Before her responsibilities were effectively cut in half, Laura Kane was burdened with the most challenging role in football, spanning everything that was hard and controversial about managing the game. Much of the criticism she copped should have been directed at the people she was directly managing, as well as the people who hired her.<\/p>\n
Greg Swann\u2019s arrival at AFL<\/a> House last Monday came with a sigh of relief. \u201cSwanny\u2019s a ripper\u201d and \u201cSwanny understands clubland\u201d must have been uttered dozens of times on radio, on podcasts and TV this past week. But even with a fraction of Kane\u2019s responsibilities, it remains one of the most demanding jobs in football. Swann is phlegmatic, he\u2019s a pragmatist and (so far) he\u2019s refreshingly free of weasel corporate-speak. Here are a few areas where he can make his mark.<\/p>\n 1. Improve the standard of umpiring<\/p>\n As football has become more professional, the umpiring department has not followed suit. There\u2019s never been more umpires on the field, there\u2019s never been more scrutiny on them, and there\u2019s never been more for them to do. Everything is magnified now. We\u2019re watching every game live, on large, high-definition televisions. Every game is replayed to within an inch of itself. But it\u2019s still officiated by part-timers who are barristers, accountants, teachers and public servants. There are clearly issues around depth, and the gap between the best and worst umpires is widening. They need to be better supported, paid, trained, instructed and led. It\u2019s one of the most critical issues the game faces.<\/p>\n Improving umpiring and fixing the score review system should be high on Greg Swann\u2019s to-do list. Photograph: Joel Carrett\/AAP2. Simplify and clarify the rules<\/p>\n This is related to the first point. Umpires have to interpret and implement ever-changing and incomprehensible laws. The holding the ball rule is a mess. Ruck free kicks are bewildering. And there are 19 elements of the \u201cstand\u201d rule the poor buggers have to factor in. Swann was hired for his decisiveness and his ability to cut through red tape and he needs to prove his worth here.<\/p>\n 3. Shorten the games<\/p>\n Swann was still in his Brisbane polo top when he lamented the length of games. Right now, the quarters are about four minutes too long. The average match length has increased by seven minutes over the past decade, and is up by more than two minutes on last season. There\u2019s lots of fat to trim. A good starting point would be to no longer wait for lumbering ruckmen to arrive to throw ups, and to not call for a score review every five minutes. On that note \u2026<\/p>\n 4. Fix the score review system<\/p>\n It has affected finals games. It has cost teams top-eight spots. It has made goal umpires second guess themselves. And it sucks the air out of games. It would work, maybe, if it was used as sparingly as possible. It would work, maybe, if the technology was evenly remotely up to the task. Either invest in proper technology and have proper processes, or don\u2019t use it at all.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly<\/p>\n Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week’s biggest AFL stories<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Former Brisbane Lions chief executive Greg Swann celebrates with the team after their round-19 win. Photograph: Russell Freeman\/AFL Photos\/Getty Images5. Give Ken Hinkley his 20 grand back<\/p>\n