# Ross Oakley > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ross_Oakley > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ross_Oakley.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Oakley > Source revision: 1352765009 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Australian rules footballer, born 1942}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Ross Oakley | image = | fullname = Ross Graham Oakley | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|9|30|df=y}} | birth_place = Australia | death_date = | death_place = | originalteam = [Wesley College](/source/Wesley_College_(Victoria)) | height = 178 cm | weight = 81 kg | position = | statsend = 1966 | years1 = 1962–1966 | club1 = [St Kilda](/source/St_Kilda_Football_Club) | games_goals1 = 62 (38) | careerhighlights = }} '''Ross Graham Oakley''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (born 30 September 1942) is an Australian businessman and former [Australian rules football](/source/Australian_rules_football)er with [St Kilda](/source/St_Kilda_Football_Club) in the [Victorian Football League](/source/VFL%2FAFL) (VFL). He is CEO of the [Victorian Rugby Union](/source/Victorian_Rugby_Union){{cite web | title = VRU Staff & Board of Directors | url = http://www.vicrugby.com.au/ | publisher = Victorian Rugby Union | accessdate = 10 September 2010}} and was appointed CEO of the now defunct [Melbourne Rebels](/source/Melbourne_Rebels) rugby union franchise in September 2010.{{ cite press release | date= 9 September 2010 | title = Victorian Rugby Announces New Management Structure | url = http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/ArticleDetails/tabid/270/ArticleID/351/Default.aspx | publisher = Melbourne Rebels | accessdate = 10 September 2010}}{{cite web | first = Leo | last = Schlink | date= 9 September 2010 | url = http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/rugby-union/melbourne-rebels-land-former-afl-boss-ross-oakley/story-e6frfgkf-1225916577640 | title = Melbourne Rebels land former AFL boss Ross Oakley | work = Herald Sun | publisher = News Limited | accessdate = 9 September 2010}}{{cite web | first = Bret | last = Harris | date= 10 September 2010 | url = http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/ross-oakley-appointed-ceo-of-melbourne-rebels-and-victorian-rugby-union/story-e6frg7mf-1225916764852 | title = Ross Oakley appointed CEO of Melbourne Rebels and Victorian Rugby Union | work = Australian | publisher = News Limited | accessdate= 10 September 2010}}{{cite web | date= 10 September 2010 | work = ABC Sport | url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/10/3008048.htm | archive-url = https://archive.today/20121231111319/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/10/3008048.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 31 December 2012 | title = Rebels turn to former AFL chief | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Commission | accessdate = 10 September 2010}} ==Playing career== Oakley attended [Wesley College, Melbourne](/source/Wesley_College%2C_Melbourne),{{cite web | url = http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2204007/A-Brief-History-of-Wesley-College-Sport | title = A Brief History of Wesley College Sport | publisher = Wesley College | location = Melbourne, Australia | accessdate = 3 October 2010}} and began his senior VFL footballing career with the [St Kilda Football Club](/source/St_Kilda_Football_Club) in 1962. He went on to score 38 goals in 62 games.{{cite web | first = Jennifer |last = Witham | date = 21 May 2009 | title = Ross Oakley profile | work = AFL News | publisher = AFL BigPond Network | location = Melbourne, Australia | url = http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/77256/default.aspx | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090527184335/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/77256/default.aspx | url-status = dead | archive-date = 27 May 2009 | accessdate = 10 September 2010}}{{Cite web |url=http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/personlist/o/person_r_o.shtml |title=AFL Statistics |access-date=8 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706100821/http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/personlist/o/person_r_o.shtml |archive-date=6 July 2011 |url-status=dead }} His career was marred by unfortunate knee injuries; the first came in 1965 in St Kilda's semi-final victory, which meant Oakley missed the [Grand Final](/source/AFL_Grand_Final).{{cite web|first=Michael|last=Warner|title=The Boys' Club|publisher=[Hachette Livre](/source/Hachette_Livre)|page=55|isbn=978 0 7336 4841 0|url=https://www.hachette.com.au/michael-warner/the-boys-club}} He suffered [déjà vu](/source/d%C3%A9j%C3%A0_vu) in 1966, missing not only the Grand Final but St Kilda's first VFL premiership.{{Cite web |last=Harvey |first=Sam |date=2022-05-12 |title=Ex-AFL boss calls for change in premiership tradition |url=https://www.zerohanger.com/ex-afl-boss-calls-for-change-in-premiership-tradition-120124/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=Zero Hanger |language=en-US}} Following a further injury before the start of the 1967 season, Oakley retired at the age of 24. ==Executive career== Oakley was appointed chairman and CEO of the then troubled [Victorian Football League](/source/VFL%2FAFL) in 1986, taking over the role from [Jack Hamilton](/source/Jack_Hamilton_(footballer%2C_born_1928)), remaining as chairman until the role was separated in 1993, and remaining as CEO until the end of the 1996 season. He oversaw the transformation of the VFL into the [Australian Football League](/source/Australian_Football_League), and under Oakley's guidance, five new clubs from outside Victoria: [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane_Bears) and the [West Coast Eagles](/source/West_Coast_Eagles) (1986), [Adelaide](/source/Adelaide_Football_Club) (1990), [Fremantle](/source/Fremantle_Football_Club) (1994), and [Port Adelaide](/source/Port_Adelaide_Football_Club) (1996) all joined the more professional, national competition. In 1993, he oversaw the transfer of administrative control of the league from the clubs (via the AFL Board of Directors) to the [AFL Commission](/source/AFL_Commission),{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|pages=38, 34|author=Stephen Linnell|date=2 March 1993|title=Clubs give up their control}} and the formal transfer of control of the code from the [ANFC](/source/Australian_National_Football_Council) to the AFL Commission. During his time with the VFL/AFL, he was deeply involved in [merger](/source/Mergers_and_acquisitions)s; his administration believed that eleven Victorian clubs, many of which were in a poor financial state, was unsustainable in a national competition. Victorian clubs were offered incentive packages of up to $6 million to merge during his tenure, but the only merger completed during his tenure was between {{AFL Fit}} and {{AFL BB}}, with proposed mergers between [Fitzroy and Footscray in 1989](/source/Fitzroy_Bulldogs) and [Melbourne and Hawthorn in 1996](/source/Melbourne_Hawks) coming very close to fruition. However, these merger attempts caused great off-field discord among clubs and fans, and the strategy was abandoned after Oakley was succeeded by [Wayne Jackson](/source/Wayne_Jackson_(footballer)) as CEO at the end of 1996.{{cite news|newspaper=Herald Sun|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=Clubs death fear|pages=1–2|author1=Mike Sheahan|author2=Michelle Edmonds|date=4 October 1996}} In 2009, Oakley was inducted into the [Australian Football Hall of Fame](/source/Australian_Football_Hall_of_Fame) as an administrator.{{cite web | date = 22 May 2009 | first = Mike | last = Sheahan | title = Ross Oakley admitted to the hall he created | work = Herald Sun | publisher = News Limited | location = Melbourne | url = http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ross-oakley-admitted-to-the-hall-he-created/story-e6frf9n6-1225714443124 | accessdate = 10 September 2010}}{{cite web | date = 22 May 2009 | first = Martin | last = Blake | title = Oakley makes Hall of Fame | work = Age | publisher = Fairfax | location = Melbourne | url = http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/oakley-makes-hall-of-fame-20091124-j8om.html | accessdate = 10 September 2010}} His previous career included management of insurance companies (e.g. [AAMI](/source/AAMI)), and he was chief executive of [Royal Insurance](/source/Royal_Insurance). Oakley's appointment as [Melbourne Rebels](/source/Melbourne_Rebels)' CEO was announced 9 September 2010, when the Rebels also said the franchise was to join forces with the [Victorian Rugby Union](/source/Victorian_Rugby_Union) to build rugby union in Victoria, at both professional and amateur levels. Oakley became CEO to fill the gap left by the resignation of Rebels' founding CEO Brian Waldron who resigned in early 2010 in the wake of the [Melbourne Storm salary cap](/source/Melbourne_Storm_salary_cap_scandal) scandal. Oakley holds a [Master of Business Administration](/source/Master_of_Business_Administration) (MBA) from the [Melbourne Business School](/source/Melbourne_Business_School).{{Citation needed | date = September 2010}} He is a former Adjunct Professor at [Deakin University](/source/Deakin_University)'s Faculty Business and Law,{{cite web |date = July 2008 |url = https://www.deakin.edu.au/buslaw/clmr/docs/annual-report-2007.pdf |title = Annual Report 2007 |publisher = Deakin University |location = Australia |accessdate = 10 September 2010 }}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} where he also lectured.{{cite web | url = http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/Leadership/Ross_Oakley/Biography | title = Ross Oakley Biography | publisher = ICMI Leadership Speakers | location = Melbourne, Australia | accessdate = 10 September 2010}} ==Board positions== Ross Oakley is a former Chairman of Royal Australian Holdings Ltd, Royal Life Insurance Australia Ltd, and the State Training Board of Victoria. He is listed as Chairman of the Get Going Sport Foundation, and he has served as director on the boards of AAMI Ltd and Tisdall Wines.{{cite web | title = Ross Oakley | work = Motivational Guest Speakers | publisher = Sports Corp Elite | location = Queensland, Australia | url = http://www.sportscorpelite.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=25&pid=86 | accessdate = 11 September 2010}} {{cite web | title = About Get Going | work = Get Going | publisher = Get Going Sport Foundation | location = North Balwyn, Vic, Australia | url = http://www.getgoing.org.au/index.php?id=19 | accessdate = 11 September 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110223121720/http://www.getgoing.org.au/index.php?id=19 | archive-date = 23 February 2011 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }} Between 1997 and 2001 Oakley was a director of [Harris Scarfe](/source/Harris_Scarfe).{{Citation needed | date = September 2010}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *{{AFL Tables|R/Ross_Oakley}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090527184335/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/77256/default.aspx Australian Football League profile] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110223121720/http://www.getgoing.org.au/index.php?id=19 Get Going Sport Foundation biography] * [http://www.sportscorpelite.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=25&pid=86 Sports Corp Elite biography] * [http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/Leadership/Ross_Oakley/Biography ICMI Leadership biography] {{DEFAULTSORT:Oakley, Ross}} Category:1942 births Category:St Kilda Football Club players Category:Hawthorn Football Club administrators Category:VFL/AFL administrators Category:Australian chief executives Category:Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Living people Category:People educated at Wesley College (Victoria) Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ross Oakley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Oakley) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Oakley?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.