Most of the time, when a sporting organisation appoints a new chief executive, there are two seats at the press conference.

That’s the standard set-up: one for the appointee and one for the appointer, usually the chair of the board.

FA chairman Anter Isaac, new chief executive Martin Kugeler and his new deputy Heather Garriock.Credit: Getty Images for Football Australia

On Thursday, as Football Australia unveiled Martin Kugeler as their new chief executive, there were three seats: one for FA chairman Anter Isaac, one for Kugeler and one for Heather Garriock, his new right-hand woman.

This is not the standard set-up. It may yet work brilliantly. It may not.

The position that was previously held by James Johnson for 5½ years appears to have been split into two, with Kugeler and Garriock – who has been interim CEO for the past eight months – each given a remit that matches their area of expertise.

Kugeler has the job title, with the former Stan boss emerging as the surprise choice from the long-running global search led by Egon Zehnder. Though he has never worked in football before, he is a “lifelong supporter and sufferer” of German yo-yo club Hamburger SV, which means he should be well suited to the routine suffering of being involved........

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