AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has today announced Brisbane Lions Chief Executive Greg Swann will join the AFL Executive leadership team as the new Executive General Manager Football Performance.
Swann will be responsible for the on-field football product encompassing MRO, Umpiring, Game Analysis, Player Movement, Laws of the Game, innovation and increased engagement to clubs, coaches and players.
Swann has more than 26 years club and AFL football experience as a CEO, leading Collingwood, Carlton and most recently the Brisbane Lions.
Appointed CEO of Collingwood in 2000, Swann joined the Carlton Football Club in 2007, before moving to Queensland to join the Lions in July 2014.
During his Brisbane Lions tenure, Swann has overseen the appointment of Chris Fagan as Senior Coach in late 2016 and then the introduction of Brisbane's inaugural AFLW side in 2017.
He since has worked closely with President Andrew Wellington on the delivery of the Lions' $80 million Springfield high performance and administration base at Brighton Homes Arena and the recently announced new Lions' home ground from 2033, a new 63,000-seat stadium to be built at Victoria Park.
Brisbane delivered nine sell out home crowds in 2024, and 2025 will deliver an eighth consecutive year of record membership.
Swann's club career culminated in Brisbane winning two NAB AFLW Premierships (2021, 2023) and the 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership, their first AFL Premiership since 2003.
Swann will finish with the Lions on Friday 18 July and begin at the AFL on Monday 21 July.
"Greg, across his 26 years leading clubs, has earned a reputation as one of the most passionate and accomplished football CEOs in AFL, steering the on and off field turnaround of three of the competition's proudest clubs," Mr Dillon said.
"Greg has a deep love and understanding of the game, he respects its heritage and has a great instinct on the future direction of footy. He understands how much it means for so many people.
"As I said last week, the game is the reason we exist; it is as big and as good as it has ever been, and the AFL football department must continue to evolve.
"I have great confidence in Laura and Greg to lead our newly announced football department and continue to work with our clubs, players, coaches, umpires, venues and officials to keep our game strong, and to ensure footy remains the number one sport in the country — by every measure."
Last week, Mr Dillon announced a number of leadership changes, including bolstering the AFL Football Department to include two leadership functions – Football Operations and Football Performance, with each stream to have an Executive member reporting into the CEO.
Laura Kane will be responsible for Football Operations, while Swann will now lead Football Performance.
Football Operations, under Ms Kane, will be responsible for the operations of delivering the AFL, AFLW, VFL and VFLW competitions matches and a newly formed AFL healthcare and medical team including the League's mental health response and ongoing concussion management. Ms Kane will also be the Executive team member leading AFLW as it enters its tenth season.
Prior to Swann's commencement at the AFL, Geoff Walsh will be the interim lead of the Football Performance department, working closely with Ms Kane.
