL President (1897-1985), VFL/AFL Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (since 1985)[]

Name	Term in office	Club
Alex McCracken	1897–1915	Essendon ^[1]
	1915–1917 ^[2]	Melbourne ^[3]
Chas Brownlow	1917–1919 ^[4]	Geelong
Walter Baldwin Spencer	1919–1926	Carlton
William C. McClelland	1926–1955	Melbourne ^[5]
Sir Kenneth Luke	1956–1971 ^[6]	Carlton
	1971–1977	Carlton
Allen Aylett	1977–1983	North Melbourne
Jack Hamilton	1983–1986	Collingwood ^[7]
Ross Oakley	1986–1996	St. Kilda ^[8]
Wayne Jackson	1996–2003 ^[9]	Independent
Andrew Demetriou	2003–2014
Gillon McLachlan	2014–present

AFL Chairman (since 1993)[]

Name	Term in office
John Kennedy, Sr.	1993–1997
Ron Evans AM	1997–2007
Mike Fitzpatrick	2007–2017
Richard Goyder	2017–present

Club Presidents[]

Adelaide[]

Bob Hammond (1991-2000) ^[10]
Bob Campbell (2001-2003)
Bill Sanders (2004–2008)
Rob Chapman (2009–2020)
John Olsen (2021-present)

Brisbane Bears/Lions[]

Paul Cronin (1987-1990)^[11]
Noel Gordon (1990–1999)
Alan Piper (1999–2000)
Graeme Downie (2000–2006)
Tony Kelly (2006–2010)
Angus Johnson (2010–2013)
Bob Sharpless (2013–2017)
Andrew Wellington (2017–present)

Carlton[]

Robert McFarland (1864-1865) ^[12]
James Linacre (1865)
George Coppin (1866-1872)
John Walls (1873)
Robert Robertson (1874-1885)
Arthur Gillespie (1886-1894)
Frederick Bromley (1895)
(1896–1901)
(1901–1904)
H.B. Higgins (1904–1905)
(1905–1907)
(1907–1910)
(1910–1912)
(1912–1914)
Jack Gardiner (1914–1925)
(1925–1928)
Dave Crone (1929–1938)
Sir Kenneth Luke (1938–1956)
Horrie Clover (1956–1958)
(1958–1965)
(1965–1975, 1978-1980)
Ivan Rohrt (1975–1978)
Ian Rice (1980–1983)
John Elliott (1983–2002)
Ian Collins (2002–2006)
Graham Smorgon (2006–2007)
Stephen Kernahan (2007)
Richard Pratt (2007–2008)
Stephen Kernahan (2008–2014)
(2014 – 2021)
Luke Sayers (2021 - present)

Collingwood[]

William Beazley (1892–1911)
(1912)
Jim Sharp (1913–1923)
Harry Curtis (1924–1950)
Syd Coventry (1950–1962)
(1963–1974)
(1975–1976)
(1977–1981)
Ranald Macdonald (1982–1986)
(1986–1995)
Kevin Rose (1996–1998)
Eddie McGuire (1998–2021)
Mark Korda (2021–)^[13]

Essendon[]

Robert McCracken (1877-1885)^[14]
James Robertson (1886)
Alexander McCracken (1887–1903)
(1904–1907)
(1908–1919)
(1920–1925)
(1926–1929)
(1930–1934)
(1935–1940)
(1940)
(1941–1959)
(1959–1968)
Allan Hird Snr (1969–1975)
(1976–1980)
Greg Sewell (1981–1987)
Ron Evans (1988–1992)
David Shaw (1992–1996)
Graeme McMahon (1996–2003)
(2003–2006)
(2006–2009)
(2009–2013)
Paul Little (2013–2015)
Lindsay Tanner (2015–2020)
(2020 – present)

Fitzroy[]

John McMahon (1884-1887)^[15]
Robert Best (1887-1910)
Don Chandler (1910-1930)
Bill Hannah (1930-1932)
Alec Sloan (1932-1933)
Ossie Porter (1933-1936)
Bill Raymond (1936-1938)
Harold McLennan (1938-1947)
George Hook (1947-1951)
Les Phelan (1951-1964)
Ern Joseph (1964-1975)
Frank Bibby (1975-1980)
Keith Wiegard (1980-1984)
Bruce White (1984-1985)
Leon Wiegard (1985-1991)
Dyson Hore-Lacy (1991–1996)

Fremantle[]

(1995–1998, Chairman)
Ross McLean (1999–2001, Chairman)
Rick Hart (2002 – 2009, titled Chairman until 2004, President since 2005)
(2009–2016)
(2016 – present)

Geelong[]

P. Dwyer (1878) ^[16]
James Wilson Sr (1878-1883)
J. Hopkins (1884-1885)
F. Orchard (1886)
J. Wilson (1887-1888)
J. Sommers (1889)
G. W. Steedman (1890)
JH Grey (1891–1899)
J McMullen (1900–1902)
HB Hodges (1903–1909)
AH Bowman (1910–1920)
Brig. Gen. R Smith (1921–1922)
Cr WL Carr (1922)
Dr JE Piper (1923–1926)
Cr JA Thear (1927–1929)
M Jacobs (1930–1938)
TB Hawkes (1939)
BNM Collins (1940–1945)
Jack Jennings (1946–1970)
Vern Johnstone (1971–1973)
Neil Trezise (1974–1975)
MO Graham (1976–1979)
JN McHolt (1980–1982)
Dr KLC Threlfall (1983–1987)
W Bannon (1987–1988)
Ron Hovey OAM (1988–1998)
Frank Costa (1998–2010)
Colin Carter (2011–2020)
Craig Drummond (2021-present)

Gold Coast[]

(2009–2016)
Tony Cochrane (2016 – present)

Greater Western Sydney[]

Tony Shepherd (2011–present)

Hawthorn[]

J. C. Watts (1902)
George Swinburne (1903)
C. O. Shave (1906)
Col. Pleasants (1907)
W. M. Burton (1908-1909, 1912)
H. Henningsen (1910)
Charles Bethune (1911, 1914-1915)
Cr. Wood (1913)
W. H. "Bill" Hulse (1916)
Edward Ward (1919)
F. O. Small (1920)
J. "Bill" Kennon (1921–1931)
Dr Jacob Jona J.P. (1932–1949)
David Prentice (1949–1953)
A. "Sandy" Ferguson (1953–1968)
Phil Ryan (1968–1980)
Ron Cook (1980–1988)
(1988–1994)
Geoff Lord (1994–1995)
Brian Coleman (1995–1996)
(1996–2005)
Jeff Kennett (2005–2011, 2017–present)
(2011–2016)
(2016–2017)^[17]^[18]

Melbourne[]

Frank Grey-Smith (1883-1890) ^[19]
R. H. McLeod (1890-1897)
H. C. A. Harrison (1897–1906)
(1907–1910)
(1911)
William C. McClelland (1912–1926)
Vernon Ransford (1927–1928)
Joe Blair (1929–1946)
William Flintoft (1947–1949)
Albert Chadwick (1950–1962)
Donald Duffy (1963–1974)
John Mitchell (1975–1978)
Wayne Reid (1979–1980)
Sir Billy Snedden (1981–1986)
Stuart Spencer (1986–1991)
Ian Ridley (1991–1996)
Joseph Gutnick (1996–2002)
Gabriel Szondy (2002–2003)
Paul Gardner (2003–2008)
Jim Stynes (2008–2012)
(2012–2013)
(2013) (Acting)
Glen Bartlett (2013–2021)
(2021-present)

North Melbourne/Kangaroos[]

John McIndoe (1869-1871) ^[20]
R. J. Alcock (1872-1873)
Dr. Burke (1874)
R. Sutcliffe (1875, 1877-1881)
E. Harcourt (1882-1885)
R. K. Montgomerie (1886)
M. Evans (1887-1891)
J. Barwise (1892-1895, 1897)
N. M. O'Donnell (1896)
D. Wadick (1898)
W. H. Fuller (1899-1900)
James Gardiner (1901)
G. M. Prendergast (1902-1911)
Clem Davidson (1912-1919)
T. F. Jenyns (1920)
B. Deveney (1921)
George E Ravenhall (1922-1923)
A. J. Russell (1924)
Patrick Sullivan (1924–1928)
(1928)
Arthur Calwell (1928–1934)
(1934–1937)
(1937–1952)
(1952–1953)
(1953–1956)
(1956–1962)
Jack Adams (1962–1965)
(1965–1971)
Allen Aylett (1971–1977)
(1977–1980)
Al Mantello (1980)
(1980–1992)
Ron Casey (1992–2000)
Andrew Carter (2000–2001)
Allen Aylett (2001–2005)
Graham Duff (2005–2007)
John Magowan (2007)
James Brayshaw (2007–2016)
Ben Buckley (2016–present)

Port Adelaide[]

SANFL

(1870-1879)
(1880-1892)
(1893-1894)
(1895-1900)
(1901)
(1902-1911)
(1912)
(1913-1921)
(1922-1925)
(1927-1931, 1937-1949)
(1932-1936)
(1950-1951)
(1952-1972)
(1973-1985)
(1986-1992)

AFL

Greg Boulton (1993–2008)
(2008–2012)
David Koch (2013–present)

Richmond[]

George Bennett (1887–1908)
Frank Tudor (1909–1918)
(1919–1923)
(1924–1931)
Barney Herbert (1932–1935, 1939)
(1936–1938)
(1940–1958)
Maurie Fleming (1958–1963)
Ray Dunn (1964–1971)
(1971–1973)
(1974–1985)
Barry Richardson (1985)
(1986)
Alan Bond (1987)
Neville Crowe (1987–1993)
(1993–1999)
(2000–2005)
Gary March (2005–2013)
Peggy O'Neal (2013–present)

St Kilda[]

Dave McNamara (1939-1940) ^[21]
E. C. Mitty (1940-1945)
Reuben Sackville (1946-1955)
Jack Reilly (1958)
Graham Huggins (1959–1979)
Lindsay Fox (1979–1985)
(1985–1986)
Travis Payze (1987–1993)
Andrew Plympton (1993–2001)
Rod Butterss (2001–2007)
Greg Westaway (2007–2013)
(2013–2018)
Andrew Bassat (2018–present)

South Melbourne/Sydney[]

A. Brown (1881) ^[22]
Henry Dodds (1881-1891)
A. G. Major (1895, 1898)
Dr Thomson (1896)
John Sloss (1897)
Thomas Craine (1899-1903)
Henry Hawkins Skinner (1904-1911)
George A. Emslie (1912-1917)
Joseph Francis Hannon (1919)
Robert Melville Cuthbertson (1920-1928)
Jack Rohan (1929-1932)
Archie Crofts (1933-1937)
J. D. M. Dickson (1938-1941)
Lionel Newton (1942-1945)
J. P. Cullen (1946-1959)
W. R. Tait (1960-1963)
R. C. Warner (1963)
C. V. Ridgway (1964-1967)
Brian Bourke (1967-1972)
S. Keane (1972-1973)
K. G. Hooker (1974-1975)
(1976-1977, 1986-1988)
G. Camakaris (1977-1978)
Graeme John (1978–1981)
Jack Marks (1981–1985)
Dr. Geoffrey Edelsten (1985–1986)
(1988–1993)
(1993–2013)
Andrew Pridham (2013 – present)

Footscray/Western Bulldogs[]

David Mitchell (1886-1893) ^[23]
James Tucker (1893-1894)
James Cuming (1894-1911)
Frank Shillabeer (1911-1912)
Arch Crow (1912-1921)
George Sayer (1922, 1926)
James Stephens (1923)
George Farnsworth (1924)
L. Caldecott (1925)
Kevin McCarthy (1926-1938)
Bert Jamieson (1938-1941)
Con Curtain (1941-1946)
Otto Grobbecker (1946-1949, 1953-1955)
Con Weickhardt (1949-1952)
Bernie Barry (1955-1960)
Harry Dolphin (1960-1962)
Jim Miller (1962-1966)
Jack Collins (1966-1973)
Dick Collinson (1973-1978)
Charlie Sutton (1979-1981)
G. Gray (1981-1981)
Tony Capes (1982-1988)
Barry Beattie (1988-1989)
(1989–1989)
Peter Gordon (1989–1996, 2012–2020)
David Smorgon (1996–2012)
Kylie Watson-Wheeler (2021—present)

West Coast[]

(1987)
(1987–89)
Terry O'Connor (1989–92)
(1992–96)
(1996–98)
Michael Smith (1998–2002)
Dalton Gooding (2002–2007)
(2007–10)
Alan Cransberg (2010–2016)
(2016–present)

References[]

^ McCracken was also President of Essendon from 1897-1903.
^ Resigned.
^ Obituary
^ Brownlow served in an acting capacity after the resignation of Williams.
^ McClelland was also MCC President from 1944-1957.
^ Died in office.
^ Hamilton represented Collingwood on the Board of Directors in 1985-1986.
^ Oakley represented St. Kilda on the Board of Directors until it was dissolved in 1993.
^ Jackson was the first non-Victorian AFL CEO.
^ "Australian Football - Adelaide Football Club - Honour Board".
^ "Australian Football - Brisbane Football Club - Honour Board".
^ "Australian Football - Carlton Football Club - Honour Board".
^ Niall, Jake (21 April 2021). "Mark Korda appointed Pies president". The Age.
^ "Australian Football - Essendon Football Club - Honour Board".
^ "Australian Football - Fitzroy Football Club - Honour Board".
^ https://www.geelongcats.com.au/club/history/honour-roll
^ "Honour Board - HAWTHORNFC.com.au". Archived from the original on 15 January 2013.
^ "Australian Football - Hawthorn Football Club - Honour Board".
^ "Australian Football - Melbourne Football Club - Honour Board".
^ "Australian Football - North Melbourne Football Club - Honour Board".
^ "Australian Football - St. Kilda Football Club - Honour Board".
^ "Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club".
^ "Australian Football - Western Bulldogs Football Club - Honour Board".

[1] McCracken was also President of Essendon from 1897-1903.

[2] Resigned.

[3] Obituary

[4] Brownlow served in an acting capacity after the resignation of Williams.

[5] McClelland was also MCC President from 1944-1957.

[6] Died in office.

[7] Hamilton represented Collingwood on the Board of Directors in 1985-1986.

[8] Oakley represented St. Kilda on the Board of Directors until it was dissolved in 1993.

[9] Jackson was the first non-Victorian AFL CEO.

[10] "Australian Football - Adelaide Football Club - Honour Board".

[11] "Australian Football - Brisbane Football Club - Honour Board".

[12] "Australian Football - Carlton Football Club - Honour Board".

[13] Niall, Jake (21 April 2021). "Mark Korda appointed Pies president". The Age.

[14] "Australian Football - Essendon Football Club - Honour Board".

[15] "Australian Football - Fitzroy Football Club - Honour Board".

[16] ttps://www.geelongcats.com.au/club/history/honour-roll

[17] "Honour Board - HAWTHORNFC.com.au". Archived from the original on 15 January 2013.

[18] "Australian Football - Hawthorn Football Club - Honour Board".

[19] "Australian Football - Melbourne Football Club - Honour Board".

[20] "Australian Football - North Melbourne Football Club - Honour Board".

[21] "Australian Football - St. Kilda Football Club - Honour Board".

[22] "Official AFL Website of the Sydney Swans Football Club".

[23] "Australian Football - Western Bulldogs Football Club - Honour Board".

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