THE AFL Commission remains committed to having an indigenous member by the end of 2018, if not before, if the right candidate is found. 

The League announced on Friday that a recommendation from the nominations committee – consisting of Richmond President Peggy O’Neal and Port Adelaide Chairman David Koch, and chaired by AFL Commission Chairman Richard Goyder - to appoint businessman Robin Bishop to the commission had been accepted. 

With a background in investment banking with Macquarie Group, Bishop brings significant financial and investment experience to the AFL. 

After announcing Bishop's appointment in Sydney, Goyder reiterated the strong stance of his predecessor Mike Fitzpatrick, and said that having an indigenous commissioner by the end of next year remained high on his list of priorities. 

Former Sydney champion Adam Goodes has been mentioned by many as an ideal candidate, but despite reports that the dual Brownlow medallist had rejected an approach from the League, Goyder refused to confirm that the Commission had contacted the retired star.

"I think it's unfair to raise Adam in the context of this (discussion)," Goyder said. 

"I think what we'd all say is that Adam has been an ornament to the game, and we want to ensure that all the relationships between the AFL and Adam are positive in the future.

"Adam is a sensational person and was a great footballer, and you'd hope that he would be one of the people that we talk to, but I wouldn't want to put any pressure on him or anyone else. 

"I think we want to cast the net fairly widely to make sure we get someone who brings the capabilities we want around the Commission table. 

"There's been discussion about the topic and no doubt members of the Commission have spoken to various people about whether they may one day be interested, but other than that nothing specific has been discussed."