AFL CEO Andrew Dillon on Tasmania’s first AFL coach, list build

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon believes the coach of Tasmania’s AFL team needs to be “someone who has done it before” as he names two men currently in the job that stand out.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon believes an experienced coach would be the right option for Tassie. Photo: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon believes “someone who has done it before” would be the best appointment to guide Tasmania when it enters the competition.

Since Tassie was granted the competition’s 19th licence in May last year, discussion has continued to grow around who would be the club’s first coach.

Current Brisbane Lions coach and local product Chris Fagan has been one name raised along with a raft of other experienced mentors who currently hold roles throughout the AFL.

Speaking on the Dyl and Friends podcast, hosted by former AFL player Dylan Buckley, Dillon gave an insight into how he would approach the appointment pointing out the Scott brothers, Brad and Scott, as strong candidates.

He said the decision would be made by chair Grant O’Brien and the club’s board.

“I would just go with, rather than picking an individual, is someone with experience and someone who has done it before,” Dillon said.

“I don’t necessarily think they’ve had to of been a premiership coach.

“I will name them then. If you could get (current Geelong coach) Chris Scott, at the right time if he was happy to go there. Brad (Scott, who is Essendon’s coach).

“They’re two amazing coaches. Anyone who has been there and done it, I think that really helps you in those formative years.”

Geelong coach Chris Scott. Photo: Michael Willson/AFL Photos.

Essendon coach Brad Scott. Photo: Michael Willson/AFL Photos.

Dillon said league quarters and the Tasmanian Football Club were hopeful of being able to be competitive.

The league boss said there had been lessons learnt from previous expansion teams Gold Coast and the GWS Giants who regularly suffered heavy defeats in their early history.

“To get an AFL team up, because it’s such a big competition and it’s so competitive, you can’t just grant a license and start 12 months later.

“This is a five-year build just to get going. We want the team, when they start, to be really competitive and that’s what the other clubs want as well.

“For Tassie, I think the Tasmanians they’re not going to want have a start winning one game in the first year, two games.

“They want to hit the ground running so we’ll tweak the rules like that.”

While on-field results will be important to attracting players to Tasmania, Dillon said a key role would also be the club’s off-field facilities.

In December, plans for a $70m high performance centre at Rosny were confirmed.

The facility will include an indoor field, MCG-sized oval and administration and training facility.

Grant O'Brien and his board will make the final call on the coach. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

It will cater for the AFL and AFLW teams, VFL and VFLW teams and Tasmania Devils programs.

“The other thing we found really important is making sure you’ve got the best facilities as possible as early as possible,” Dillon told the podcast.

“They’ll get some really good players through the draft, they’ll get some really good local guys back.

“You can’t just build a club based on that. They’re going to want to attract an experienced CEO, an experienced coach and they’re going to want to attract some experienced players down there.

“There’s amazing facilities around the competition so they’re going to have to be at least equal to those.”

Originally published as AFL CEO Andrew Dillon on Tasmania’s first AFL coach, list build