Australian Football League clubs will "now be given a chance to have a bigger say in the direction of the competition" following a revamp of traditional advisory groups, according to Greg Denham of THE AUSTRALIAN. After a mandate from the AFL Commission this month and a unanimous endorsement from all 18 clubs, the league will "refine its football-specific decision-making process with a new Competition Committee." The new diverse structure -- which will sit below the commission and the AFL exec -- "will consist of 10-15 handpicked current club employees, including senior coaches, who will meet up to four times a year." The new committee will "differ from most of the league’s existing subcommittees by not comprising past players who are not directly working for a club." The Competition Committee, to be chaired by AFL GM of Football Operations Steve Hocking and to include Dir Jason Ball, will "take the place of traditional subcommittees that included the Laws of the Game and the Player Movement advisory group" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 3/21).
