Geelong Football Club president Colin Carter will retire from his role at the club’s annual general meeting (AGM) on 28 January 2021.

Craig Drummond, who has been a member of the club’s board since 2011, will take on the presidency following the AGM.

Carter has been a key driver within the football industry over the past 35 years. He has served as Geelong president since December 2010 and has overseen a period of success and growth over the past decade.

He departs the presidency proud of the club and the role that so many have played in its success.

“It’s easy to be proud of an organisation that has so many great people and that has been so successful,” Carter said.

“This is a successful organisation and I’m pleased that we have built on this. In particular, I thank the members for their support. This year our members and philanthropic donors stood behind the club in a period where the impact of COVID could have set us back a decade. What they have done for the club was wonderful.

“Stick with us, we are still striving to enjoy the ultimate success again!”

11:40

Colin Carter Reflects

Colin Carter looks back on his ten years as President of the Geelong Cats.

Carter’s involvement in the football industry began in 1985 as a consultant to the then VFL commission. He authored the strategy that laid out the national competition, the equalisation strategies (draft, salary cap, revenue sharing and reduced list sizes) and ground rationalisation that have become cornerstones of the AFL. Shortly thereafter, while advising the MCC, he proposed the plan to bring the VFL members back from Waverley to the MCG. He was then retained by both the MCC and VFL to finalise the plan to achieve this – and the Great Southern Stand was one outcome of the work.

From 1988-1993 Carter served as a Geelong Football Club director before joining the AFL commission. As a commissioner, Carter was involved in the entry of new clubs Port Adelaide and Fremantle, the decision to establish the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants, the merger of Fitzroy with Brisbane, growth of media revenues, closure of Waverley and building of Docklands. He also chaired the review of game development in 2001. 

Brian Cook, Chris Scott, Cameron Ling and Colin Carter.

Carter retired as an AFL commissioner in 2008 and re-joined the Cats board. During his tenure as Geelong president, there have been many highlights, including:

  • On field success
    • Won premiership in 2011 when club was seen to be on the way down following the departure of the senior coach Mark Thompson and best player in the game in Gary Ablett.
    • The club has won 69% of its games over 10 years, played finals nine times, all while undergoing a complete rebuild of the playing list with no draft picks inside top 10.
    • The Cats are a destination club for players and staff.
  • Formation of AFLW & VFLW teams, with both playing finals.
  • Financial management has been strong, both throughout the decade and through COVID-19 crisis.
  • GMHBA Stadium has undergone multiple redevelopments
    • Stage 3 - completed
    • Stage 4 – Brownlow stand, planned and executed with outstanding football facilities
    • Stage 5 – agreed and funded
  • The club has enjoyed stability. One coach in Chris Scott and one CEO in Brian Cook through decade. Senior management has also been stable and strong.
  • Investment in community programs that have had real and significant impact on people’s lives.
  • Membership growth from 40,326 in 2010 to a club record 65,063. Members remained committed to club during COVID crisis, a great credit to the member loyalty that has been built.
  • Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has been embedded in the club. Latest iteration was approved last week.
  • Club has moved out of gaming and has no gambling advertising at GMHBA stadium, a first in Australia.
  • Philanthropic support – the club has raised nearly $20 million over past five years.
  • Driving the charge to ensure the early history of Victorian football is not lost to the history of the game.
  • Supporter of indigenous football projects such as Rumbalara and Cape York House.
     
Colin Carter and Brian Cook.

Drummond is a highly successful executive and has been the CEO of Medibank since 2016. Prior to joining Medibank, Drummond was group executive finance and strategy of National Australia Bank (NAB), having joined NAB in November 2013. 

At NAB, his focus was the strategic realignment and repositioning of the bank, its balance sheet and its performance management systems. Prior to NAB, Drummond was CEO and country head of Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Australia). 

Earlier in his career, Drummond joined JBWere, a leading Australian stockbroker and wealth manager, in equity research and subsequently held roles including chief operating officer, CEO and executive chairman of Goldman Sachs JBWere.

Drummond joined the Geelong board in early 2011 and is chair of the club’s finance and audit committee and a member of the club’s foundation board.