Fremantle chief Simon Garlick discusses key takeaways from recent AFL club CEO conference

Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick spoke glowingly about the recent AFL club CEO conference in Perth.

Garlick praised CEOs from rival clubs and league chief Andrew Dillon and his team for their work and discussions surrounding a balanced competition, lowering Indigenous representation and Next Generation Academies, among other topics.

He believes that having the conference in Perth for the first time ever was a testament to Dillon and his team's efforts as they work towards equalisation amongst the competition.

“It was fantastic to have everyone come over to Perth,” said Garlick on SEN's Sportsday.

“It was convenient for us on one hand, but also symbolic, as Andrew and his crew are really looking to ensure they do as much as they can from a competition equity perspective, and it was great to have them over here.”

Garlick was impressed with discussions surrounding what the game can do better, and not just around our clubs.

“Clubs are continually required to look beyond pure self interest and are required to consider what might be in the best interest for the competition as a whole,” he said.

“We also understand there is a broader purpose to the game for the greater good, so we are encouraging discussions around that.”

The issue of the AFL’s overall declining Indigenous representation was also extensively discussed.

“It’s a really important issue,” Garlick continued.

“We at Fremantle have a remarkable history of Indigenous representation, and we share these concerns, and we’ve talked to the AFL a lot about that.”

Next Generation Academies (NGA) were introduced to combat this issue by encouraging and promoting Indigenous and multicultural elite-level pathways to the AFL.

However, access to some players, particularly the highly touted prospects attached to NGAs, became limited due to restrictive rules created and introduced into the draft.  

“When the NGAs were diluted a few years ago and we didn’t get access to players until after Pick 40, it really did start to reduce the incentive,” he said.

“Regardless, we are going to invest in NGAs and areas like Kimberley because we think it’s the right thing to do from a community and participation perspective

These rules have frustrated many AFL clubs that have been training and educating talented young athletes for many years.

“We did four years on Jesse Motlop, and with a stroke of a pen, that changed, and we lost access, and Carlton picked him up,” he said.

First Nations footballers on AFLs list has dropped to an alarming 72 current players and the league is striving to improve that.

“It’s a really important thing for us and, more importantly, the code, as there has been a reduction in Indigenous representation in players over the last couple of years, which is really worrying," Garlick added further.

The AFL is set to make changes to the rules surrounding the drafting of NGA athletes, which will help incentivise clubs to invest more in their academies and, in turn, increase Indigenous representation at the highest level.

Listen to the chat with Garlick below: