Collingwood names former player Craig Kelly as its new Chief Executive

AFL club Collingwood has announced 1990 premiership player and player agent Craig Kelly as its new Chief Executive.

A defender who played 122 games for the Magpies between 1989 and 1996, will step down from the helm of sports management company TLA to take on the new role.

A member of Collingwood’s 1990 Premiership side, Kelly played 122 games for the club between 1989 and 1996, kicking 43 goals as a defender.

During his playing career, Kelly also led the marketing, sales and events division of the Club, which post-career saw him contracted by the AFL to manage AFL Pro Squad - a new player, marketing and promotions business at the time.

In 1996, he went on to be one of three founders of ESP (now known as TLA) - a leading sports marketing agency with expertise across talent management, events management and activations, communications and content, digital and broadcast media, technology and game day operations, and merchandise.

Announcing Kelly’s appointment, Collingwood President, Jeff Browne said Kelly was the right fit to lead the club into its “next chapter”, noting “Craig Kelly is an extremely well-rounded professional and a highly-respected person within the football community who has the ideal skillset to be the CEO of our great Club.

“Craig understands better than most the requirements of a strong and successful football club. His three-decades of vast experience in managing AFL and key sporting talent, driving a high-performance environment and delivering successful results was a key factor in his appointment.”

Browne thanked Head of Football Graham Wright for his work as interim Chief Executive since the departure of Mark Anderson, who left the role late last year.

Kelly, who will commence his new role on 20th February said he was “incredibly honoured” to return to the club, commenting

“The club has continued to grow and expand over the years and I am excited to steer that growth while supporting and developing the talent of our people, both on and off the field.

“There is momentum at Collingwood, and I look forward to building relationships across the club and working alongside the board, staff, coaches and athletes as we enter the next phase.

“It has been an incredible 26 years growing ESP/TLA alongside our dedicated staff - both past and present. I would like to thank everyone at TLA, in particular the outstanding executive team and our amazing talent - a lot who are lifelong friends of myself and my family.”

Collingwood also announced it has appointed former television executive Ian Paterson as its new Chief Commercial Officer.