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Sport Nation
Why AFL clubs are “rejoicing” with Swann appointment
Andrew Slevison • June 3rd, 2025 9:25 am
AFL clubs are rejoicing with the appointment of Greg Swann to the General Manager of Football Performance role.
The Brisbane Lions CEO will step into league chief Andrew Dillon’s executive team after significant changes were made just last week.
Dillon split the duties of Laura Kane, who is now Football Operations boss, and has appointed the experienced Swann to head up MRO, umpiring, game analysis, player movement, laws of the game, innovation and club engagement within football.
Nick Riewoldt believes those in clubland are over the moon with Swann’s appointment.
“He’s not going there to split a role with Laura Kane, is he?,” the St Kilda champion said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.
“Which is the way it’s been reported, the role is in half and now Laura has on half and Greg Swann got half.
“He’s coming in to sit across all of it and the clubs are rejoicing.”
Caroline Wilson revealed why the clubs are rejoicing so.
“The clubs are rejoicing because here is a person who has worked with clubs. He understands footy clubs,” Wilson said.
“Early in Andrew’s leadership he and Laura Kane visited all the clubs and they promised a more meaningful relationship.
“It just hasn’t happened. The clubs have continued to feel abandoned.
“Greg Swann sat down with Andrew Dillon, I’m told, on the day of Robert Walls’ funeral and that was where the conversation began.
“Dillon then outlined his plans for the rebuilding at AFL headquarters and the football department.
“This all happened two weeks ago. They’re a slow-moving beast and Andrew Dillon has gone bang.
“I’m told he is going to run a review of the AFL’s football operation when he gets there.
“Clearly, there are a lot of people working in the operation who will be probably with new jobs.”
Riewoldt feels the swift nature of the AFL’s decision on this matter says that change was absolutely required and perhaps should have even been made a year ago.
“There’s two ways you can look at it - the speed over the last couple of weeks and the immediate tells you just how bad it was and what an indictment on the AFL it had become,” Riewoldt added.
“But you can also say it’s 12 months too late and if the AFL weren’t so consumed with being social justice warriors that Laura Kane would have been moved aside 12 months ago.
“What more do you need to see? The role was too big or she was the wrong person.”
Wilson is firmly of the belief that Kane’s role was far too encompassing and that she was on a hiding to nothing from the outset.
“Laura Kane was set up to fail in my view,” she said further.
“The role was far too big for anyone let alone a 33-year-old woman. That’s not gender or age specific.
“I do believe there are going to be people at footy clubs, certainly in this current climate, who would never rate a woman in that role.
“I do think she was up against it anyway.”
Dillon is set to speak on the Swann appointment at 10am today (Tuesday).
