THE AFL has bolstered its integrity department with the appointment of one of Victoria Police's most distinguished officers, Gerard Ryan, to lead its investigations team.
AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon announced Ryan's appointment as a special investigator on Sunday, a role in which he will report to AFL competition integrity manager Brett Clothier.
Ryan has served as a police officer for more than 40 years, most recently as detective superintendent at the Crime Command of Victoria Police.
He received the Australian Police Medal in 2011 and led many high-profile, complex investigations into serious and organised crime, terrorism and corruption. These investigations often involved multiple agencies and different international jurisdictions.
Ryan also made a significant contribution to the integrity of Victorian police members, establishing and chairing the Crime Command Local Professional Standards Committee.
Ryan has served as president of VFL club Sandringham since 2006, but will resign to focus on his AFL duties.
Dillon said Ryan's appointment would strengthen the AFL's quest to uphold the integrity of the competition.
"Gerard Ryan is uniquely suited to this important role. He has a deep understanding of the Australian football environment and also an intimate knowledge of the risks that Australian sport faces from corruption, drugs and organised crime," Dillon said.
"In addition to many significant achievements at Victoria Police, he was more recently senior investigating officer in Operation Starlings, which investigated allegations of match-fixing within the Victoria Premier League, and he has managed Purana taskforce's collaboration with Victoria Police's sporting integrity intelligence unit in relation to a number of sport-related investigations."
The AFL wrote to all clubs in October last year outlining expanded integrity measures for the competition and will fill another investigative position soon.
The AFL's expanded integrity department will contain 14 full and part-time staff members, with its work covering the AFL anti-doping code, the AFL's gambling and anti-corruption policies, total player payments compliance, the draft and player transfer system and the AFL's personal conduct policy.
