Mark Robinson: It was good to hear Gillon McLachlan’s voice but he must make himself more available to fans
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said he would listen to the fans, but he needs to communicate with them more regularly. And the same applies to football boss Steve Hocking, writes Mark Robinson.
Mark Robinson
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In the end, this was about communication.
The AFL has to communicate more with its fans.
The stadium operators need to communicate more with the AFL when they are changing their security approach and certainly need to tell their security staff to chill out.
And the security staff absolutely have to better with the fans.
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The central point on Tuesday when Gillon McLachlan fronted the media was a positive one: Safety.
But somewhere along the line over the past two weeks it became a shemozzle.
The AFL didn’t read the temperature in the stands or listen to the fear and anger on talkback radio until the issue became volcanic.
And when fans speak of feeling intimidated by security staff there is a serious issue.
The optics of fans being asked out of seats on Friday night and Saturday night at Marvel Stadium was just too much.
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The take out on Tuesday was a commitment from McLachlan to listen to the fans and to “get the balance right” to ensure the fans feel safe and free from intimidation.
He also promised the “behavioural officers’’ would back off.
“My personal opinion is they’re not right and they should go,’’ he said.
Observers can judge McLachlan harshly or not after addressing the situation .
Some will say he didn’t entertain the nitty gritty, others would say he delivered on the bigger issue of fan concerns.
Hopefully, everyone can move forward — together.
That lack of togetherness between those at headquarters and those in the grandstands is one of the reasons why this was promoted as a fever-pitch press conference.
It wasn’t anything of the sorts, despite a worthy press group throwing bombs.
The learnings for the AFL are evident, that McLachlan, and by extension football boss Steve Hocking, have to be more visible.
McLachlan needs to put his head up more when issues fester, like this one. Hocking, too.
When the country was rabid about Dane Rampe climbing the goal post, Hocking remained silent for several days.
McLachlan had his say the day after, which was clumsy. By the Monday the issue was in flames.
Hocking might not have thought it was a pressing issue, nor that it needed clarification, yet the rest of the football world was having puppies.
The Herald Sun understands there will be an internal review about the availability of the sport’s two most important people in light of the past two weeks.
It needs to happen.
Fundamentally, it’s about keeping fans safe, keeping fans informed and bringing the fans along for the ride so the events of the past fortnight are not replicated.
Because what we’ve experienced across all levels these past two weeks has been insane.
“What we’ve got here,’’ it once was said, “is a failure to communicate.’’
This may ensure communication is the buzz word at headquarters from here on in.
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