sport, national-sport

Former high-ranking Cricket Australia official Ben Amarfio has been appointed chief executive of AFL club North Melbourne. Amarfio was axed as CA's broadcast and marketing boss last November. North chairman Ben Buckley said Amarfio's experience with international sports, media and marketing made him the standout candidate. "We firmly believe Ben's expertise and business acumen will help take our club forward in leaps and bounds," Buckley said in a statement on Friday. "Ben has held positions at some of the highest profile and most dynamic, global sporting organisations in the world and will be a tremendous asset to us." Amarfio joined CA in 2012 and oversaw the 2018 broadcast-rights negotiations which resulted in a record $1.2 billion deal which also frustrated fans as the men's ODIs and Twenty20s were shifted off free-to-air television. He had previously worked as Southern Cross Austereo's general manager and also at the AFL as broadcasting and digital media manager. Amarfio will start his new job at North Melbourne on November 19. "I am very optimistic about the opportunities ahead," he said in a statement. Australian Associated Press

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/0aa437bf-88eb-4dd4-88bc-07479303f447.jpg/r0_74_800_526_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg