New AFL COO Harley on leaving Sydney, working under Dillon, Tassie and more

SEN • June 12th, 2025 1:59 pm

Sydney CEO Tom Harley has spoken publicly for the first time since signing on as the AFL’s next Chief Operating Officer with SEN’s Gerard Whateley.

Harley will see out the 2025 season with the Swans before starting his key role with the AFL.

He becomes the second club CEO to join the league in recent weeks after Brisbane boss Greg Swann was announced as the AFL’s Executive General Manager of Football Performance.

The current Swans boss spoke on a number of topics with Whateley, check out his answers to some burning questions below.

What excites you about the new role?

“I think it’s the broader scope of the role.

“I just know the power of the game to change lives, and we talk about that a lot here at the Swans.

“I was down over in Melbourne on the weekend for the Swans v Tigers and I took my two boys to the game at the MCG on Sunday night between Carlton and Essendon just to see that and feel those two fan bases.

“I was back in Sydney by the time the Big Freeze game was on, which I think is the epitome of influencing lives.

“It’s a sport, we get all of that, but what a great opportunity to contribute to something that brings so much joy to people.

“The kicks, marks, handballs, wins and losses are really exciting, but it's really just a great place to bring people in at all levels, and that's what excites me.”

Are you concerned about leaving Sydney amid a tough 2025 season?

“I don't think there's ever a perfect time but what I know about this football club is we have amazing people,” Harley told SEN Whateley.

“We have an amazingly stable board. I've been so fortunate to work with Andrew Pridham as the Chair.

“We've clearly gone through a transition, with our senior coach in the men's program from John Longmire to Dean Cox, but Dean has been with us for seven years.

“I'm very confident of the direction of our footy club, both on and off the field.

“Dean is going be a terrific men's senior coach. We've got a really good, strong list and we’re only 13 games ago in a Grand Final.

“The code more broadly in Sydney is really bright, so I'm very confident and comfortable with that.”

How practical is working the rest of the season at Sydney before joining the AFL?

“In the conversations I had with the AFL, the transition out of the Swans was really important to me, and that’s a question for Andrew Pridham.

“The question that I asked him was on the proviso that you see value (of me being there until the end of the season).

“When I mentioned it to Dean Cox, Leon Cameron, Scott Gowans, the W program and obviously the board, they see value in that.

“Clearly, when it comes to longer-term strategic planning, there might be times when I step out of that, or when we’re having discussions with the AFL, I may step out.

“But as long as I can contribute (I’m happy to continue here).”

Are you looking at this as a ‘second in charge’ role behind CEO Andrew Dillon

"I am certainly not looking at it as a 2IC role.

“I have been fortunate to know Andrew for a period of time and we come from different angles.

“I can see myself working really closely with him."

Why was now the right time personally to take the next step?

"If not now, it was maybe never with where my family is at.

“It is an opportunity to test myself at a macro level and contribute to the broader leadership of the AFL to continue to make our great game of ours more accessible to as many people as we can.

“I am privileged to do that."

On his view on Tasmania

“It’s not for me to get into today, but AFL has been really clear that the deal is the deal, and the stadium is part of the deal.

“But needless to say, I am 100% supportive of Tasmania entering the AFL.

“I think the passion that's exuding out of the AFL followers in Tasmania is well heard.”