In the most recent development in the AFL’s football operations department, Geoff Walsh, the former head of football at Collingwood, has been appointed to a consulting role at league headquarters. This comes after Laura Kane (Executive General Manager of Football) and Josh Mahoney (General Manager of Football Operations) took on positions in the department under the new CEO, Andrew Dillon.
Geoff Walsh, who brings with him an impressive 37 years of administrative experience, had previously worked as the head of football for St Kilda, although he resigned from that role after four months for personal reasons. He has also held positions with Carlton, North Melbourne, and Collingwood, where he oversaw the football departments of each club.
In his new part-time role, Geoff Walsh will collaborate with Andrew Dillon, Laura Kane, and Josh Mahoney at AFL House, focusing on the league’s football operations sector. He expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I am looking forward to joining the AFL and working with Laura and the team to ensure that we can set up the broader football portfolio for continued success.”
Geoff Walsh’s responsibilities will span across various competitions, including AFL, AFLW, VFL, VFLW, and the Coates Talent League. He will also play a crucial role in the CBA Competitive Balance review and provide assistance to the league’s list management team as part of the plans to expand the competition into Tasmania in the coming years.
“He will assess and scrutinize the development of the state league competitions in the sport, as well as the league’s process for granting draft concessions.
Kane, in a statement released by the league, praised Geoff as one of the most respected football administrators in the industry, emphasizing his wealth of experience with various clubs that will provide valuable club-level insights to the AFL.
The AFL Football Operations department is currently undergoing reorganization, with Josh Mahoney making a strong start during the AFL finals series and the AFLW home and away season. The upcoming AFLW finals series is anticipated to be fiercely competitive and entertaining.
In the forthcoming weeks, additional announcements will be made to finalize the resources within the football performance domain.”
