After more than 15 years of outstanding service, GIANTS Chief Executive Officer, David Matthews, has decided to step down from his role at the end of the 2026 AFL season, marking the end of a remarkable chapter in the club’s history.
Matthews joined the GIANTS in 2011 from his AFL Executive role as General Manager, National & International Development and has played an instrumental role in building the GIANTS from the ground up.
Under his leadership, the club has grown into a respected and competitive force both on and off the field, achieving significant milestones and establishing a strong presence in the AFL landscape.
Reflecting on his time at the club, Matthews said:
“It has been a privilege to lead the GIANTS and I am grateful to the players, staff, members and fans that have built this club.
“Now that the foundations of the club are well established it is time for the next challenge.
“The AFL Commission made a bold decision to start an 18th club as it recognised the growth opportunity in Sydney and Canberra and building this club in a new and highly competitive market has been both a great challenge and opportunity that has required a huge commitment from so many people over a long period of time.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and firmly believe there is an exciting future ahead for the club.”
GIANTS President Tim Reed thanked Matthews for his service on behalf of the staff, players and Board.
“The club extends its sincere gratitude to David for his leadership, passion, and tireless contribution over more than a decade. His legacy will remain embedded in the fabric of the GIANTS,” Mr Reed said.
Matthews’ achievements include:
· Growing membership to an anticipated 40,000 this year.
· Recruiting and retaining a highly talented men’s playing group which has competed in 8 of the last 10 finals series (including 1 Grand Final and 3 Preliminary Finals).
· Appointing and managing the succession of Kevin Sheedy to Leon Cameron to Adam Kingsley.
· Advocating strongly for the introduction of the AFLW competition and establishing GIANTS as a foundation AFLW club.
· Establishing a world class $35m training and administration facility at Sydney Olympic Park.
· Securing long and significant partnerships that include ACT Government, Toyo Tires and Harvey Norman.
· Driving a high-performance culture and environment.
AFL Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Dillon, thanked Matthews for taking on the challenge and driving the growth of the Club.
“David has played a major role in developing and leading AFL strategies since he commenced at head office in 1998. And there has been no more important strategy in that time than driving expansion,” he said.
“His creativity and resilience have the GIANTS in the position they are in today. And personally I look forward to his ongoing contribution to the growth of our game.”
A process to appoint a new CEO will commence in due course, with Matthews to play a role in that succession to ensure a smooth transition as the GIANTS continue their growth on and off the field.
