The AFL have announced two changes to their football department, with Josh Mahoney and Nicky Couston officially beginning executive roles.
Mahoney, a 2004 premiership player with Port Adelaide, will begin the Football Performance role at the AFL. Mahoney previously was a footy boss at Melbourne and Essendon, before transitioning into General Manager of Football Operations at the AFL.
His new role entails leading Talent, Umpiring, Game Analysis, Player Movement and Coach and Player Engagement across the league.
Interim Head of Talent Couston has been acting in the role since October, but will now permanently hold the executive position.
With nearly two decades in the AFL sphere, Couston has worked at Hawthorn, has been a Player Development Manager and worked within the AFL in various talent and wellbeing roles.
AFL executive general manager Laura Kane said she was delighted with the latest appointments.
โWe have spent time meeting with and listening to our clubs generally,โ said Ms Kane.
โWe want to ensure we are creating a structure that best supports their needs and we are pleased to appoint Josh and Nicky into these important roles, who both have extensive club experience.
โJosh is an experienced football person and over the past year we have seen the positive contribution he has been able to have towards the on-field product, particularly through his work on the Competitive Balance Review.
โHe will continue to work on delivering thrilling football across AFL and AFLW but now through a lens of football performance and ensuring our talent pathways, rules, player movement mechanisms and officiating supports this, along with continuing to liaise closely with our clubs and coaches.
โWe are thrilled to appoint Nicky to lead the talent pathway, she was a standout candidate in a strong pool that saw international applicants.
โThe talent team has more than 300 staff nationally and Nicky has the skills and experience required to ensure our programs and structures are set up for success and create an environment for our young athletes to thrive and flourish.โ
The two will immediately begin their respective roles.
With Mahoney's departure from General Manager of Football Operations, the AFL will open expressions of interest for a fresh face in the role on Wednesday. The occupation involves all aspects of competition management for four major football leagues - AFL, AFLW, VFL, and VFLW.
