Bendigo league champion Steven Reaper takes on AFL Vic top job

NEW AFL Victoria general manager Steven Reaper believes community footy and AFL ties will strengthen.

AFL Victoria general manager Steven Reaper Photo: Sean Garnsworthy/AFL Media

NEW AFL Victoria general manager Steven Reaper believes the ties between community football and the AFL will strengthen in years to come.

Reaper takes the reins from Grant Williams, who has taken up the newly-created role of AFL head of development, overseeing the state leagues and game development across the country.

“My role effectively continues to report through to Grant, so it’s good to have him in those operations,” Reaper said.

“I think the broader AFL executive has a good empathy towards community football, so that relationship will only be enhanced as we go forward.”

Reaper took up his new post on Monday, four months after it was revealed Williams was headed to the AFL.

“It took a while, but good things come to those who wait,” Reaper said. “Obviously I’m very passionate about all levels of the game across Victoria and to have the ability to lead the organisation into the future, with some critical projects coming up, I think it’s an exciting time to take the reins from Grant, who had done an excellent job.”

A goalkicking champion of the Bendigo Football League, at both Kyneton and Gisborne, Reaper also had stints at TAC Cup team Bendigo Pioneers, VFL club Williamstown, and with Carlton’s reserves during his playing days. He joined the Victorian Country Football League in 2004 and served as finance and commercial operations manager until his promotion to chief executive in 2011, before the VCFL was integrated into AFL Victoria.

Reaper was appointed chief operating officer of AFL Victoria in November, 2012 then stepped up to deputy general manager last year.

He said his greatest challenge in the top job was ensuring Aussie Rules was the most accessible sport for all Victorians. Soaring player payments in community football and the continued implementation of AFL Victoria’s country football review were also on his agenda.

Reaper said most country leagues and clubs had embraced the change from the VCFL to AFL Victoria.

“There’s still a couple of pockets around the state that (haven’t) and we’ll continue to work closely with those,” he said.

“We’ve set up 13 commissions in the last 24 months but we’re at a point now they’re all fully set up so we can start to drive some strategic outcomes as well.

“In many aspects, the easy work has been done and now we can get into the nuts and bolts of trying to implement some change across those areas.”