Mark Evans talks to the media in his former job as Hawthorn football manager. Picture: Stephen Harman Source: Herald Sun
THE appointment of Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans is a massive win for AFL clubs afraid their voices were no longer being heard.
It is also a prudent move from a City Hall administration accused of lacking transparency and consulting with clubs for the sake of it before making its own decisions.
Evans' rise is meteoric - from schoolteacher, to Melbourne FC media manager, to Hawthorn football manager, and now to the head of the AFL's football operations.
But it is another example of the code's ability to find people of rare talent, develop them over decades, and then unleash them with the power to improve the game.
As Evans said himself today, he knows how clubs think.
His former coach Alastair Clarkson is a tactical innovator as astute as any in the AFL - that experience will serve Evans well as the head of the AFL's laws committee.
Hawk named new AFL footy boss
He has lived first-hand the Travis Tuck three-strikes scenario - that gives him credibility to handle the AFL's illicit drugs code and defend it to the public or tinker at the edges of the policy.
He has been the media manager at a club (Melbourne) with perennial financial strife, then moved to a club with 60,000 members and money to burn.
That allows him to bring expertise when the league confronts the massive equalisation battle ahead of it.
None of it will be easy - the press conference today to announce his role was quickly diverted into the ACC investigation into NRL and AFL football.
It is another example of the enormous issues facing the game at a time when the AFL is appointing three brand new executive members.
Former football operations boss Adrian Anderson was an expert at consultation, but clubs wondered whether the AFL listened to their concerns.
It is clearly a body blow for Hawthorn, faced with the enormous challenge of retaining Lance Franklin as well as a host of out-of-contract players.
He introduced a raft of changes that bettered the game - multiple rules to increase player safety, a crackdown on integrity that now looks inspired, a review of the tribunal which is increases consistency.
But the criticism was that at times he failed to sell the message as effectively despite his myriad achievements.
Clubs were asked for consultation on all manner of subjects, but often wondered if was worth replying given they suspected decisions had already been made.
Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans and Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun
Now the AFL has a football operations manager fresh from club land who will hopefully be able to tackle the legitimate concerns facing AFL clubs without paying them lip service.
There is a perception - perhaps unfair - that the AFL's executive was once a boys club staffed by mates.
Now by choosing the best candidate who also happens to come from an AFL club, the league can easily rebuff that accusation.
It is clearly a body blow for Hawthorn, faced with the enormous challenge of retaining Lance Franklin as well as a host of out-of-contract players.
But the club was pragmatic about Evans' departure today: you appoint solid people, train them up, and if they are poached, it proves their quality.
They will cast the net far and wide, confident it can lure a quality candidate.
In choosing unknown media lawyer Anderson all those years ago, the AFL shocked the football industry.
This decision will be much more comforting for those clubs.
Now the challenge is for Evans to prove he is deserving of the opportunity presented to him.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Clubs get a voice at the top
Dengan url
http://astagaberita.blogspot.com/2013/03/clubs-get-voice-at-top.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Clubs get a voice at the top
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar