News Greg Swann has accepted a role to become the AFL’s new footy performance boss

[Brizzys Squizzy]

All the best SWANNY, deadset super human effort getting our beloved club off the canvas to win a premiership and now very little debt. Good luck bloke.

 

[lionraven]

I think its great timing. Swan is probably looking to step back into retirement in the next 5 years. He gets to take a role with fat stacks in AFL headquarters before retiring. We need a young guy who would be willing to stay for 10 plus years and get us through the next big transition from the Gabba to Vic Park post Olympics. So many long term deals need to be signed that could make a huge difference to the club in the 2030s. Getting a young guy in and backing them for the long haul seems like a good idea. Much better than trying to get someone to take the job when Swan retires in 5 and Lions are trying to politick hard to get the best outcome from the stadium deal

 

[dlanod]

Like Steve Hocking did Swanny is going into the AFL to blatantly change the rules to favour us

8m kicks are now marks and if you encroach the protected area it’s a 100m penalty.

"Any players under six foot and over 35 are not allowed to be tackled and no free kicks are able to be paid against them."

Just extending Boomer's precedent of course...

 

[Elixuh]

Like Steve Hocking did Swanny is going into the AFL to blatantly change the rules to favour us

8m kicks are now marks and if you encroach the protected area it’s a 100m penalty.

What about holding and scragging god dammit

 

[western royboy]

Leaves a legacy that will last for a long time, what was achieved during his tenure was unimaginable when he walked in. Outstanding performances

 

[BuntonRules]

I think its great timing. Swan is probably looking to step back into retirement in the next 5 years. He gets to take a role with fat stacks in AFL headquarters before retiring. We need a young guy who would be willing to stay for 10 plus years and get us through the next big transition from the Gabba to Vic Park post Olympics. So many long term deals need to be signed that could make a huge difference to the club in the 2030s. Getting a young guy in and backing them for the long haul seems like a good idea. Much better than trying to get someone to take the job when Swan retires in 5 and Lions are trying to politick hard to get the best outcome from the stadium deal

The new bloke certainly fits that bill, & from his resume has the contacts to make sure we are heard - with a link to Swannie.

 

[Tom14]

What about holding and scragging god dammit

Acceptable when we do it but you will now be shot if you put a hand on Charlie's jumper.

 

[Tom14]

Good article in the Age:

After 25 years as a club boss, Greg Swann joins the AFL ‘mothership’

The AFL’s new footy supremo says his No.1 priority will be improving the relationship between the league’s head office and its clubs. But there’s one argument Victorian clubs might not get much traction on.

www.theage.com.au

Key bits - may the rorts live on forever :

While the news was broadly welcomed at club level, some clubs – St Kilda being the most vocal – have been agitating for changes to the talent academies in the northern states. Those arguing for change might find that Swann, given his experience as Lions chief executive, is unpersuaded by their academy concerns.

He took over at a time when the Lions were struggling financially and performing poorly on the field, and he was responsible for the appointment of Chris Fagan as coach at the end of 2016.

Swann leaves the Lions in robust health being debt free, operating out of a new $80 million high-performance centre, having just won a men’s premiership and likely to have $10 million in cash reserves at the end of the year.

Lightheartedly describing the AFL as the “mothership” when announcing his move to Lions players and staff on Monday, Swann noted Brisbane’s enviable record of playing in the past five grand finals for which they have competed – three AFLW grand finals (premiership in 2023) and the past two AFL deciders (premiership in 2024.

Swann will finish at the Lions on Friday, July 18 and start at AFL House on Monday, July 21.

 

[Dalions]

Good article in the Age:

After 25 years as a club boss, Greg Swann joins the AFL ‘mothership’

The AFL’s new footy supremo says his No.1 priority will be improving the relationship between the league’s head office and its clubs. But there’s one argument Victorian clubs might not get much traction on.

www.theage.com.au

Key bits - may the rorts live on forever :

Wow to the $10m in cash reserves at the end of the year.

 

[MSB ROYS]

Wow to the $10m in cash reserves at the end of the year.

It's unbelievable from where we were in 2016.

 

[Maboo]

Was that a big Ah sh*t I just heard come from down St Kilda way?

Haha that was my first thought, there should be a more balanced approach to the northern academies, and by balanced
I mean the rorts should continue and the NGA's should be abolished.

 

[irel]

Wow to the $10m in cash reserves at the end of the year.

We have moved into a new category. "Wealthy Power Club." I like it.

 

[briztoon]

We have moved into a new category. "Wealthy Power Club." I like it.

Next minute, the AFL start to decrease our handouts.

 

[Dalions]

Next minute, the AFL start to decrease our handouts.

And give it to the Nepo Babies.

 

[irel]

Next minute, the AFL start to decrease our handouts.

Ahh, another rort to be exploited. Sam needs to spend the 10 mil on junket trips for BF draft and trading nuffies.

 

[Morbidly_Obese]

 

[Morbidly_Obese]

He better not rat out our salary cap rorts.

 

[martinson]

Swannie getting this job is a blessing in some ways because it should bring some common sense to footy matters that have been appallingly handled since the new regime took over.

The downside is that they'll be all over him like a rash on any measures that are taken that seem to advantage us so I don't take it as any given that anything will be easier for us at least until he establishes his imprimatur on the role.

So don't expect any favours any time soon.

 

[Lazza16]

Swannie getting this job is a blessing in some ways because it should bring some common sense to footy matters that have been appallingly handled since the new regime took over.

The downside is that they'll be all over him like a rash on any measures that are taken that seem to advantage us so I don't take it as any given that anything will be easier for us at least until he establishes his imprimatur on the role.

So don't expect any favours any time soon.

Perhaps a more favourable go from those wonderful umps.

 

[WheildonTheAxe]

This article on who Sam Graham is from Afl.com.au.

AFL congratulates Sam Graham on Brisbane Lions appointment

Sam Graham has been appointed as CEO of the Lions

www.afl.com.au

Sam had over ten years in various executive roles at the AFL and then moved to Qld to take on the COO role with us. Clearly given how quickly this was announced, this seemed like it was 'planned' (not specifically now or for Swann to get this role, but in a general sense).

 

[Viceregal]

Acceptable when we do it but you will now be shot if you put a hand on Charlie's jumper.

New simple rule ... any free that Charlie Curnow gets Charlie Cameron also receives ... one standard (at least for al Charlies!)