Departing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan might be moved to pen a new version of the Meat Loaf classic Two out of three ain’t bad over Christmas when he considers progress made on the to-do list he was given when he announced in April he was departing at the end of the season.
“Two out of six ain’t bad” has a ring to it with the vital broadcast deal and the tricky club funding model complete.
A new collective bargaining agreement, the 19th licence in Tasmania and the appointment of Gill’s successor remain unfinished business while the Hawthorn-commissioned review into the treatment of First Nations players at the club lobbed on the AFL’s desk when serious allegations were made about former employees Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt. Add in a betting scandal and concussion concerns and the set is complete.
Here are six big AFL issues still to be resolved.
Gillon’s successor
What a farce this has turned out to be with the biggest and best-resourced sporting organisation in the country unable to find a successor in the eight months that have elapsed since McLachlan announced he was departing.
Legal counsel and long-serving AFL executive Andrew Dillon remains the favourite for the job, but the delay has made the task of an internal candidate taking over much harder. Broadcasting and club liaison boss Travis Auld is also hopeful, making the Bombers aware of that when they began hunting for a new boss.
For some reason, eminently qualified and respected Richmond CEO Brendon Gale doesn’t appear to be at the top of AFL Commission chair Richard Goyder’s wish list. Giants’ CEO Dave Matthews and Sydney CEO Tom Harley have also been interviewed, while departing Grand Prix CEO Andrew Westacott might find himself getting a phone call from the search firm charged with finding a replacement.
Gillon McLachlan can’t get out the door just yet as major issues remain unresolved. Credit:AFL Photos
Whatever the outcome, which is likely in February, Goyder’s reputation within the AFL has taken a hit with his seeming reluctance to make a clean break from McLachlan increasing rather than decreasing uncertainty throughout the game.
The league is also on the lookout for a football operations boss after Brad Scott joined Essendon as their senior coach.
Hawk investigation
The AFL probe into treatment of Hawthorn players and their families is tough to get a read on, but investigators are making progress, albeit with recommendations not expected until next year, an inevitability once each party appointed legal representation.
McLachlan has made it clear he wants to see this matter resolved before he departs in April, with the AFL also committing to a cultural safety review of the industry in 2023.
One anonymous party known as “Amy” removed herself from the process soon after the terms of reference was released and Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan revealed he had signed an agreement to not talk about the investigation while it was underway.
Alastair Clarkson speaks to media about the AFL investigation on his first official day as North Melbourne coach.Credit:Simon Schluter
Fagan and North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson have said throughout they welcome the opportunity to present their version of events while denying any wrongdoing. However, both men have also told confidants that they are both determined to clear their name and to show respect to the players who made the allegations.
The investigators are only examining the period from 2008-2016, which seems strange, and there has also been anger among other clubs at the way in which Hawthorn set up the review by external consultant Phil Egan. Whether appropriate procedures were adopted is being examined too, under the terms of reference.
Apart from that, it has been radio silence with the AFL maintaining the independence of the panel keeps it out of the loop until the recommendations land. From that point, any action resulting from the findings becomes an AFL Commission responsibility.
It’s difficult to see any winners emerging with those making the allegations clearly hurting and the coaches and Hawthorn’s former welfare manager Jason Burt trying to clear their names. AFL commission member and former Hawks president Andrew Newbold has also stepped aside until the investigation is complete.
The expectation among the industry, however, is that both Clarkson and Fagan will be coaching their respective clubs in round one next season and their clubs are taking a business-as-usual approach.
There will also be a long-overdue industry-wide review of what is happening across clubs and within the AFL to create a culturally safe environment. Collingwood, who have implemented the recommendations of their Do Better report, have been disappointed the AFL has not sought to learn from their experiences during the process.
Tasmania’s licence
The business case has landed and the ball lies in the Tasmanian and Federal government’s court. Although it is politically convenient to blame the AFL for making the bid contingent on a new stadium being built in Hobart, it is really state premier Jeremy Rockliff’s responsibility to sell the vision and make it happen.
The AFL is right in saying the game has never been closer to granting a licence for a stand-alone Tasmanian team, but there is a $350 million funding hole that Tasmania’s Liberal government is hoping the Federal ALP Government will fill despite significant opposition from their state counterparts plus the Greens and Independent Federal MP Andrew Wilkie.
Adelaide president and former South Australian premier John Olsen has been in contact with the state government explaining the transformative effect the Adelaide Oval has had on that capital city and the AFL have spoken about the effect new stadiums have had in Adelaide and Perth, but it’s not really the game’s job to sell the idea that stadiums are economic enablers. The business case claims it will create $85 million in additional economic activity each year.
All could be resolved with the stroke of a pen but if the stadium question degenerates into a political bunfight, it is one the AFL would be wise to stay out of.
Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff has the task of obtaining federal funding for a new stadium. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The delay has also allowed people such as Collingwood president Jeff Browne to preach caution and dulled the sound of the many clubs who are supportive of a 19th team and were impressed by the business case.
An indication in the first two months of the year as to which direction the funding submission is heading would be beneficial for the game, with Rockliff presenting the business case to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday asking them for $240 million (down from $250 million) to fund what they now assess to be a $741 million stadium.
Collective Bargaining Agreement
The AFL Players Association had been waiting to obtain all relevant information from the league, but negotiations should ramp up in January with a joint AFL/AFLW CBA seeming inevitable. The big question around revenue sharing has been resolved, so it is a matter of how much of the pie will be theirs and how it will be split. A much fiercer debate should be happening around the football-department soft cap, but the coaches don’t have an effective voice.
The Brownlow scandal
The matter is in police hands as they investigate whether there is evidence for a case to be brought
against those alleged to have shared information about which players would receive which votes in which games. Former field umpire Michael Pell, who is at the centre of the allegations, is no longer employed by the AFL. Little progress is expected to be made until February.
Concussion
An independent report the AFL commissioned was led by Bernard Quinn KC and “examined issues connected with research and medical work on sports-related concussion in the AFL”. The findings led to a series of recommendations relating to how the AFL needs to improve the way they manage concussion, which the AFL will need to implement. The report was also provided to the state coroner as part of the coronial investigation into the death of former Richmond footballer Shane Tuck, which is expected to finish in 2023. Calls for a concussion fund to be set up to support players who suffered the effect of head knocks remain strong, with the AFL examining how such a fund may operate.
