Incoming AFL Cairns general manager reveals bold plans

BRINGING more blockbuster games to the Far North will be part of AFL Cairns’ big plans for the decade under the helm of a new, yet familiar face.

BRINGING more blockbuster games to the Far North will be part of AFL Cairns’ big plans for the decade under the helm of a new, yet familiar face.

Operations manager Craig Lees will officially relieve Gary Young as general manager on January 1 after 14 years in the role.

Between the new staff, AFL game announcements and the return of football to Gordonvale, Lees said there has hardly been time to fully realise his new appointment.

“It’s one that hasn’t sunk in yet because we’ve been so busy trying to round out the year,” he said.

Lees had previously spent time with the Gold Coast Suns as coach of its Academy team, as well as a manager at Melbourne for seven years.

“My biggest strength is my footy knowledge – I’ve spent 16 years full-time working in the game,” he said.

“To be able to know where the modern game is, to be able to provide that level of leadership to clubs is something I’m really strong on.”

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Big Ideas

Though he has yet to take on the mantle Lees already has plans, both long and short term, that he would like to implement in his tenure as GM.

This includes mitigating the constant losing of staff in the league, be it the commitment to the job or the transient nature of the competition.

“Staff is the key – we’ve had a high turnover of staff in the back end of the season,” Lees said.

“We need to invest back in our people and make sure there’s really good experience in the organisation, that’ll be something I’ll tackle early.”

AFL at Cazalys, being the major drawcard it is, remained another priority Lees will look to build upon heading into the next 10 years.

While one premiership match per year is definitely the goal for Cairns, Lees hoped the build up to the Olympics will see teams eye even more games in the Far North.

“The Olympic Games bid landing in 2032 certainly provides opportunities towards the back end to get regular, if not two games a season with regular reconstruction going on at the Gabba,” he said.

“We’ll work closely with all stakeholders to see if we can put that in print.”

As well as games, Lees hoped to see teams train in Cairns during the off season with upgrades having been made to team facilities and the gym.

Lees had kind words for predecessor Young, who will still provide guidance from the AFL Cairns board.

“At the end of the day, it’s Gary’s hard work to get the grants, to get the funding to deliver on those really elite community facilities that enables him to leave a legacy at AFL Cairns,” Lees said.

“We’ll continue to look at being the best community league outside the metropolitan leagues.

“It’s a really exciting year, it’s almost like a blank canvas.”

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Fond memories

What started as a two-week seat-warming role for Gary Young ended with a 14-year tenure as general manager of the AFL Cairns competition.

“I was on the board doing some consulting and the board asked if I minded holding the fort until the end of the year,” he said.

“It got to about March, I did a paper on how the board can replace the position, and they said ‘can you stay on?’.

The more Young got stuck into managing the league, the more he enjoyed the role, playing a crucial part in building the sports’ profile in the region.

“I thought it would be a couple of years, often you go into management positions, you do some work that hopefully improves things,” he said,

“It just kept going, I think it was the excitement from the AFL matches, the Elton John concert and elite cricket at different times.

“When you hang around with younger people, it makes you feel young as well.”

AFL’s growth in the region has certainly been emboldened by the hosting of premiership games at Cazalys, something Young helped get off the ground.

“I quite honestly went down to Melbourne knocking on the door to get one game,” he said.

“Here we are, 12 years on … we’re having our 12th AFL premiership game and we had four in the 2020 Covid year.”

“We never would have dreamt of having four but that keeps the job dynamic and exciting.”

He hoped the groundwork he set would allow for conversations to be had around securing a long-term agreement on getting regular AFL action in Cairns.

This would allow for proper planning to be done on infrastructure such as stadium upgrades to support the regular home and away games.

Young said the most important thing to ensure would be the continued growth of a strong local competition.

“The more you expose Cairns to the game, the greater the interest,” he said.

“That’s really seen in the women’s space, there’s been an explosion in girls playing the game here and across the country, it’s extraordinary.”

While Young said he does not plan to be the “old bloke in the corner, being a nuisance”, he said he plans to be around to lend his advice to Lees if need be.

Originally published as Incoming AFL Cairns general manager reveals bold plans