These allegations came after the 2017 revision of the AFL’s policy for managing complaints and incidents, which sought to address the poor and inconsistent manner in which complaints levelled by women had been managed. It's not all about gender or ethnicity: a blind spot in diversity programs is holding equality back The AFL offered a formal apology to the umpires. A 2022 report commissioned by the AFL (but not publicly released) reported that female and non-binary umpires were subjected to sexual abuse, assault and racial slurs at all levels of the game. There are dangers for women on the field, as well. Sports journalist Michael Warner’s 2021 book, The Boys Club: Power, Politics and the AFL, unearthed numerous egregious claims about the game’s treatment of female administrators.Īs is often the case in male-dominated organisations, women’s voices have been quieted in the AFL through the use of payouts and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) when they’ve made complaints of sexual harassment or bullying. Historically, AFL House has not been a safe haven for women. But only time will tell if we will see real change in the codes’ hiring decisions. It is promising to see that Laura Kane will be the acting executive general manager of football, and she is expected to be among the candidates to fill the role permanently. Reflecting the AFL’s espoused diversity and inclusion strategy, he quickly turned the spotlight to “his talented, diverse workforce”.ĭiversity is vital for developing the AFL, but the league needs to consider the structural and cultural barriers to attracting this diverse talent in the first place.ĭillon will also need to be sensitive to genuine equity and inclusion - an enduring problem for the AFL. 'Jobs for the boys': women don't get a fair go in sports administrationĭillon has refuted suggestions that his appointment is the result of the “ AFL boys club”. But research shows the numbers of female hires often conceal the gendered workplace cultures and informal practices that can prevent women from progressing in sport management careers. The AFL’s 2022-24 gender equity action plan set lofty aspirations for gender representation across the codes. Sam Mostyn’s 2005 appointment as the league’s first female commissioner was a transformational moment, but she faced resistance and criticism in the job – highlighting the game’s complex cultural problems.

And they are not the first to sit at the decision-making table. Of the eight current serving AFL commissioners, two are also women (Helen Milroy and Gabrielle Trainor). Kylie Watson-Wheeler was in the running for the AFL’s top job.

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