WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Michael Christian set to provide more transparency under Greg Swann.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today From Monday, after almost three decades of administration at club level which has spanned stints at Carlton, Collingwood and Brisbane, Swann will begin life as an AFL executive.<\/p>\n The 63-year-old was headhunted by AFL CEO Andrew Dillon to lead football operations, a portfolio which is already bursting with a long list of pressing to-do items.<\/p>\n Chief among them is arguably the match review officer\u2019s role and directives, which are certain to change under Swann, who says there should be more public clarity around decisions made in the AFL judicial system.<\/p>\n In an expansive and insightful chat with Channel 7 inside the Brisbane rooms after his final game at the Lions, Swann said he thinks the game is in good order generally speaking, but flagged a number of small changes coming, including with the MRO.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the game\u2019s in fantastic health, I just think there are a few tweaks that we need, and hopefully we can get that done and we\u2019ll go from there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to go around and talk to the clubs and just see what people think.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things I think we also should do is actually explain why we get to a decision that we get to \u2014 I don\u2019t see any reason why we shouldn\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n \u201cMichael Christian might have a bit more of a role in the media to explain how he\u2019s got to certain decisions. That\u2019s something that I think we should do and just be more transparent and put it out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Match lengths in 2025 have consistently been ballooning out towards, and even beyond, 130 minutes due to the number of stoppages throughout the game.<\/p>\n Swann said he wants to tighten that back up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wait too long for people to set up,\u201d he said, as an example of why games are going so long.<\/p>\n \u201cEven from a ruckman point of view, if there are enough people around the stoppage, just ball it up and get on with it. I think that\u2019s a thing we need to look at.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that might be able to be changed relatively quickly, so we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n Also somewhere on his agenda will be the functioning of academies and father-son draft rules.<\/p>\n Coming from a northern club like Brisbane, Swann knows the importance of having the academies, he said, so their role in the talent pathways system going forward is without question \u2014 despite the frustrations of some Victorian clubs.<\/p>\n But Swann admitted the incoming changes to the drafting and points system \u2014 changes that pre-date his start date \u2014 are necessary.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the whole competition decided that that wasn\u2019t a good idea then you\u2019d have a look at that, but I think most of the clubs want to keep that,\u201d Swann said of the father-son rule, on the same day that potential 2026 No.1 draft pick Cody Walker, son of Carlton great Andrew, nominated the Blues as a father-son.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as the academies go, there\u2019s a new system in place this year from a points perspective, so it\u2019s going to be harder for the clubs to get their players, so I think that needs to play out for the next year or two and see what that does.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving lived through it, the academies are really important to get guys and girls to play up here. We\u2019re in a big battle with the NRL and rugby union.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it is fair to say that the price that clubs have paid in the last few years hasn\u2019t been high enough, but this new system will make it so.\u201d<\/p>\n Across a chat that went for almost 10 minutes in all, Swann also said he wants to survey every club about the sub rule, and confirmed he is not a fan of umpires bouncing the ball at centre square restarts.<\/p>\n And while change is doubtless under Swann, he said given he is coming into the role at this late stage of the season, it won\u2019t all come straight away, and won\u2019t necessarily be wholesale when it does.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bulldogs defender suffers sickening ankle injury in dying minutes<\/p>\n 3 min read<\/p>\n![\"Download](\"https:\/\/7news.com.au\/static\/media\/right-red-arrow.92bca5db.svg\"){kind=icon}
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Michael Christian\u2019s role is certain to change under Greg Swann\u2019s watch. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n![\"Long-time](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ff855bf1c6b735ef0111952e1f3cb2f4a7341433.jpg\")
Long-time club chief Greg Swann is joining the AFL executive. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n