Before her responsibilities were effectively cut in half, Laura Kane was burdened with the most challenging role in football, spanning everything that was hard and controversial about managing the game. Much of the criticism she copped should have been directed at the people she was directly managing, as well as the people who hired her.
Greg Swann’s arrival at AFL House last Monday came with a sigh of relief. “Swanny’s a ripper” and “Swanny understands clubland” must have been uttered dozens of times on radio, on podcasts and TV this past week. But even with a fraction of Kane’s responsibilities, it remains one of the most demanding jobs in football. Swann is phlegmatic, he’s a pragmatist and (so far) he’s refreshingly free of weasel corporate-speak. Here are a few areas where he can make his mark.
