AFL's Buckley to be new Football Boss

[Auburn Mariner]

Michael Cockerill

November 8, 2006 - 11:50AM

Andrew Demetriou's right-hand man at the AFL, Ben Buckley, will replace John O'Neill as the new chief executive of Football Federation Australia.

FFA chairman Frank Lowy will unveil his new CEO at a press conference in Sydney at 2.30pm.

While there is no official confirmation of Buckley's appointment, several sources have suggested the AFL's chief operating officer - a former player with the Kangaroos - has suddenly emerged as a strong candidate.

Other candidates who had been mentioned include Craig McLatchey, an Australian who works as a consultant for the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland, and David Davies, a former chief executive of England's Football Association.

Although Buckley has no background in football, he has earned widespread admiration for his involvement in the AFL's new record-breaking television deal, and has also worked as a marketing executive for Nike.

[marinermick]

if they were going to appoint deputies then you think matt carrol should have got the gig

wonder how an afl man will fit in to the culture of the place

[kevrenor]

auburnmariner said:

Michael Cockerill

November 8, 2006 - 11:50AM

Andrew Demetriou's right-hand man at the AFL, Ben Buckley, will replace John O'Neill as the new chief executive of Football Federation Australia.

FFA chairman Frank Lowy will unveil his new CEO at a press conference in Sydney at 2.30pm.

While there is no official confirmation of Buckley's appointment, several sources have suggested the AFL's chief operating officer - a former player with the Kangaroos - has suddenly emerged as a strong candidate.

Other candidates who had been mentioned include Craig McLatchey, an Australian who works as a consultant for the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland, and David Davies, a former chief executive of England's Football Association.

Although Buckley has no background in football, he has earned widespread admiration for his involvement in the AFL's new record-breaking television deal, and has also worked as a marketing executive for Nike.

AND he's not too worried ...

"CANBERRA, Nov 8 AAP - Sports administrator John O'Neill has been appointed to the board of Tourism Australia after quitting as Australia's soccer chief.
``John O'Neill is an enormously qualified person,'' said Tourism Minister Fran Bailey.
``With a strong commercial background and years of experience as a CEO, I am confident John will make an excellent contribution.'' Mr O'Neill recently announced his resignation as chief executive of the Football Federation Australia. His replacement will be announced by the federation this afternoon. Mr O'Neill was previously chief executive of the Australian Rugby Union.

[marinerbhoy]

i think this is fantastic. welcome mr buckley

[LeedsMariner#4]

Dont know anything about the man, but im glad the uncertainty has been dealt with and we can now move forward

[Pete]

Heard Buckley's CV being read out while listening to Total Football on 2SM (btw, they have crap AM reception - it broke up @ Hornsby!)
He's been a player with AFL Kangaroos, then positions with Nike up to something like Gen Mgr, Asia & Pacific, then onto AFL, where he worked in Special Projects including emerging markets and television liaison - by the sounds of it he had a fair bit to do with stitching that record breaking TV rights deal. Pretty impressive, and as the FFA is the peak body in Australia for Football I think he can not worry too much about the "culture" of football, and concentrate on several matters that haven't been resolved. E.G. Arnold confirmed as new Socceroos coach or get another AND GET WHOEVER IT IS THEY WANT, Technical Director appointment (I bet Fozzie's already been onto his phone!), Proposed expansion or consolidation of the A-League, who's looking at this stage like they're in after year 5 or out, Olympics 2008, World Cup 2010, Constitution issues and bringing SoccerNSW (surprise surprise!) on board with this proposed constitution.
While huge kudos must go to John O'Neill for getting the FFA to this stage and with such success there are these issues and probably a half a dozen others that have been left in limbo since probably June this year, when it seems that O'Neill had had enough.

[greenpoleffc]

I think this is a v smart move. Whatever you think of him ,Lowy is no dummy.

This guy would have great contacts a senior corporate level and with FTA.

[omni]

Seems like a nice CV, but I'll reserve my judgement on the man until I see how he handles it.

[Pete]

omni said:

Seems like a nice CV, but I'll reserve my judgement on the man until I see how he handles it.

That may be prudent to do so, Omni, but with his credentials established in a lot of areas that the FFA also has a need to administer, he does seem to posses the skills ready to do the role justice. Give him time. Coming from a non Football background into the senior role in the FFA he can be quite impartial and coming from Victoria, there can be no claim of NSW bias (that has historically been an issue since the 1920s!)

[omni]

I think he has the ability, but we'll see how he handles the tricky decisions that need to be made.

[greenpoleffc]

Being a tard and ex AFL, Soccer NSW wont be expecting any favours will they :-)

[brett]

marinermick said:

if they were going to appoint deputies then you think matt carrol should have got the gig

Certainly my first thoughts.

I wonder how Mr Carroll will feel about answering to this guy?

Maybe a duel role for a Buckley and a Carroll or a football expert would have been the goer?

I saw him interviewed on Fox Sports News and wasn't immediately impressed but he seemed to be very 'on the spot'.

He was a good speaker, which will be a change, but sometimes this is misleading as a lot of what he said about future planning for example could have just as easily applied to AFL.

As for basic knowledge of the game, he seemed a little ignorant. He said 'World Cup Series' instead of World Cup.

Also, when asked about his thinking for 10-15 years down the track he said something it 'Football could be the top code or at least a very established one in Australia.' We want to be the top code by then buddy. He also said a big challenge/goal would be to increase participation across all levels. That is hardly a problem for football.

Seems to me that he has a few anti-football attitudes bred into him from the AFL upbringing. A sort of false hope that they have in the other codes that football wont do what is really inevitable and step up to what it is in other countries.

But I'm not going to judge the bloke by a very unprepared interview! Let's see what he produces. Hopefully O'Neill stays on to show him the ropes until Feb/Mar07.

Maybe Lowy feels that someone a little lower profile would be better after his conflict with O'Neill. Or maybe Benny just knows his stuff. We shall see. Much depends on this!

[marinerbhoy]

greenpoleffc said:

Being a tard and ex AFL, Soccer NSW wont be expecting any favours will they :-)

thats why i feel someone new was needed at the ffa, even this early. ofcourse i didn't want it at the expense of o'neill, but i dont feel the crawford report is being rammed enough into football, esp with soccer nsw. i feel someone new will get onto those crooks and clean them up. i feel soccer nsw is a major hurdle and they should have been sorted yesterday.

[jollyroger]

There was a write up about him today in the herald or the Australian. I forget which one i was reading. On the surface of things, he would appear to have the contacts and has been at the centre of some major deals put together for the AFL.

There was reference to the "National youth league" in the piece i read which i thought was interesting as well.

[forzamariners]

BEN Buckley will be glad that he no longer has to bother with the PR disaster that is international rules.

But now, the AFL's (soon-to-be) former chief operating officer has to get used to a whole new set of international rules — and fast — in his new job as the chief executive of Football Federation Australia.

Having been a big fish in a small pond, the 39-year-old will find out in a hurry what it's like being a small player in the biggest pool of all.

Buckley is moving from a sporting side street into the maelstrom of the global sporting superhighway, and his first priority will be to ensure he is not transfixed like a rabbit in the headlights as he seeks to adjust to the political and commercial complexity of the global game.

His success (or otherwise) in coming to grips with the new challenge will determine just how quickly the Frank Lowy-Ben Buckley axis will be able to build on the revolutionary framework built by the Lowy-John O'Neill combination.

Since finishing footy, Buckley has had 13 years in the sports business/administration sector and is young enough to have the energy required to tackle what are some major structural issues for the game. He is credited with playing a key role in the AFL's landmark $780 million TV rights deal with Channels Seven and Ten — undoubtedly a persuasive entry on his curriculum vitae.

And given Lowy's seeming distaste for anything or anyone connected with "old soccer", the fact that he had no previous links with the sport was another obvious plus.

Buckley will first need to learn the global politics of FIFA, especially the Asian confederation, which Australia has just joined. He will find out that while the Asian route holds the promise of riches, it is not necessarily paved with gold and that neither the Olyroos nor the Socceroos are certainties to qualify for the World Cup through this zone.

He is not the coach, but the success or failure of his tenure in the chief executive's job will, for many, be determined by the Socceroos' World Cup exploits and the Olyroos' Olympic performance.

More pressing for now are questions relating to the development of the A-League. Most of its clubs are struggling financially and even the $1.5 million a year each receives from the new Foxtel television deal will not make them flush.

While crowds in Melbourne are fantastic, there is much room for improvement in Perth (once a hotbed of the game), Newcastle and Central Coast. New Zealand is an embarrassment, and Buckley will not be short of advisers telling him to dump the hapless Kiwis.

Another huge issue he needs to confront is youth development. With only eight A-League teams (with 20 players on each roster), there are scant chances for the best youngsters to hone their game with meaningful match experience against senior players.

The A-League could do with bigger squads (even if these younger players were signed on AFL-style rookie-list financial terms) and needs a reserves competition or a set-up allowing clubs to field reserve sides in their state competitions.

Buckley will also need to complete the administrative and constitutional changes advocated by the Crawford Report — the document that inspired the soccer revolution in the first place.

From the Age

[marinermick]

The first five paragraphs are just brilliant.

Who wrote that article?

[johnnywarren]

its interesting to read the "Fozzmeister" comments in todays Sunday Herald. Calling for a technical director first to be employed. and then his other rhetoric that he tries to drum into peoples heads about the top admin.

interesting article.

[countryhick]

How do the A-League clubs get fed? The ARL (I believe, I could be wrong) assigns areas to each club from which they select players fropm the various regional codes. I believe this region feeds the Newcastle Knights. Or is just a turn up to trials and hope for the best type thign?