'Not personal': why Dillon reshuffled AFL executive
AFL chief Andrew Dillon insists there's nothing personal in the demotion of Laura Kane while brushing off fierce criticism of the umpiring standard.
Dillon has gone on the Friday hustings after his reshuffle of the AFL executive cost Indigenous identity Tanya Hosch her role and pushed Kane down the pecking order.
Kane's job has been split, with the 34-year-old no longer overseeing key football areas.
"It was a big, big role," Dillon told SEN radio on Friday.
"Decisions affect people but they're not personal.
"It's actually about what's the right thing for the AFL, not just for now, because the AFL's in an incredible position at the moment.
In a separate interview on ABC Radio, Dillon rejected the notion that unconscious gender bias was a factor in Kane's dealings with clubs and subsequent demotion.
"It's not a gender thing," he said.
"Laura has broken down a lot of barriers. She is an incredibly talented administrator."
Hosch's position of inclusion and social policy manager will no longer exist as a separate role once the first Indigenous member of the AFL executive leaves on June 6.
Instead, the existing corporate affairs portfolio will include First Nations engagement and inclusion.
Asked about Hosch's departure, Dillon said on SEN: "What we will have now is more voices and more leaders all across the industry in all of the work that Tanya was doing."
The AFL boss also launched in defence of the standard of umpiring this season which has attracted great scrutiny.
Dillon described the umpiring fraternity as "incredibly talented ... great decision-makers".
"You strive for perfection but you know you're now going to get that in umpiring," he said.
"We don't get it with the players either.
"But you have to do to is get as close as you can and that is a continued work in progress.
"You can pick out isolated incidents of any game and say that it's battling.
"What you have to do is actually look at all nine games over the weekend ... picking isolated incidents isn't the way that you judge the umpires."
Dillon said the system of four field umpires, which some pundits believe has created inconsistency, would prove its worth.
"We're a couple of seasons into the four umpires, it's a work in progress," he said.
"What it does have, it allows ... umpires to be in better positions to make the calls. It's less physically taxing on them.
"When we brought the four umpires in, we expanded the list so we have a number of umpires who are in the early parts of their career.
"So I think over the medium and longer term it's going to be successful."
AFL chief Andrew Dillon insists there's nothing personal in the demotion of Laura Kane while brushing off fierce criticism of the umpiring standard.
Dillon has gone on the Friday hustings after his reshuffle of the AFL executive cost Indigenous identity Tanya Hosch her role and pushed Kane down the pecking order.
Kane's job has been split, with the 34-year-old no longer overseeing key football areas.
"It was a big, big role," Dillon told SEN radio on Friday.
"Decisions affect people but they're not personal.
"It's actually about what's the right thing for the AFL, not just for now, because the AFL's in an incredible position at the moment.
In a separate interview on ABC Radio, Dillon rejected the notion that unconscious gender bias was a factor in Kane's dealings with clubs and subsequent demotion.
"It's not a gender thing," he said.
"Laura has broken down a lot of barriers. She is an incredibly talented administrator."
Hosch's position of inclusion and social policy manager will no longer exist as a separate role once the first Indigenous member of the AFL executive leaves on June 6.
Instead, the existing corporate affairs portfolio will include First Nations engagement and inclusion.
Asked about Hosch's departure, Dillon said on SEN: "What we will have now is more voices and more leaders all across the industry in all of the work that Tanya was doing."
The AFL boss also launched in defence of the standard of umpiring this season which has attracted great scrutiny.
Dillon described the umpiring fraternity as "incredibly talented ... great decision-makers".
"You strive for perfection but you know you're now going to get that in umpiring," he said.
"We don't get it with the players either.
"But you have to do to is get as close as you can and that is a continued work in progress.
"You can pick out isolated incidents of any game and say that it's battling.
"What you have to do is actually look at all nine games over the weekend ... picking isolated incidents isn't the way that you judge the umpires."
Dillon said the system of four field umpires, which some pundits believe has created inconsistency, would prove its worth.
"We're a couple of seasons into the four umpires, it's a work in progress," he said.
"What it does have, it allows ... umpires to be in better positions to make the calls. It's less physically taxing on them.
"When we brought the four umpires in, we expanded the list so we have a number of umpires who are in the early parts of their career.
"So I think over the medium and longer term it's going to be successful."
AFL chief Andrew Dillon insists there's nothing personal in the demotion of Laura Kane while brushing off fierce criticism of the umpiring standard.
Dillon has gone on the Friday hustings after his reshuffle of the AFL executive cost Indigenous identity Tanya Hosch her role and pushed Kane down the pecking order.
Kane's job has been split, with the 34-year-old no longer overseeing key football areas.
"It was a big, big role," Dillon told SEN radio on Friday.
"Decisions affect people but they're not personal.
"It's actually about what's the right thing for the AFL, not just for now, because the AFL's in an incredible position at the moment.
In a separate interview on ABC Radio, Dillon rejected the notion that unconscious gender bias was a factor in Kane's dealings with clubs and subsequent demotion.
"It's not a gender thing," he said.
"Laura has broken down a lot of barriers. She is an incredibly talented administrator."
Hosch's position of inclusion and social policy manager will no longer exist as a separate role once the first Indigenous member of the AFL executive leaves on June 6.
Instead, the existing corporate affairs portfolio will include First Nations engagement and inclusion.
Asked about Hosch's departure, Dillon said on SEN: "What we will have now is more voices and more leaders all across the industry in all of the work that Tanya was doing."
The AFL boss also launched in defence of the standard of umpiring this season which has attracted great scrutiny.
Dillon described the umpiring fraternity as "incredibly talented ... great decision-makers".
"You strive for perfection but you know you're now going to get that in umpiring," he said.
"We don't get it with the players either.
"But you have to do to is get as close as you can and that is a continued work in progress.
"You can pick out isolated incidents of any game and say that it's battling.
"What you have to do is actually look at all nine games over the weekend ... picking isolated incidents isn't the way that you judge the umpires."
Dillon said the system of four field umpires, which some pundits believe has created inconsistency, would prove its worth.
"We're a couple of seasons into the four umpires, it's a work in progress," he said.
"What it does have, it allows ... umpires to be in better positions to make the calls. It's less physically taxing on them.
"When we brought the four umpires in, we expanded the list so we have a number of umpires who are in the early parts of their career.
"So I think over the medium and longer term it's going to be successful."
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7NEWS
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Caroline Wilson slams AFL boss Andrew Dillon for umpiring and free-to-air Saturday lockout response
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.'
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"I feel reassured with my experience, my skills and my knowledge, I can continue to collaborate and build on the existing relationships with an already amazing team of Labor MPs across the country." Senator Cox, who was a member of the Labor Party before she joined the Greens, will be formally admitted into Labor on Tuesday. Mr Albanese said Senator Cox, the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the upper house, would be a welcome addition to the government benches. "She wants to be part of a team that's delivering progress for this country by being a part of a government that can make decisions, to make a difference," he said. "Dorinda Cox is someone who's a former police officer. She's someone who has a lot to offer in terms of policy development." The senator said improvements for Indigenous people would be more achievable within the government than from the crossbench. "It was a decision that I made, and I made that based on some deep reflection," she said. 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