“He started in his role only quite recently, but he’s had a massive impact, and he’s been really good for the AFL and really good for the umpires,” Dillon told 3AW. “He’ll be staying at the AFL.”
Dillon remained firm when asked what the league would do if Setka was to follow through on his threats and delay the building of the new stadium in Hobart.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has backed McBurney.Credit: Getty Images
“What I’m hoping, Steve McBurney, he’ll be at the AFL,” Dillon said. “He’ll be ahead of umpiring and officiating, or he might have had a promotion from there.
“And what I’m hoping is that any intended action or foreshadowed action doesn’t end up impacting on our spectators, our fans and our hundreds of thousands of participants. That’s what I’m hoping for.”
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Setka will step down as the CFMEU secretary later this year. He told delegates at a meeting in February he would not renominate at the next election.
Speaking at Leichhardt on Friday morning, Albanese batted away the first question saying it was up to the AFL to decide who it has in positions not anyone else.
“John Setka is someone who I expelled from the Labor Party,” Albanese said.
Asked later on if this meant Albanese would stay out of the dispute like Setka suggested, the prime minister said The Australian appeared to be very interested in Setka.
“I know you seem to be very interested in this bloke, it is none of his business what occurs with the AFL, that is a matter for the AFL,” he said.
Asked if it was “thuggery” to try and unseat McBurney, Albanese said: “It is a matter for the AFL. John Setka is someone whose behaviour led me to expel him from the Labor Party”.
Another reporter then asked why Albanese would not publicly rebuke Setka’s behaviour, with Albanese snapping back, saying: “I think I just did, in case you weren’t noticing, as I did yesterday and the day before.”
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