Gillon McLachlan: From leading the AFL to Tabcorp

The full interview with Gil McLachlan is available exclusively for Rampart subscribers - go to rampart.news to watch now.In this second episode of Rampart Talks, Joe Aston sits down with Gil McLachlan, former CEO of the AFL and now chief executive at Tabcorp. The conversation is wide-ranging, covering his footy legacy, from his regrets over the handling of the Adam Goodes racism scandal to the blockbuster commercial growth of Aussie rules (now comfortably the richest sport in the country) to the messy succession to Gil’s lieutenant Andrew Dillon led by the AFL Commission in 2022 and 2023.Joe also presses Gil on the normalisation, on his watch, of gambling advertising in sport, a natural segue to his new job at Tabcorp, where he was very frank about his belief in the renaissance of racing and the resonance of the Tabcorp brand with young consumers, and his plans to catch up with digital market leader Sportsbet.Rampart Talks is brought to you by ⁠RESOLVE Forensic⁠, ⁠BHP⁠ and ⁠Ray White Commercial⁠.About Joe Aston:Joe Aston is one of Australia’s most influential commentators on business, finance and politics.For 12 years, he struck fear into the hearts of the nation’s political and corporate leaders, transforming The Australian Financial Review’s Rear Window into the nation’s premier daily column.In 2024, he became a best-selling author with the publication of his first book, The Chairman’s Lounge: The Inside Story of How Qantas Sold Us Out.And in 2025, he launched ⁠Rampart⁠, a premium subscription news publication specialising in Australian business and finance. Follow Joe Aston on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and ⁠X⁠.Follow Rampart on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠.Rampart TalksProducer: Eliza HarveyProduction/Editing: Mentored Studios Technical and commercial support: Squiz Media