NORTH Melbourne has landed its man, announcing yesterday that Eugene Arocca will be the new chief executive.

A long-time Collingwood board member, then, more recently, the Magpies' chief operations officer, Arocca was at the head of a shortlist the Kangaroos had drawn up for the position left vacant by the resignation of Rick Aylett following the club's decision not to move to the Gold Coast.

"Eugene comes armed with an enormous range of skills, both from within football and as a highly successful lawyer and businessman in his own right," North Melbourne chairman James Brayshaw said last night. "He has worked most recently in an elite environment at Collingwood and we couldn't be happier that he's seen fit to join our club as the CEO.

"He's exactly what this club needs at the top as we endeavour to make North Melbourne as successful off the field as we are on it."

Arocca is the second Collingwood executive lured to another club in recent times. Greg Swann swapped the chief executive's chair at the Pies for the same position at Carlton on the eve of the 2007 season and Arocca was thought to be disappointed at the Magpies' decision to pass him over, appointing Gary Pert to the position.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and Pert yesterday praised Arocca's contribution to the Pies. "Eugene has been one of the great servants of the Collingwood Football Club. Over many years he has provided pro bono legal advice (from 1996), served as a board member (from 2002 to 2005) and more recently as a senior executive," McGuire said.

Just as relevantly for North, whose overwhelming imperative is to secure its financial future in Melbourne, Pert praised Arocca's role in setting up new revenue streams for the Magpies.

Arocca's starting date at the Kangaroos has yet to be determined.

■Geelong's Steve Johnson is unlikely to know the extent of any club-imposed penalty for his driving indiscretion before the middle of next week. The Norm Smith medallist will meet with the players' leadership group — captain Tom Harley, Cameron Ling, Cam Mooney, Paul Chapman, Max Rooke and Joel Corey — to explain why he was clocked at 128 km/h in a 50 km/h zone on his way to Eastern Gardens golf course in Geelong on Wednesday night.

Johnson had his car impounded and faces the loss of his licence for 12 months. He also could face a substantial club penalty.

Last year, he was suspended from playing and training with the senior team for the pre-season competition and the first five rounds of the home-and-away season after being arrested for being drunk in a public place. The charge did not proceed to court.

With AAP