LAURA Kane has become the AFL's most senior football official, with the League confirming her appointment as executive general manager of football on Monday.
Kane has been the AFL's interim football boss since Brad Scott left the role last year to coach Essendon and has now been appointed permanently.
STATEMENT AFL confirms Kane appointment, Mahoney joins
Kane has become one of the most senior deputies to incoming CEO Andrew Dillon at the AFL.
The League has also confirmed Josh Mahoney with work under Kane in his role of general manager of football operations, two weeks after leaving his post at Essendon.
"I'm really proud," Kane told reporters on Monday.
"I feel thankful that the industry has supported me from the outside to come in and work my way through a club, across men's and women's football, and have a wonderful experience in the process.
"To look around and see female presidents, female CEOs, female executives ... it's a really big moment for women in our game."
Hawthorn women's coach Bec Goddard and Essendon counterpart Natalie Wood on Monday lauded Kane's full-time appointment.
"If you're good at what you do, there's opportunity for you on and off the football field," Wood said.
"We're starting to see more women in roles and really important roles.
"It just shows that it's starting to become a real merit-based process and it doesn't matter what your gender is.
"Laura's such a great operator and she's built such a terrific reputation with the work that she does."
Kane listed improving in-game technology, specifically relating to the goal review system, as one of her top priorities in her new role.
She added she would also be focused on increasing AFLW scoring, improving relationships with clubs and being more accessible to fans and media.
"This AFL season has continued throw up a diverse mix of challenges at our competition and Laura has led the football department team brilliantly in what has been a record year for our game," Dillon said.
"Laura's experience, expertise, temperament and resilience, paired with building a team of additional key football talent, is the right mix to lead the football department. As someone who was involved in both the day to day day operations and strategic planning of an AFL men's program and also a key part of North Melbourne's successful bid for an AFLW team, Laura has brought to the AFL a keen sense of club experience and knowledge of the impact of AFL decisions.
"Football is core business for the AFL and we have a responsibility to the clubs, players, coaches, umpires and the fans to deliver the best environments, the best resources, and the best competitions so our game can continue to be the best game in the world."
Kane's portfolio will include all traditional football operations, competition management across the AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW, umpiring, game analysis, player movement, talent pathways and mental health and wellbeing.
Port Adelaide premiership player and long-time club football boss Mahoney will soon be joined by a new general manager football performance.
Mahoney, who was in charge of football programs at Melbourne and Essendon, will oversee a portfolio including football operations and competition management for all competitions, including the AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW, strategic football projects, and the AFL and AFLW competition committees.
A new GM of football performance, who is yet to be appointed, will also report to Kane and look after game analysis, player movement, coaching, talent pathways, MRO, the Tribunal and the ARC, and AFL and AFLW All-Australian and award committees.
