AFL 2023: Laura Kane wins role as new executive general manager of football

Laura Kane will take charge of key AFL issues including rules, umpiring, the tribunal and the AFLW after landing the role of Andrew Dillon’s lieutenant.

Laura Kane with new AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and Gillon McLachlan. Picture: Michael Klein

Laura Kane has won the role as the AFL’s leading football official after securing the permanent position as the executive general manager of football.

The Herald Sun understands former North Melbourne official Kane will be announced in coming days after taking on the role in an interim capacity in recent months.

Kane will have a huge portfolio that includes key AFL issues including rules, umpiring, the tribunal and the AFLW competition.

Andrew Dillon will announce her as his key lieutenant in a role that also takes on a significant amount of scrutiny given the contentious topics that are under her watch, including the match review panel.

Dillon has already foreshadowed his desire to continue evolving the AFL’s rules to ensure the league stays ahead of trends that can reduce scoring and the flow of the game.

The league has gone without a football boss for nearly a year after Brad Scott moved from AFL House to coach Essendon.

So Dillon will also need to hire a general manager of football under Kane to deal with many of the day-to-day issues of running the game.

AFL clubs have been strong in their support for Kane since she took over the role on an interim capacity, having taken over the football role after moving to AFL House as the competition manager.

Laura Kane will work with new AFL CEO Andrew Dillon. Picture: Michael Klein

Only in her early 30s, it is a meteoric rise for a former Auskick participant who at age 13 found out she no longer had anywhere to play.

She eventually moved to the Melbourne University Football Club, with the lawyer then joining North Melbourne in a strategy role that included bidding for the Roos’ AFLW licence.

She said when she joined the AFL she was aware of her role as a trailblazer as a woman in football.

“I don’t want there to be any roadblocks … and that’s been a great experience to live myself to see how you navigate that,” Kane said.

“It’s just something I’m passionate about and I know we need to create opportunities for women in our industry.

“It’s not something that I’ll lead with, but it’s something I’m mindful of and will be mindful of forever.”

The league was recently knocked back by Richmond CEO Brendon Gale for a far-reaching executive role, with AFL staffer Matthew Chun filling Travis Auld’s role in an interim capacity.

Essendon football boss Josh Mahoney is expected to take an AFL football role after moving on from the Dons.