Caroline Wilson slams AFL boss Andrew Dillon for umpiring and free-to-air Saturday lockout response

7NEWS

3 days ago

Caroline Wilson has taken aim at AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon after a tumultuous few months at league headquarters.
In his second season in charge of the game, Dillon has had to navigate scathing criticism of the AFL justice and suspensions systems, constant questions around umpiring, the messy departure of longtime executive Tanya Hosch, the backlash at the AFL's decision to remove free-to-air football from Saturdays and, in recent days, the demotion of footy boss Laura Kane.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Caroline Wilson takes aim at AFL boss Andrew Dillon.
All the while, Wilson says, Dillon has failed to show the empathy in his communication to fans that they deserve.
'Andrew, the umpiring is in serious trouble at the moment, and a significant section of football lovers feel completely abandoned by the removal of free-to-air football from their Saturday TV screens,' Wilson said on Monday night's episode of The Agenda Setters.
'You should be honestly acknowledging this, and find a way to show supporters how worried you are about it, instead of answering questions by wrote.
'Andrew, show us the empathy that those who know you, know is there.
'Andrew, it's great that you've finally started to walk the walk, but there's no shame in talking the honest talk.'
Co-host Craig Hutchison challenged Wilson on the point, arguing he had shown great leadership in the past week at least.
'I disagree with you, Caroline. I think he's had a very good four or five days in making strong decisions,' he said.
'He's been available, he's been accessible, he's done the radio rounds, he's presented himself tonight to us and to others outside AFL House.
'I think that's what you want in a leader, I think you're seeing him visible, you're seeing him make decisions.'
Wilson added: 'He won't acknowledge how upset footy fans are about free-to-air on Saturdays, he won't acknowledge how much trouble the umpiring is in — I mean, clubs who never complain are openly lobbying the AFL now.'
Hutchison: 'I thought your argument was how he's selling himself, now your argument is the substance behind the sell — which one is it?'
Wilson: 'Both! He's walked the walk, I think he's got to talk the talk. He needs to explain that he's acknowledged the problems.
'The elderly, people living in remote areas, people living in the country, Indigenous football fans, fans in New South Wales and Queensland — they're being cheated. They feel cheated from free-to-air football.'
The AFL announced on Monday that longtime club CEO Greg Swann — who has led Brisbane since 2014 after previous stints at Carlton and Collingwood — would come in as the league's new boss of football performance, working under Dillon and alongside Kane.
Wilson said his presence will take a massive load of the shoulders of Dillon and Kane, who have borne the brunt of the criticism from AFL fans and clubs.
'Greg Swann will be doing so much of the media now,' Wilson said.
'Laura Kane, I think almost one of the nails in her coffin, three weeks before all this happened, she did a series of radio interviews, and with the Herald Sun and The Age, and a lot of it was like AI.
'I think she acknowledged umpiring had a bit of an issue, but Andrew's got to admit that the umpiring is a problem.
'Clubs are now openly saying we've got to go back to three umpires.'