MATT Finnis has begun work at St Kilda Football Club.

The ex-AFLPA Chief Executive Officer spoke for 10 minutes to a gathering of the club’s staff and players after being introduced by President Peter Summers.

Following Michael Nettlefold’s resignation in September, 2013, Finnis was appointed last month to the job at St Kilda – a decision that was widely endorsed by current and former players alike.

Before he could officially begin at the Saints, Finnis made it clear that he would need to clear up a few loose ends at the AFLPA including equalisation discussions.

AFLPA president and former Saints midfielder Luke Ball praised Finnis’ hard work and dedication to the players’ union, specifically commending his work on the free agency agreement.

“Matt’s contribution to the association over nine years of service has delivered a great legacy, and present and future players will benefit from his work,” Ball said.
St Kilda president Peter Summers is delighted with the appointment, and said it was Finnis’ core values that made him an ideal candidate for the position Michael Nettlefold transitioned out of in September last year.

“The thing that impressed us about Matt was the emphasis he had on culture and values. We wanted a leader who was really strong in those areas,” Summers told SEN on Wednesday morning.

“To be honest, the first interview we had with Matt, he probably interviewed us as much as we interviewed him… Matt’s been our preferred candidate for quite a while.”

And the praise for Finnis hasn’t just come from within the AFL ranks, with social networks Twitter and Facebook flooded with footy fans voicing their approval for the father of three.

One tweeter said “Great decision by @stkildafc on the appointment of @matt_finnis as CEO. He has the respect and is held in the highest regard by those outside footy.”

Another lauded the AFLPA boss as a ‘class act’ who ‘will be sorely missed,’ while St Kilda assistant coach Lindsay Gilbee tweeted “Great acquisition by @stkildafc to get Matt Finnis, great bloke to move forward with.”

Finnis is a sports lawyer by profession and began at the AFLPA in 2005 as the general manager of player relations under Brendan Gale. Following Gale’s resignation in 2009, he was appointed to CEO and oversaw a succession of signature initiatives in his time at the helm.

He led the push for free agency in 2012, the collective bargaining agreement worth $1.1 billion and helped set up and AFL players’ trust to support former league footballers.

The AFLPA has proven to be an excellent talent pool for many of the game’s current powerbrokers, with Andrew Demetriou, Brisbane’s Rob Kerr, Gale and now Finnis moving upwards after working at the organisation.