Adelaide Crows' Phil Harper returns to the fold with a new title

PHIL Harper will return to work today at the Adelaide Football Club from an AFL-imposed suspension to a new title and fewer duties.

Phil Harper

PHIL Harper will return to work today at the Adelaide Football Club from an AFL-imposed suspension to a new title, fewer duties and distanced from player contracts - the task that landed him in hot water.

Harper resumes work at West Lakes with the title of "general manager - football administration".

He left, to serve a two-month ban for his part in the Kurt Tippett saga, as "general manager - football operations".

Harper's new job description defines his role as overseeing the day-to-day football matters.

Off his desk is any responsibility for contracting players. That brief is now with list manager David Noble who is being promoted to "general manager - strategy and list management".

In the quickly changing hierarchy at West Lakes, Harper and Noble will be on the same line of the Adelaide Football Club's new organisational chart.

Each will answer to the club's chief executive - another role that is being redefined ahead of Steven Trigg's return in July from a six-month ban, again from the Tippett saga.

The change in Harper's role - in particular his removal from contract negotiations - will draw conclusions outside the club that the long-serving Crows official is being punished for his mistakes in dealing with Tippett's independent agreements and salary cap payments.

But chairman Rob Chapman insists the football department refit was under way before the AFL hit the Crows in December for draft tampering and salary cap irregularities over Tippett's infamous secret deal at West Lakes.

"I sincerely hope people do not look at it that way," Chapman told The Advertiser yesterday.

"We were talking for a time before the suspension of changing Phil and David's roles.

"We had realised that the job of general manager of football operations was too big for one person.

"By change, our aim was to strengthen the resources we invest in football to get better outcomes for our team, our club.

"Phil will handle the day-to-day operations - the logistics of a team that regularly travels; the medical staff that is in today's climate requiring more attention; the coaches; selection.

"He will still sit in the box on match day. David will deal with the medium to long-term issues - list management, recruiting and contracting.

"He will make sure we have compliance with the AFL on procedure and process.

"We imagine other AFL clubs will do the same."

Harper today will break his silence in a media conference at West Lakes - and highlight Noble's work on recontracting Adelaide players was growing last year when he sealed half of the Crows' new deals.

Chapman is not dismissing Harper having input in Adelaide's contract decisions.

"He has experience we will not ignore," he said.

"He will sit with David Noble when we discuss list management."