Sutherland to succeed Alcock as Dockers president

Fremantle Ports chair Chris Sutherland has been appointed president of Fremantle Football Club, succeeding Dale Alcock.

The experienced chairman and director will take on the presidency role at the end of the 2023 AFL and AFLW seasons after Mr Alcock completes his maximum tenure on the board.

Mr Sutherland joined the Fremantle Football Club board as a director in November 2021 after more than a decade working for Programmed as managing director and group chief executive.

Mr Alcock, who leads major building and construction company ABN Group, joined Fremantle’s board in 2011 prior to being appointed its fifth president in 2016.

He oversaw the club’s transition to the Cockburn ARC facility and Optus Stadium and the AFLW team’s debut in the inaugural 2017 season.

Mr Alcock also led the club to record a $2.43 million in profit and $66 million in revenue during the 2022 financial year, up from $1.55 million and $52.4 million in FY21, respectively.

“There are only 18 AFL presidents in the world, so to lead one of them while Australia’s Indigenous game going from strength to strength with a women’s league coming on board, it was really special,” Mr Alcock said.

“In a world where everything is becoming increasingly Americanised, it’s important to note that it is the Australian game that is at the top of elite performance in our country.

“There aren’t many sporting clubs that average more than 40,000 people per game as Fremantle did last year.

“But I’m most proud of how, despite our size, we are still a family.”

Looking back on his tenure, Mr Alcock said the club had come a long way from some of its darkest days.

"I started as president in November 2016, and in some of our darkest days where performance wasn’t where it needed to be on the field," he said.

"There was a lot of correspondence coming in, and a lot of emotion around it, and I rang every one of those that had written to the club. 

“The significance of that, is it really brought the scale of a big sporting club right down to a very personal connection.

“Now when we’re playing well those same people are messaging me after a big win, and it’s great to be seeing all of those anchor and purple heart emojis in my inbox.”

Mr Sutherland will take over the presidency in December this year.

“It's a great privilege,” Mr Sutherland said.

“This is a club that belongs to all the members and supporters, and I won’t take the position lightly.

“With the batton change from Dale to myself, I want to make sure I continue the journey the club is on to ensure that like Dale, I can leave it in a better place.”

A major item on Mr Sutherland's agenda is fostering significant growth within the AFLW.

“It will be a tremendous outcome if in a few years’ time, the AFLW can become a full-time league in line with the AFL,” he said.

Mr Sutherland was appointed non-executive chair of Fremantle Ports in January and is a non-executive director of the Southern Ports Authority.

He has non-executive director roles with Matrix Composites & Engineering, RemSense Technologies and Copper Search Australia. 

Mr Sutherland grew up with strong ties to Fremantle, and currently lives in North Fremantle.

He played 200 games for East Vic Park Junior Football Club, and then was president of Booragoon Football Club for five years when his children played for the club.