Latest news with #HarrisAndrews
News.com.au
03-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Brisbane Lions co-captain Harris Andrews says AFL will be better with the addition of Greg Swann
Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews will miss the 'energy' of departing Lions chief executive officer Greg Swann but says his move to AFL headquarters will be for the betterment of the competition and supporters. Swann will leave the Lions next month after 11 years at the club after being poached by the AFL to become the organisation's head of football performance, with his duties including taking charge of game analysis, match review, player movement and laws of the game. 'It's exciting for the AFL to get someone that's so accomplished and with such great perspective,' Andrews said. 'He's a fan of the game, so he thinks about things like that. For the AFL to get someone in that position to think about what's going to be best for the fans as well is important.' Having arrived at the Lions in the same year as Swann, Andrews has seen everything that the veteran administrator has done to help turn the club into an AFL powerhouse on and off the field. 'We're obviously sad to lose him … he's been a real rock for us as a club,' Andrews said. 'He's overseen some unbelievable projects. Where we're standing right now probably doesn't happen if he's not there. 'He's just brought so much to us as a club and someone that you know you can have a good laugh with. 'He comes down to the footy department area and always brings a bit of energy, so he'll be heavily missed.' However, Andrews was also excited about what Swann's replacement at the Lions, Sam Graham, would bring to the club's chief executive role. The younger brother of former Geelong star Ben Graham, Sam has been at the Lions for more than 18 months in the job of chief operating officer. Before that, his roles included AFL NSW/ACT chief executive, general manager of Tasmania's taskforce and industry engagement and a job in strategy in the AFL's executive team. 'I'm really excited for Sam and the opportunity that's come up,' Andrews said. 'He's a great guy. He's made a real impact since he has come to the footy club and someone that is a really familiar face. 'It's a very exciting time.' The second-placed Lions will chase their 10th win of the season on Friday night when they travel to Adelaide Oval to meet the Adelaide Crows. The Crows have also started the season strongly, sitting in third place with eight wins from 12 matches. 'It's a great challenge … something that I'm really looking forward to. We're coming up against a really quality opposition team on their home deck,' Andrews said. 'We as a team have done a really great job on the road this year and put some good performances out there. 'We'll get some good feedback about where we're at.'
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL 2025: Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell wants his side to ‘throw our own punches'
Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell says his side must throw its own punches to counter the star-studded Brisbane Lions on Saturday. The fourth-placed Hawks – coming off a loss to Gold Coast in Darwin – face their biggest challenge of the season with the reigning premier at the MCG. The Lions, also coming off a loss, have built their strong start to the season through an extensive stock of stars. Mitchell is wary of the Lions' depth but says his side must 'create some problems for them' going the other way. 'Getting the ball into your front half against a side like Brisbane is vital, we know we need to work on the exact strategy and structure we have,' he said. 'They've got so many talented players, whether we go after one or two of them individually or whether we look at a collective system to try and create some clearance dominance. 'The challenge of the Brisbane midfield is not too dissimilar to that of the Gold Coast midfield, I think when you look at these teams at the top of the ladder, they've got stars on every line. 'We can't afford to over resource the midfield too much because it comes at the expense of something else. 'What we need to do is throw our own punches and make sure we're playing in an assertive and offensive way to create some problems for them.' The job Melbourne forward Jake Melksham did on Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews played a strong hand in the Demons' upset win last week. But Mitchell gave little away as to whether he will pose a similar task to veteran goalkicker Jack Gunston. 'I don't look at that too much specifically, I leave that with the line coaches to figure out exactly who and how to play (Andrews),' he said. 'Brisbane are clearly a potent side with a lot of dangerous players, if we focus too much on that we will go away from our own game, I don't think that helps us either. 'There's a little bit of meet fire with fire and there's a little bit of making sure we can put out a couple of things for them.'
