Gold Coast scores big win luring Mark Evans from the AFL, writes Mark Robinson

LURING Mark Evans up north was a huge win for Gold Coast, but the test now for the AFL is who it chooses as a replacement, writes MARK ROBINSON.

IT’S a jungle drums industry.

Gold Coast chairman Tony Cochrane heard the drums in late January when Fairfax Media said Mark Evans was the top prospect — and strongly hinted he was the man — for Hawthorn and The Australian declared, in fact, Evans would leave the AFL and rejoin the Hawks.

Even at that time, Cochrane and outgoing Suns chief executive Andrew Travis knew their partnership had more negatives than positives.

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That was made official three weeks ago when the two met and agreed Travis would not be chief executive beyond this season and, really, what was the point of going on?

So, Cochrane started beating his own drum.

He telephoned Mark Evans and Gill McLachlan, and Evans again and again and Gill one more time until the AFL football operations manager became what many on Tuesday believed to be the most significant recruit to the expansion club, G. Ablett included.

New Suns chief executive Mark Evans with chairman Tony Cochrane at Tuesday’s announcement. Picture Glenn Hampson

Now that Evans has left the AFL — so rapidly on Tuesday that he left two shirts, three ties, a pair of undies and a can of Old Spice in the office wardrobe — the jungle drums began beating yet again.

AFL head of footy is a master blaster of a job.

The jungle drums indicated Simon Lethlean, the AFL’s game development manager, would replace Evans.

Lethlean is highly regarded and talented, is AFL-entrenched, is good friends with McLachlan, hails from a similar amateur background as McLachlan — Lethlean from Old Xavs and McLachlan from Uni Blues — and would seem the logical choice if the AFL Boys’ Club Act was introduced.

His lack of hard yards at a footy club, however, has to go against him.

The success of Evans was because of a mixture of experience, respect, calmness and a willingness to listen and not least because he cut his teeth at the hottest of coalfaces — at a football club (first Melbourne, then Hawthorn).

Lethlean has not.

If the AFL was to look elsewhere — and surely they have to find the best candidate and not necessarily the best candidate at headquarters — then Geelong’s Steve Hocking would be the ideal person to replace Evans. Hocking played at the highest level and is currently the general manager of football at the Cats.

His first role at the club in 2004 was part-time as chairman of selectors. Since then, he became Neil Balme’s 2IC in football and was also general manager of the club’s commercial operations department.

Simon Lethlean is highly regarded but doesn’t have club experience. Picture: Sam Rosewarne

Plus, he’s also close to the most respected person at the club for his ability to work across and with every department at the cub.

Of course, the head of football role at the AFL demands that office-holder has a deep understanding of the sport but, as the clubs have bleated before, he also has to understand the machinations, demands and workings of a football club.

Most of all, he has to have the respect and trust of all clubs in the competition.

Evans had that. His predecessor Adrian Anderson didn’t for whatever reason, which led to some embarrassing and awkward barneys, not least with former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse who, at times, didn’t bother to hide his contempt for Anderson.

Anderson was an Andrew Demetriou appointment and arguably Demetriou didn’t care what the clubs thought of the appointment anyhow.

Steve Hocking with Geelong coach Chris Scott. Picture: Peter Ristevski

Lethlean is a respected AFL administrator, but Hocking is a respected football administrator and the AFL role is fundamentally about football.

Evans’ role at the Suns is significant. As well as being across all platforms of the game, Evans is also a “cooler’’, a person who can navigate through the treacherous waters people — previously Jeff Kennett and Alastair Clarkson at Hawthorn and now Cochrane at the Suns — occasionally steer their club into.

Travis is said to have found Cochrane just too erratic — he has been called the Donald Trump of the AFL for his blunt, unapologetic persona — while Cochrane is said to have found Travis too subdued.

Tuesday was important as the Suns have lost O’Meara and Prestia on the field and executive Sam Eustace, who joined Carlton as general manager of partnerships last year, while it was chief operating officer Paul Pamenter’s last day before he heads back to IMG after five years.

There’s a few outs there, but the IN is nothing short of massive.

Originally published as Gold Coast scores big win luring Mark Evans from the AFL, writes Mark Robinson