Australian Football League (AFL) agent Liam Pickering’s one year non-compete clause has expired, and he is now free to represent AFL players again.
Liam Pickering split from IMG in September last year, leaving several players connected to the company with no agent. IMG decided to disband its AFL division, and managing director Martin Jolly suggested they move to Craig Kelly’s agency ESP. With approximately 50 players released from IMG, many chose to join Strategic Management, which is headed by former IMG employee James Pitcher.
IMG’s client list was a “who’s who” of AFL players, with Pickering negotiating multi-million dollar contracts for players such as Gary Ablett and Lance Franklin. Despite the division shutting down, both IMG and Pickering are still privy to the large commissions generated from these contracts.
Liam Pickering’s foray back into management has led him to join, to no-one’s surprise, his old friend James Pitcher at Strategic Management. During the the one year embargo, Strategic oversaw negotiations of a new deal for one of Pickering’s highest profile clients in Scott Pendlebury, with a deal reportedly worth $3 million. It is unclear whether Liam will become the principal agent to the players he formerly managed.