AFL's Gillon McLachlan South Melbourne home passed in with $4.4 million vendor bid
The 1860s South Melbourne terrace of the AFL's No.2 man, Gillon McLachlan and his wife Laura was passed in on a $4.4 million vendor bid at auction today.
There was an opening bid of $4.3 million from one of the few interested parties prepared to show their hand at the onsite parkside auction. Locals in attendance included retired politican diplomat Richard Alston.
It had been listed by Rob Vickers-Willis of Abercromby's Real Estate Armadale initially by private treaty in February without success.
The envisaged price range was between $4 million and $4.5 million on the Property Tycoon tipping website.
The Georgian terrace comes with contemporary living and kitchen area with sliding doors that open to leafy courtyards.
The three bedroom, two bathroom house comes with rear contemporary studio apartment with private entrance above its two car garage.
The terrace cost $3.6 million in 2007. Set on a 460-square-metre block, it was formerly owned and restored by broadcaster Peter Couchman, who then bought next door.
When Couchman bought it in the 1970s, it was divided into flats, but underneath plaster boards and layers of paint were fine period features.
The terrace, one of a pair built for a locksmith overlooking a little park, had previously traded at $1,925,000 in 2004, then $785,000 in 1996 and $625,000 in 1992.
It was mid-last year that McLachlan, the AFL deputy chief executive, knocked back the job as chief executive of the ARL Commission in Sydney.
He married, Laura, the daughter of Spotless chief Brian Blythe in 2003.
Property Observer will provide an update on Monday on all the weekend auction results.
