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Laura Kane has been appointed the executive general manager of football as the AFL charts a new course under CEO-elect Andrew Dillon.
On Monday, the AFL confirmed the historic decision to elevate Kane to the position she had been acting in since Dillon won the CEO role at the end of April. She becomes the first woman to head football operations in the game’s history.
Laura Kane’s appointment as executive general manager of football operations will be announced this week. Credit: AFL Photos
The AFL attempted to lure Richmond CEO Brendon Gale to the league in an expanded role that would have led to him overseeing parts of the football portfolio, but the former player decided to stick with the Tigers as they work to appoint a new coach.
Kane will oversee a restructured football operations department, with former Essendon football manager and Port Adelaide premiership player Josh Mahoney appointed as the AFL’s general manager of football operations. The AFL will also fill a newly created position of AFL general manager of football performance.
Kane will be responsible for football operations, competition management across the AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW, umpiring, game analysis, player movement, talent pathways and mental health and wellbeing.
Mahoney will sit on the AFL and AFLW competition committee and administer strategic football projects and football operations in his role while the general manager of football performance will be involved in player movement, coaching, talent pathways and MRO, tribunal, the AFL’s review centre (ARC) and award committees.
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Kane has impressed club officials and the league with her performance in the role, having arrived at the AFL in November 2021 in charge of competition management after five years working in football operations with North Melbourne alongside now Essendon coach Brad Scott and then football manager Cameron Joyce.
She has had to deal with everything from the lights failing mid-game at the Gabba to St Kilda coach Ross Lyon’s public complaint about the roof being open before a game at Marvel Stadium. Kane was then heavily involved in discussions that followed the controversial decision to award the Crows a behind late in their game against Sydney in round 23.