Former cricket chief and lifelong fan comes on board at the Cats
GEELONG’S off-field team has been boosted with former Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland joining the board.
The lifelong Cats fan — who has held a membership for two decades — filled the role as head of cricket in Australia from 2001 to 2018, when he announced his retirement in the wake of the balltampering scandal.
Sutherland hails from Corio and, after a first-class stint with Victoria as a fast bowler in the early 1990s, he was an assistant coach with the state team before he followed a career in accounting.
In his time with Cricket Australia, he oversaw the launch of the Big Bash League and large growth in the game.
He said he was excited to join the club in his role as an appointed director.
“The AFL industry is highly competitive — on and off the field — and I look forward to working with my fellow directors and the executive team to ensure continued growth for the Geelong Cats,” he said.
There are eight directors on the Geelong board, which is led by president Colin Carter.
Carter said Sutherland’s broad experience would make him an asset to the club.
“There is nothing in the world of sport that James has not worked through, and he has done so with great success over a long period,” the president said.
“He is a strong leader and we are looking forward to his knowledge and expertise helping the club in his role as a director.”
Last year, the Geelong Advertiser reported on speculation Sutherland could be in line to replace Brian Cook as Geelong’s chief executive.
Carter said then the club was focused on developing internal candidates but was not considering anybody to fill Cook’s role.
“I think we have a commitment to develop people internally, but there are probably half a dozen people outside who you would look at seriously,” he said in June last year.
“In 2½ years time, if James is around then, obviously he would be one of the candidates but it is far too premature for us to be talking about that at this stage.”