AFL Now: Andrew Dillon determined to fast-track next wave of club and AFL administrators

A wealth of experience has departed the AFL landscape in recent years, and AFL CEO Andrew Dillon is determined to build up the next generation to lead the league.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon is determined to fast-track the next wave of club and AFL administrators amid a talent drain that has seen a wealth of leadership depart the AFL scene within 12 months.

Dillon is looking at a range of initiatives that would help set up the next generation of AFL club and executive talent after a string of high-profile losses.

The league's new-look AFL team is still short on experience after Gillon McLachlan lieutenants Kyle Rogers (racing) and Travis Auld (Grand Prix) left for rival sports.

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AFL CEO Andrew Dillon. Picture: NewsWire/Nadir Kinani

And at club level 75 years of experience will be gone with Brian Cook retiring, Gary Pert moving on from Melbourne and Trevor Nisbett moving from West Coast to the AFL.

As Melbourne attempts to find a new CEO equally able to make tough football decisions and spearhead the Demons’ potential move to Caulfield, Dillon is keen to act.

The AFL has already seen many of its young emerging administrative stars move into clubland to gain experience before either returning or putting themselves in the frame for club CEO roles.

And Dillon is also keen to find ways to attract elite talent from outside the industry in commercial business before building up their football experience so they can grow the game within AFL House or at clubs.

He has worked hard on a 12-month listening tour as he takes AFL Commission and AFL executive meetings to clubs around the country.

He is open to ideas about how to grow the next generation of AFL stars to take over roles in the coming decade.

AFL officials who have moved to clubland to gain experience include Adelaide chief operating officer Patrick Clifton, Geelong chief strategy and growth officer Marcus King, Brisbane COO Sam Graham, Western Bulldogs COO Kon Karavias, Hawks chief COO Jacob Attwood, Hawks chief commercial officer Jo Gilbert and Gold Coast deputy CEO Simon Fitzgibbon.

Gary Pert is one of a number of veteran CEOs to call it quits recently. Picture: Michael Klein

They are all contenders to become club chief executives in the same mould as Richmond’s Shane Dunn, Adelaide’s Tim Silvers and Hawthorn’s Ash Klein who were in key club roles before taking a top job at an AFL club.

AFL football operations bosses Steve Hocking and Mark Evans have moved to AFL club CEO roles, while football boss Brad Scott became the Essendon coach.

Dillon said on the weekend he was keen to look at policies and initiatives that helped promote the next generation.

With the world economy in flux and the TV rights broadcast market stagnant, the league will need to find novel and left-field ways to grow its revenue pool across the next decade.

“I wouldn’t say there is a lack of talent but what is really important is we continue to have talented people into the industry and we are aware of that,” Dillon said.

“The clubs are bigger than they have ever been, the AFL is bigger than it’s ever been, it’s more complicated so we are needing different skills but you also have to have an innate understanding of football to be in the football department. So it’s something we are uniquely aware of and we are looking at doing something on that in the near future.”

Originally published as AFL Now: Andrew Dillon determined to fast-track next wave of club and AFL administrators