The focus on the game is an acknowledgement that while the league believes the game to be in good shape the league has battled at length without senior leadership positions in football.
The AFL endured an entire men’s season without a full time permanent head of footballafter Brad Scott departed to coach Essendon.
The league waited for the new CEO to be announced to give them scope to have their choice of appointment and the chance to re-structure the executive team. But the procrastination over appointing Dillon meant a new head of football was also postponed.
The AFL Commission had also had no one with elite football experience on the Richard Goyder-led board for three full seasons despite the embattled commissioner committing to naming a replacement.
The AFL in September finally announced former player and respected long-term administrator Andrew Ireland would join former Fremantle and GWS player Matt De Boer in being added to the commission.
Walsh and Kane worked together at North Melbourne and have deep mutual respect.
Dillon,who had also has a strong relationship with Walsh over more than 20 years,approached the former Magpies football head soon after he left St Kilda for family reasons at the start of this year,about a possible role with the AFL.
“Geoff is one the most respected football administrators in the game and his extensive experience across a number of clubs will bring further insight from clubland into the AFL,” Kane said.
“Our AFL Football Operations department is continuing to take shape. Josh Mahoney has hit the ground running over the AFL finals series and the AFLW home and away season and we are on the eve of what is shaping up to be a highly competitive and entertaining AFLW finals series.
“Over the coming weeks we will make further announcements to finalise the resources across the football performance area.”
Walsh’s part-time consultancy with the AFL will be spread across the AFL,AFLW,VFL and VFLW competitions and the Coates Talent League.
He will be heavily involved in the review into competitive balance,which was a key commitment as part ofthe new collective bargaining agreement.
He will also work with Guy in list management and the game development department on how to build the list forthe new Tasmanian club.
Walsh will undertake a review of the state leagues and the evolution of the competitions along with the AFL’s talent pathways and draft concession process.
The veteran administrator has worked at Carlton,North Melbourne,Collingwood and St Kilda and so has an intuitive understanding of the needs of clubs but also extensive contacts across the league.
He was recently involved in the North Melbourne and Carlton football reviews.
“I am looking forward to joining the AFL and working with Laura and the team to ensure that we can set up the broader football portfolio for continued success.” Walsh said.
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