Southern NSW AFL office impacted by national restructure

The AFL announced a major restructure of its entire business in August and the Southern NSW office will feel the brunt of that.

The Daily Advertiser understands three employees from the Southern NSW team have accepted redundancies, while many others will return to work next month in new expanded roles.

The majority of the 11 full-time AFL staff in Southern NSW have been stood down since March due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the AFL.

The staff remaining from the restructure are expected to return to work on November 2.

Among the biggest changes to be rolled out under the new AFL model is there will be no Southern NSW regional manager.

The position only returned to a specific Southern NSW role in February when Marc Geppert took up the job.

But Geppert is set to be promoted to community football manager for regional NSW and ACT.

He will still be responsible for community football in Southern NSW, as part of his region, while another northern-NSW based manager will oversee game development in the area.

AFL NSW-ACT is expected to be divided into two key regions, greater Sydney and regional NSW and ACT.

A handful of the returning staff in the Southern NSW office will begin new regional NSW and ACT positions next month.

Development and football operations staff will continue to work solely on Southern NSW.

AFL NSW-ACT acting chief executive Tiffany Robertson last week declined to comment 'at this time' on how the changes would impact the game in the region.

AFL head of corporate affairs Jay Allen previously told The Daily Advertiser in August that community football, especially in NSW, was a key focus for the organisation through the restructure process.

The restructure has seen the AFL slash about 20 per cent of staff nationally.

The AFL is not alone in making changes with the NRL also in the middle of their own restructure and cost cuts.

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