harley replacement - Matthew Pavlich confirmed as new CEO on 6 August 2025

[imuninformedtwo]

It should have been a key criteria :P Can help a large majority of our players, not just those few!

Pavlich seems a solid selection - while his business experience is relatively limited etc, he is very well regarded in the footy community, and has vast experience on the AFL players side of things.

Actually, his business acumen is first class. The talent management business he helped start and has run successfully for close to a decade is worth a ton, and they’ve cracked both the US and UK markets. He’s got a nice blend of balance sheet, technology and marketing exposure - perfect for the job he’s taking on, in addition to his footy history.

A genuinely great get for the club, and who knows, if he takes up Liz’s droll suggestion, we get a two for one.

Oh, and for what it is worth, I don’t think Horse applied, so he won’t be miffed at missing out, so to speak.

[mcs]

Actually, his business acumen is first class. The talent management business he helped start and has run successfully for close to a decade is worth a ton, and they’ve cracked both the US and UK markets. He’s got a nice blend of balance sheet, technology and marketing exposure - perfect for the job he’s taking on, in addition to his footy history.

A genuinely great get for the club, and who knows, if he takes up Liz’s droll suggestion, we get a two for one.

Oh, and for what it is worth, I don’t think Horse applied, so he won’t be miffed at missing out, so to speak.

Limited and high quality are not mutually exclusive states. What I meant by that was he hasn't got extensive business experience in high profile roles etc. but he has done well with what he has worked on, and definitely has the wider experience and knowledge needed.

Our board rarely gets its appointments wrong.

[imuninformedtwo]

Limited and high quality are not mutually exclusive states. What I meant by that was he hasn't got extensive business experience in high profile roles etc. but he has done well with what he has worked on, and definitely has the wider experience and knowledge needed.

Our board rarely gets its appointments wrong.

Gotcha. And yes, every time I look at a club like Melbourne this week and then see our board do the job it regularly does, I thank my lucky stars.

[Thunder Shaker]

Word is the Demons are going to go for JL hard.

Another ex-Swan coach going in to 'save' the Demons again?

The Sydney Swans benefited greatly from an ex-Melbourne coach coming to save the Swans. I have no objection to a few coaches going the other way. I will always be grateful for the late Ron Barassi's coaching the Swans from 1993 to 1995, the benefits of which we are still reaping three decades later.

[imuninformedtwo]

Plus, he apparently has two boys aged 10 and 12. Get em in the Academy, pronto.

[stevoswan]

The Sydney Swans benefited greatly from an ex-Melbourne coach coming to save the Swans. I have no objection to a few coaches going the other way. I will always be grateful for the late Ron Barassi's coaching the Swans from 1993 to 1995, the benefits of which we are still reaping three decades later.

It was just an observation of a possibility.....and an accurate one.

I certainly agree with you on Barrassi, however Roos did save Melbourne and they need saving again, they're a rabble.

Also, I certainly don't object to Longmire possibly going to Melbourne....if that's what he wants to do.

[KSAS]

It was just an observation of a possibility.....and an accurate one.

I certainly agree with you on Barrassi, however Roos did save Melbourne and they need saving again, they're a rabble.

Also, I certainly don't object to Longmire possibly going to Melbourne....if that's what he wants to do.

+1
Interesting Fox Footy last night stating Longmire is Melbourne's No.1 target. Then SEN today going with Nathan Buckley being their No. 1 target, with Bucks himself openly stating he would be interested.

[dejavoodoo44]

Plus, he apparently has two boys aged 10 and 12. Get em in the Academy, pronto.

And draft the first one when young McCartney is coming into his prime.

[liz]

Limited and high quality are not mutually exclusive states. What I meant by that was he hasn't got extensive business experience in high profile roles etc. but he has done well with what he has worked on, and definitely has the wider experience and knowledge needed.

Our board rarely gets its appointments wrong.

CEO of an AFL club isn’t an especially high profile role and they aren’t especially complex organisations to run. I’m not suggesting anyone could do it, but the club probably has well under 50 employees, excluding the football departments (and the players). Sure, the footy department is the core part of the business but the CEO’s main job there to is make sure the right other people are in place.

[mcs]

CEO of an AFL club isn’t an especially high profile role and they aren’t especially complex organisations to run. I’m not suggesting anyone could do it, but the club probably has well under 50 employees, excluding the football departments (and the players). Sure, the footy department is the core part of the business but the CEO’s main job there to is make sure the right other people are in place.

Yep that's right Liz. It was a great strength of Harley (the people management element), and Pavlich has obvious strengths on that side too. I'm sure he will do well and that it's an astute appointment.

[BFG]

Outstanding appointment for a first time CEO, ticks all the boxes for me. Never thought Pav would leave WA, but obviously head hunted and sees the Swans as the highest quality organisation. We need to thank Andrew Pridham and our board, they are quietly first class operators.

Couple of new recruits for the academy in the next year or two ;-)

All this the day after the train wreck at Melbourne, what a contrast, we should all be thankful

Welcome Pav, go well

[Thunder Shaker]

I'm rather pleased that we ended up with Pav as the new CEO. He was one of my favourite players at Fremantle, a real champion.

[liz]

I'm rather pleased that we ended up with Pav as the new CEO. He was one of my favourite players at Fremantle, a real champion.

Most absolutely top-flight players land up being disliked by supporters of opposition clubs - mostly driven by jealousy, but with the FIGJAM factor that the best players often exude making it easier to dislike them (until the switch to playing for your club). Pavlich is probably one of the few who was in that stratosphere of champion who it was impossible to dislike, even in the middle of a game when we were playing Freo and he was ripping us a new one.

[MattW]

So, the new Swans CEO is Matthew Pavlich!

I have always quite liked Pavlich, he comes across as measured, accomplished and a leader. Pridham unabashedly trying to repeat the Harley experience, but that's reasonable.

Press conference: https://youtu.be/hrL9zsLs3rs?si=saDyH_MWBGpgJe56.

[MattW]

Really oddly, this thread isn't appearing on the forum home page, which is why I started a new thread. I only found it because I returned to RWO after watching 360 and found my post at the bottom of this thread. The thread still doesn't appear on the forum homepage. Any theories, moderators?