The AFL mourns the passing of the Honourable Peter Nixon AO, after a distinguished life of public contribution to the nation.

Nixon, 97, passed away late last week having served more than 20 years in Federal Parliament, including stints in the ministries of the Holt, McEwen, Gorton, McMahon and Fraser governments. In football, he is remembered as being one of the four original VFL commissioners, serving from 1985-91, as the Commission transformed the game from the original suburban VFL to the national AFL competition we see today.

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon said Mr Nixon had lived an incredible life, serving the people of Victoria as a Federal member for the National Country Party and, in later business life, serving as Chair of Southern Cross Broadcasting as well as working to assist the formation of the national competition.

“Australian football has undergone enormous change across the last 40 years as the VFL competition grew into our national AFL competition,” Mr Dillon said.

“The original VFL commissioners, of which Peter Nixon was one of that group of four, began to implement the massive change that sees us with an incredibly even competition today where all teams can plan for success and with clubs based in every mainland state, and soon to include Tasmania.

“Our original commissioners, and the leaders who have followed on from Peter and his colleagues, were steadfast in their determination to ensure our game had both a broad base at the community level and it was an exciting game at the elite level played by the best athletes in our country.

“On a personal note, it was always a pleasure to be able to spend time with Peter at our Grand Final Day function, when he attended as a past commissioner, and I know that he took great satisfaction from the recent premiership successes of Richmond, as a Tigers’ man throughout his life,” Mr Dillon said.

The AFL extends its sincere condolences to the Nixon family and his many friends and colleagues across football, business and political life.