Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg has quit the club for AFL rivals Carlton.
Trigg said today he would start at the Blues in Melbourne in late August, ending a 17-year association with Adelaide Football Club.
“It’s been in my mind for a while,” he told media this morning.
“Over the last six months I’ve considered my next move.
“I’ve been in this job for 12-and-a-half years and the average time for a CEO in this business is around three to four years.”
Trigg said that once he had completed several major projects at the club, he felt it was an ideal time to move, coinciding with two offers from rival clubs.
“The Adelaide Oval project, establishing a State League team, shoring up our future in respect to the Oval move, getting the best for our 50,000 members that went with that; these projects had been ticked off.
“We are knocking on the door of the eight and have good players in development; it’s allowed me to be able to say that I left the club in good shape.”
Trigg revealed that he had rejected one offer, but the Carlton offer was too good to refuse.
“The pure logic of joining a great club; I couldn’t get that out of my head.”
Carlton’s former chief executive, Greg Swann, quit in May after more than seven years in the role.
It’s been a rocky road for Trigg in the last couple of years.
In 2012, he pleaded guilty to three draft and salary cap breaches, and was fined $50,000 and suspended for six months by the AFL for his role in the Kurt Tippett controversy.
The Crows’ chief admitted breaking laws when Tippett was re-signed by Adelaide in 2009.
The Crows were also fined $300,000 and barred from the opening two rounds of the 2012 draft for the breaches.
Tippett was fined $50,000 and banned for 11 games, with all suspensions ending in the middle of last year.
Earlier this year Crows chairman Rob Chapman said Trigg was “closer to the end of his time at Adelaide than the beginning”, sparking speculation Trigg could be on the move.
Carlton President Mark LoGiudice said the appointment came after an extensive recruitment process.
“We have ensured that no stone has been left unturned in our search for a new chief executive,” LoGiudice said.
“With the assistance of Egon Zehnder we have run an extensive process to find the best candiate for the role and I am pleased to announce that person is Steven Trigg.
“Steven was among a host of candidates from around the globe who were interviewed for this position. He impressed us with his business and football experience, and his vision to take our football club forward.
“Importantly he comes with the AFL’s full endorsement.
“This is a significant appointment for Carlton and I am very pleased Steven will be joining our team.”
