Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich appointed Sydney Swans chief executive

3 months ago 13

Nine News Perth sports presenter Matthew Pavlich will be announced as chief executive officer of the Sydney Swans at a media conference this morning.

The former Fremantle captain will replace Tom Harley who is departing the Swans after five years as CEO to take the role of AFL chief operating officer.

9 News Perth sports presenter, Matthew Pavlich.

Pavlich captained the Fremantle Dockers for nine seasons, is a six-time club champion and six-time All Australian. He joined Nine News Perth in 2018 following three years as president of the AFL Players Association.

“It’s with a heavy heart because I’ve loved my time at Nine. It’s been wonderful to learn the art of broadcasting alongside the likes of Michael Thomson, Monika Kos, Tracy Vo, Scherri-Lee Biggs and Paddy Sweeney, so it wasn’t an easy decision,” he said.

“From covering Australian Opens and the Paris Olympics to being welcomed into viewers’ homes each night, it’s been a privilege and an honour to represent the Nine brand and work with such great people.”

“I’ve always had an enormous passion for the game I grew up loving and the transition from playing into a mix of business and media led me to this opportunity”.

The Swans ranked 9th out of 18 AFL clubs for membership last season and now boast more than 75,000. On field, the Swans have played in five grand finals since 2012 and currently sit 10th on the AFL ladder.

“It honestly wasn’t on my radar, but the Swans are a highly successful and respected club and after talking it through with Lauren and our three kids, we knew it was an opportunity too good to pass up,” Pavlich said

“I’ve always admired the Swans from afar. Their culture and history of success has the respect of the footy world and I can’t wait to contribute to that,” he said.

It’s understood the club will unveil Pavlich as chief executive at a media conference in Sydney on Wednesday morning, and he is expected to take the reins in coming weeks.

Nine’s Director of News and Current Affairs Fiona Dear acknowledged Pavlich’s professionalism since joining the network seven years ago.

“Our news family and our loyal viewers will miss Pav, but we thank him for his time at Nine and wish him, Lauren and the family all the best,” she said.

According to the Swans, Pavlich emerged as the leading candidate in part because his involvement in business pursuits post his 353 game playing career.

Pavlich co-founded talent, technology and brand partnership business Launchd and played a role in creative services company PMY Group after achieving his MBA from the University of Western Australia.

“He is a champion of our game and brings to the club a wealth of football experience both from a playing, as well as an administrative, perspective,” Sydney Swans Chairman Andrew Pridham said.

“Not only did he play more than 350 games at the highest level, he served for more than 11 years on the AFL Players’ Association Board, including three years as president, and was also an advisor on the AFL Laws of the Game Committee for two years.” he said

“We believe he will fit in well with the Sydney Swans culture and bring his own unique insights and perspectives that will benefit the club moving forward.” he said.