Mr McLachlan has re-entered an already crowded wool fray this week to stake his claim as to who should be leading the industry.

“This AWI election is the most important since the old AWI board was overturned in 2002,” he has said in an open letter to all woolgrower shareholders this week.

Last November, Mr McLachlan pleaded with the wool industry to put in place a system whereby professional directors and a skills-based board was elected rather than the populist approach which still dominates the annual AWI elections.

Mr McLachlan has clearly defined the two bitterly opposed camps in this battle:

• The “chairman’s ticket” of incumbent directors Brian van Rooyen, Chris Abell, John Keniry, Robyn Clubb and Ken Boundy.

• The challengers which he labels as the “Olsson Ticket” of Laurence Modiano, George Falkiner, Meredith Sheil, Will Roberts and David Webster.

Mr McLachlan left his post as head of the wool industry body in April, fed up with the politics and division within his own board, having achieved what he had set out to do with the re-unification of the research and marketing arms of the industry.

Mr McLachlan brought Mr van Rooyen and Mr Abell to the board in 2002.

Mr van Rooyen has also served on the Woolstock Australia and Australian Wool Testing Authority boards and Mr Abell knows Mr McLachlan through management at Woolstock as well as Saab Systems and Pacific Marine Batteries.

Mr McLachlan also oversaw the independent appointment of Ken Boundy and Robyn Clubb as well as John Keniry who Mr McLachlan knew through his role as WoolPoll chair, as well as his involvement with the Sheep CRC and Woolstock Australia.

“I have been so incredibly disappointed with the quality of Mr Olsson’s board performance, together with that of the Olsson ticket supporters, Roger Fletcher and Wal Merriman,” the letter adds.

The election of directors takes place next Wednesday afternoon at the AWI annual general meeting in Perth.

The results will immediately be posted on www.farmonline.com.au.