AFL club chief executive Brian Cook has retired from the senior role after 36 years spent at clubland, moving into the mentoring space.
Cook was most recently interim CEO at Melbourne, helping bridge the gap between the departed Paul Guerra and Dan Taylor.
After a playing career where he featured four times for the Demons in 1977, before a move to the WAFL for Subiaco and West Perth, Cook had a firm eye on joining the boardroom.
He was appointed the West Coast Eagles' CEO in 1990, holding the position for nine years as the club integrated into the modern AFL competition. He played a key role in delivering the 1992 and 1994 flags whilst building the club into the financial powerhouse it is today, to rival even the biggest Victorian clubs.
Cook moved to Geelong in 1999, staying within the Kardinia Park walls for 22 years. The Cats won three premierships under his leadership (2007, 2009, 2011), while remaining a consistent flag threat under Mark Thompson and Chris Scott.
At the end of 2021, already revered within the AFL industry, Cook arrived at Carlton, replacing Cain Liddle as the chief executive. During his time at Ikon Park, the Blues returned to the finals in 2023 and 2024 after a 10-year absence, with Michael Voss, a key appointment by Cook, delivering September action.
He handed the position over to current CEO Graham Wright in mid-2025, and - shortly after - was brought in by Melbourne to assist with the club in the midst of a leadership crisis.
"After thirty-six years as an AFL club chief executive, I have retired," Cook posted on LinkedIn.
"Not quite, as it turns out.
"I have retired from being a CEO. I am now mentoring one. I sit on a few boards. And I have spent the past year talking with people about leadership and culture, and telling a few stories from along the way when they will let me.
"It has been a year of learning. Mostly about how to slow down, which I am not naturally good at.
"Thirty-six years inside football clubs taught me that the job is never really about you."
"That holds up just as well now there is no scoreboard on a Saturday.
"The best part has been the people. I have met some very good ones this year, and I remain grateful to everybody who helped me get here. A lot of them never got the credit.
I have not used LinkedIn much. I am going to start."
Brian Cook was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2025 for "significant service to Australian rules football, to business, and to the community".
