By Sam McClure
With Andrew Dillon preparing to step into Gillon McLachlan’s shoes as AFL chief executive, Laura Kane’s career at league headquarters could be just about to take off.
One of the game’s most senior figures has described her as the future of football.
Laura Kane has plenty of admirers in the AFL.Credit: AFL Photos
In fact, she’s challenging Cornes as the most influential Kane in town.
‘You’re way too good for us.’
That’s what Sonja Hood (now the Kangaroos president, then in charge of community engagement) said to Laura Kane as they sat inside North Melbourne cafe Auction Rooms, near the club’s Arden Street headquarters in 2015.
Kane was preparing cross-examination questions for George Pell as part of her law firm Waller Legal’s work for the royal commission into child abuse. But her love of football had come calling. After playing and coaching at Melbourne University Women’s Football Club, she’d risen to be president, and she was looking for her next challenge.
At that time, Kane was interested in working for the club’s community arm, The Huddle.
Instead, Hood connected Kane with North’s then-CEO Carl Dilena, who gave her the task of launching the club’s fresh bid for an AFLW licence.
“The fact that North Melbourne’s AFLW program is as good as it is, is because the club put the time into her to be as good as she could be,” Hood told The Scoop.
“Pretty soon she was tapped on the shoulder to move into the footy department.”
Kane began working under then-coach Brad Scott and football boss Cameron Joyce. It wasn’t long before Kane was promoted to football operations boss, essentially Joyce’s second in charge.
From there, Kane’s work was quickly recognised outside Arden Street.
“I was gutted when Gill poached her,” Hood said. “It probably took me a couple of months to be OK with it.
“The thing about Laura is, her ability to see people is amazing. I really like her ... More than that, I really rate her. I think she’s a star.”
Why Kane is rated by the footy bosses
On Tuesday, the majority of the 18 club football bosses gathered at AFL House in Docklands for their regular meeting of general managers of football. It was the first one that Kane was running as the league’s acting executive general manager of football, since Andrew Dillon’s ascension to CEO-elect.
Kane is used to the pressure and the seniority. In the latter stages of 2021, Kane found herself again working with Scott, but this time they were working in partnership. Scott was general manager of football while Kane was GM of competitions. In simple terms, Scott handled the on-field and Kane the off-field. It quickly became clear to people in club land that Kane was a star on the rise.
Scott, now of course back coaching at Essendon, said Kane was capable of running the football department at any club in the league.
“She’s just a very good operator, plain and simple. She’s highly intelligent and more than capable. In terms of her future, the world is her oyster,” Scott told The Scoop.
Laura Kane, pictured here with now Essendon coach Brad Scott, has been at the AFL since 2021 after building an impressive reputation at North Melbourne.Credit: Russell Bennett
If you talk to anyone who attended Tuesday’s meeting, you’d be hard-pressed to discover anything but glowing commentary.
Wayne Campbell, head of football at Gold Coast: “Having only been in the role a short time, she’s quickly grasped balancing needs of the clubs versus head office. She’s got a big-picture view of the game but also an eye for detail which will see her go a long way in the game.”
Jason McCartney, head of football at Greater Western Sydney: “My dealings with her have always been really good, she’s extremely impressive.
“She was always well-respected at North Melbourne and you can see why. The fact she’s actually been at a club and worked at one, she gets it. She understands the inner workings at club land, which is so vital. She’s a great listener, and she always follows up.”
Chris Grant, head of football at Western Bulldogs: “She’s very calm and balanced in how she approaches really difficult decisions. She’s empathetic but also very strong in being able to hold her ground where she needs to. She’s got a real strength about her.
“She also has a deep understanding of women’s football, to understand the journey that women’s football is on at the elite level and how that fits into the wider club’s operation as well.”
‘A younger version of Andrew Dillon’
With Dillon set to officially take over from McLachlan in October, focus will turn to how Dillon structures the team around him.
He has made it no secret that he rates Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale extremely highly, and well-placed sources indicate the AFL may approach him for an expansive role in the executive team that would include, but not be limited to, football.
Other names mentioned for that role in football circles include Fremantle boss Simon Garlick and Sydney CEO Tom Harley.
Another possibility is that Dillon is so impressed by Kane that she keeps the role of executive GM, and they expand the department beneath her.
“The reality is, she’s actually been doing that for a large part of her time in footy; a heap of heavy lifting already, so she’s been front and centre,” Kane’s predecessor and now Geelong CEO Steve Hocking said.
“Look at what she did at North Melbourne. She’s actually done all the hard yards at club level at a club that wasn’t overly resourced,” he added.
“One of the great things that she’s got is common sense, which we all know isn’t that common these days.
“The thing with Laura, her skill set and ability is the future of football. Given all of that and add in her legal background, she’s a younger version of Andrew Dillon.”
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