THE THIRD edition of AFL Media's Movers and Shapers Survey is out and it reveals there are some new major players in the game.
Two themes have emerged in 2018. The number of AFL commissioners on the list is the greatest ever, while the birth of AFLW has helped grow the number of women on the list to an all-time high of eight.
All up, there are 16 new members of the top 50 this year.
The survey took place towards the end of last year and those who voted were drawn from the ranks of the AFL, the clubs, the media, player management, stadia and state leagues.
50-11
50. Tony Shepherd
Greater Western Sydney chairman; Sydney Cricket Ground Trust chairman
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
Sydney is in the midst of a stadium battle, with up to $1.6 billion committed to the redevelopment of both ANZ and Allianz stadiums. It means within a few years the two best stadiums in Sydney will be rectangular and unsuited to host AFL games. The SCG with its 48,000 capacity will be the largest AFL venue in New South Wales. Shepherd is well regarded in NSW business and government circles as well as in football and certainly the Giants have made huge strides in their six seasons in the AFL and enter 2018 as one of the flag favourites. Last summer as the controversy swirled over the poor performance of the MCG's drop-in pitches during the Ashes, Shepherd said that there were no plans for the SCG to go down the same path, but there are some in cricket not yet totally convinced, given his ties to the AFL.
49. Bec Goddard
Adelaide AFLW coach
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
Her achievement in masterminding the inaugural AFLW premiership with a playing squad split between Adelaide and Darwin was one of the greatest coaching feats in any sport in 2017. "In terms of leadership and culture, she's the benchmark," said one women's football identity. The flag was nice for Goddard, but almost an afterthought because she has been playing the long game from the start. She was pencilled in for a 15-minute presentation with the AFL Commission last year, but spoke so well that she ended up talking to them for an hour.
48. Majak Daw
North Melbourne ruckman/defender; influencer
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
You may ask why someone with just 30 games for North Melbourne in eight years makes a list such as this. But Daw is the first player from the Sudanese community to play AFL football and a giant – literally and figuratively – of that community. And as long as he remains on North's list, and with the exposure that comes with it, he will help convince young men and women of that community, many of whom are talented athletes, to make Australian football their game of choice. With two years still remaining on his contract, he will remain an important ambassador for the game for some time yet.
47. Daniel Andrews
Victorian Premier
Previously: 2016: 33; 2017: -
There are 300 million reasons why Andrews is a key football stakeholder. That's about the sum the AFL is seeking (with a commitment by the League to match it dollar for dollar) from the Victorian Government for a comprehensive refurbishment of Etihad Stadium. Negotiations are ongoing and helped by the excellent working relationship between AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and both Andrews (an Essendon supporter) and state treasurer Tim Pallas (a big Bulldogs man). The proposed Etihad revamp is now a political issue, with Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy saying that if elected later this year, he would scrap any deal between the government and the league and direct the funds instead to grassroots football.
46. Mark Evans
Gold Coast Suns chief executive
Previously: 2016: 6; 2017: 3
Evans took over at Metricon Stadium on the eve of last season after several years as the AFL's general manager of football. He watched on for a bit and then rang the changes. In the last six months, Evans has appointed a new senior coach (Stuart Dew), football boss (John Haines) and list manager (Craig Cameron). The Suns face a difficult year on the football front, with a developing playing list that has to go on the road for the first nine games of the year because their home ground is unavailable due to the Commonwealth Games. But the biggest item for Evans this year is keeping uncontracted key forward Tom Lynch at the club. Cashed-up Victorian clubs are coming hard at the gun forward and Evans simply has to find a way to keep him at the Suns.
45. Leigh Matthews
Channel 7 and 3AW commentator
Previously: 2016: 11; 2017: 35
'Lethal' doesn't quite boast the audience he used to. He is several years removed from Friday Night Football, but still commentates on Sunday afternoon games on Seven and also on 3AW. However, his authority remains. Few talk about the game with as much clarity as Matthews and when the playing and coaching legend offers an opinion on the state of the game it is always worth listening to. He remains a director of Brisbane, happily hands-off from the football side of things as Chris Fagan and David Noble reshape the club.
44. Brian Taylor
Channel 7 and Triple M commentator
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
Credit where it is due. Taylor was handed the plum assignment calling Friday Night Football alongside Bruce McAvaney last year and he handled himself with aplomb, cutting back on the banality that often marked his previous Saturday night commentary. But his best work came after the final siren with 'Roaming Brian', 10 minutes or so of free-form, unscripted, live TV where he walked the floor of the winning dressing room speaking to whoever was in his line of sight. You can imagine player managers ringing their player each Friday morning with strict instructions to get themselves on the telly if they could. It could be the start of something.
43. Andrew Ireland
Sydney chief executive and managing director
Previously: 2016: - 2017: 25
Ireland will retire at the end of the season, having made an enormous contribution to footy, firstly as a rugged Collingwood defender, but more importantly as a chief executive of both Brisbane and then the Swans who has helped deliver premierships at both clubs. Footy in the frontier states has been in great hands for more than 25 years. "He's pragmatic, he listens to people and treats them properly. He is universally respected," said one AFL executive. Before handing the reins to Tom Harley, his final job will be to secure a new training and administrative base for the Swans. They're outgrowing the SCG but want to remain wedded to their heartland in the east of the city. This will be his legacy project.
42. Garry Lyon
SEN Breakfast host and commentator, Fox Footy commentator
Previously 2016: - 2017: 46
Lyon resumed his place in the footy media world in 2017 as host of the SEN breakfast show, which rated only modestly, and returned to his former roles fronting Footy Classified and AFL.com.au's Access All Areas. But he ramps things up this year with hosting and commentating duties on Fox Footy, which brings his 20-year association with Nine to a close. Had he ever had the urge, he would have made a fine AFL coach, and his strength as a commentator is to quickly identify what is taking place on the ground and what needs to happen next. He'll be a great get for Fox Footy.
41. Kim Williams
AFL commissioner
Previously: 2016: 32; 2017: -
You can't have enough knowledge of the media, and even though Williams is now a few years removed from his long career with News Limited and Foxtel, he gets how the media works and knows its key players. The thing about the media rights discussions is whereas once the deal was done and the AFL could then put it to bed for a few years, the rapid rate of change in the media sector (streaming video, Facebook, Netflix et al) means the shape of the AFL's next agreement is already being tossed around. It will have already been noted by the AFL that the English Premier League recently sold some of its TV rights for about 10 per cent less than before. Williams also likes to poke and prod around the commission table, making sure the executive and fellow commissioners have considered every angle before reaching a decision. "His intelligence is off the charts," said one AFL senior manager, who himself is known for being about the smartest person in the organisation.
40. Andrew Fagan
Adelaide Football Club chief executive
Previously: 2016: - 2017: 45
The Crows are such a powerful brand – one of the largest institutions of all in South Australia and in the AFL – and Fagan helps drive it. The Crows have crunched the numbers and will keep their training and administration base at the soon-to-be-dismantled Football Park, and given they pay no rent, why would they consider moving? But they have angered some of their supporters by not establishing some sort of supporter hub close to Adelaide Oval to replicate The Shed, the facility their fans enjoyed frequenting on match days at their old home ground. With an active digital presence and their foray into esports, the Crows are making a good fist of staying ahead of the curve. Heaven knows how much cash they'll reap if they go one better this year and win the premiership.
39. Erin Phillips
Co-captain Adelaide, AFLW
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
All Erin Phillips did at age 31 in 2017, her first season of competitive football since her primary school days, was step off the basketball court after a decorated career at representative level and in the WNBA, and dominate. She won Adelaide's best and fairest and both the AFLW best and fairest medal and the AFLW Players' Most Valuable Player Award.She was also the co-captain of Adelaide's premiership team. The picture of her kissing wife Tracy Gahan after winning the AFLW best and fairest went viral and played a part in the 'vote yes' campaign that overwhelmingly won the same sex marriage plebiscite held in Australia late last year. "A true game-changer," said one commentator. "She has played a huge role in equality in sport and has given hope to young people battling with their sexuality."
38. Ken Wood
Manager, TPP assurance and advice (investigations manager, AFL)
Previously: 2016: 39; 2017: 34
As always, one of the most important people at the AFL, but one who is barely known to the those outside the game. For more than a decade Wood has been the League's salary cap czar, ensuring clubs keep to their limits, and during the player exchange period, ensuring all the trades are kosher. Just a reminder of the sum at hand – according to the AFL's annual report, total player payments across the competition in 2017 came to more than $225 million. It is complicated to calculate and fastidious to maintain, so little wonder Wood and his team, locked away in the closest thing AFL House has to a secure bunker, are so well regarded.
37. Gab Trainor
AFL Commissioner
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
They're a bit reluctant at the AFL to find people just on the basis that they "tick the right boxes" but in Trainor's case that description justly applies. She's from a great football family (her grandfather Frank and father Tony served a combined 22 years as president of North Melbourne), lives in Sydney, has a legal and media background and serves on a number of boards in the corporate sector and with NGOs. Her knowledge and experience with infrastructure, major projects and governance brings an important dimension to the AFL. "She's the full package," said one of her many admirers in the game. "Any board in Australia would love to have her."
36. Kevin Bartlett
SEN broadcaster, AFL legend
Previously: 2016: 19; 2017: 37
If you don't think KB carries serious clout, consider how big a deal it became in the lead-up to last year's Grand Final when it emerged that his beloved Richmond would be forced to wear its clash strip for the game. Bartlett decried the move and as one industry figure observed, "The amount of coverage those comments got shows just how much cut-through he has. You can bag him for his sensationalist, even tabloid views, but he still shapes opinion on a daily basis." Bartlett has surrendered his key 9am slot on SEN to Gerard Whateley, but he and John Rothfield (aka Dr Turf) now broadcast every day from 3-6pm and still have plenty to say. Bartlett resisted all overtures to play a large role before and after last year's Grand Final, preferring instead to watch the game from the stands with his wife, Denise.
35. Dustin Martin
Richmond midfielder, 2017 Brownlow medalist
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
Has any player in League history enjoyed a better season than Martin in 2017? The Tiger won the Brownlow Medal with a record 38 votes (excluding 1976-77 when both umpires voted), which included a record 11 best-on-ground votes. He polled votes in an astonishing 14 games. He then backed up in the Grand Final with 29 possessions, six clearances and two goals to win the Norm Smith Medal. Martin made the Tigers sweat though most of last season before signing a new seven-year deal and if you believe the stories at the time, he was awfully close to joining North Melbourne. In the end, the process was artfully played out by his manager, Ralph Carr. Martin's brilliant season, his good-natured media appearances through September and his raw and honest Brownlow acceptance speech have helped reshape his image and he is now the national face and body of Bonds underwear and apparel, as well as a star of the new Fox Sports TV campaign.
34. Peter Gordon
Chairman and president, Western Bulldogs
Previously: 2016: 20; 2017: 14
The Bulldogs mounted one of the more disappointing premiership defences in recent times last year and missed the finals altogether after their barnstorming triumph the year before. But the club is in a brilliant position off the field and last year eradicated all its remaining bank debt. Gordon remains a voice of conscience on larger football matters and what can't be understated are his connections to the Victorian state government. One of his best mates is Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, who will have a large say in whether the planned refurbishment of Etihad Stadium and its surrounds takes place, as well as other football-related infrastructure projects both at AFL and grassroots level. His recent spat with former vice-president and club benefactor Susan Alberti has been both unsettling and fascinating.
33. Peter Blunden
Managing director, Herald & Weekly Times
Previously: 2016: 35; 2017: 20
The Herald Sun understands what gets people buying newspapers and refreshing their web browsers – crime, celebrities and footy. Lots of footy. The recipe hasn't changed all that much over the years and the 'back page of the little paper' is one of the first places footy fans go looking for news and information. But there has been an added dimension to the AFL-HWT dimension the last 12 months with dogged, and some would say sensationalist reporting of the departures of senior executives Simon Lethlean and Richard Simkiss from the AFL following inappropriate relationships with female staff members.
32. Chris Scott
Geelong Football Club senior coach
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
Only Alastair Clarkson has been in the same job for longer among the 18 senior coaches (John Longmire started at the Swans in the same year), meaning Scott's opinions count for plenty, and the AFL is more likely to pick up the phone when he calls – particularly in the football operations department, whose new boss, Steve Hocking, worked alongside Scott at the Cats for years. Scott is also the coach of the Australian International Rules team and those near-annual matches allow him to bend the ear of the AFL heavyweights. Along with Clarkson, he attended the Super Bowl in Minneapolis last month, visiting NBA and NFL teams and attending a leadership conference with England's football manager Gareth Southgate and Team Sky boss Sir David Brailsford. On the field, all the elements would seem to be in place for Geelong to make a serious assault on this year's flag, with Gary Ablett's celebrated return to the club meaning the Cats have the most talent-laden midfield in the competition. They'd want to come close, because Geelong fans are as restless as they have been for some time.
31. Nicole Livingstone
AFL Head of Women's Football
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
As a genuine high achiever in sport as an Olympic swimmer, broadcaster and administrator, her appointment was hailed by the AFL as a coup. And while she immediately stepped in as a figurehead for the 460,000 women and girls who now play the game, it is too early to tell where her focus will be. It could be operations and strategy focused, or will she be more of a spokesperson and brand ambassador? She would be well suited to both and the football industry is eagerly waiting to see what sort of stamp she starts to put on a part of the game whose growth is so critical to the AFL's agenda.
30. Simone Wilkie
AFL commissioner
Previously: 2016: - 2017: 42
AFLW needed a guardian on the commission after Sam Mostyn's departure and she is described by one AFL executive as "the champion of the women's cause". She has been heavily involved in the look, shape and feel of the women's competition, but there is more to the only Canberra-based commissioner than that. Wilkie was a highly decorated 35-year veteran in the Australian Army, and her learnings on culture and acceptance of women has made a major impression on the AFL.
29. Darren Birch
AFL General Manager, Growth, Digital and Audience
Previously: 2016: - 2017: 26
Following an internal restructure at the AFL, a tweaking of responsibilities left Birch with one key responsibility – delivering the game to the fans as well as possible and by every means possible. His role at the AFL is critical because as one observer noted, "With the next media rights set to be the most complex ever, his position focused on growing the code and its fan base will be central." Ticketing, membership, marketing, AFL shops, fan engagement and digital all fall under his remit and as part of the restructure, AFL Media including the AFL website and apps, and the AFL Record now also come under his watch. If the AFL manages to grow its revenue significantly ahead of the next media rights deal, it will be Birch and his team who generate it.
28. Kevin Sheedy
Thinker, salesman
Previously: 2016: 46; 2017: -
When Kevin Sheedy spoke at the launch of his book celebrating his 50 years in football last October, he said he was entering the 'final quarter' of his time in the game. Many premierships are won in the final quarter and Sheedy remains committed to spruiking the game in every corner of the country and parts outside it as well. He still works two days each week for the Bombers in a marketing capacity and the Country Game against Geelong is now an event game for the club that it hopes will someday match Anzac Day and Dreamtime at the 'G, his other creations. The football rehabilitation of James Hird is another cause that will be close to his heart this year.
27. David Koch
Port Adelaide chairman
Previously: 2016: 26; 2017: 30
The China game is now an annual part of the AFL fixture and for that we can largely thank 'Kochie', who had the vision to make it happen. His next goal is to convince a Victorian club to give up a home game to play in China, and to the morning TV host we say, good luck with that one. On the local front, it was a testing few weeks after the Power somehow lost a home elimination final to West Coast – in extra-time admittedly – with Koch carpeted for his snarky, post-match, "Let us know and we'll trade them" remark about players who might not be committed to the Port Adelaide cause. It's a tough school out at Alberton and as Koch admitted himself, "I'm not going to sugar-coat it and say Port Adelaide is like Disneyland, it's not." He was probably referring to his relationship with Ken Hinkley, which is not always idyllic. Still, he didn't let things linger when Gold Coast came hard at his coach, extending his contract through until 2021.
26. Paul Bassat
AFL Commissioner
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
The co-founder of the SEEK online jobs search empire has been on the commission since 2012 and is now its second longest-serving member. This is the first time he has appeared on this list, with many noting that his influence in the game's big-picture thinking is growing. "He knows a lot about the areas we want to go to, such as technology, start-ups and an agile workforce," said one AFL senior manager. Given his background, Bassat keeps a close eye on AFL Media, while his grasp of detail around the commission table is always noteworthy. "He reads everything," said another executive.
25. Daisy Pearce
Melbourne AFLW captain
Previously: 2016: 49; 2017: 24
When AFLW got underway last year Daisy Pearce, Moana Hope and Lauren Arnell were arguably the three best-known players. The latter two have had their struggles, but not Pearce, who has starred for the Demons pretty much from the get-go. Pearce is part of the Paul Connors stable and in terms of marketing and media she is one of that company's top-10 earners, and a bit like stablemate Patrick Dangerfield, off-field work seems not to have affected her footy. On the field, she is smart and tough, blessed with a super tank and able to run all day. She added 4kg to her frame between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, having seen how the extra strength worked wonders for Erin Phillips. Pearce is a brilliant leader of not just her club, but the women's game. "She's a natural," said one leading AFLW figure. "She's got strong opinions and she's not afraid to express them."
Daisy Pearce is a brilliant leader of Melbourne and the women's game. Picture: AFL Photos
24. Damien Hardwick
Richmond senior coach
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
They took the 'honesty pills' at Tigerland in the lead-up to last season and the result was spectacular. In masterminding Richmond's first premiership in 37 years, Hardwick became just the fourth person in League history to win flags at three clubs, having been a premiership player at Essendon and Port Adelaide. There was a reinvention at the Tigers, an atmosphere of brutal honesty and self-awareness, but also one where the love was shared. Konrad Marshall's superb fly-on-the-wall account of last season, Yellow and Black, gives a graphic account of 2017, and Hardwick's homespun homilies and weekly themes were a thing of beauty. But he also shook up the team and dispelled the myth that clubs need two tall forwards to win the flag. Richmond's mosquito fleet delivered magnificently on Grand Final day and now we wait to see how many other clubs will adopt a similar approach in 2018. He was re-contracted earlier this month by the Tigers and will remain coach until at least 2021.
23. Lance Franklin
Sydney forward, drawcard
Previously: 2016: 48; 2017: 33
Still the pied piper of footy. When he plays, the fans will go to the match and they will watch on TV. Sydney is one of the largest sporting brands in the country and he remains a key reason why. He is one of a number of outstanding players at the Swans, but still the only one likely to turn heads walking down George Street. The Swans would love that to change and hope that locally-bred emerging stars such as Isaac Heeney and Callum Mills will soon have a lustre of their own, but for now it's Buddy, who is entering the meat of his playing contract – year five of his nine-year deal – who carries the can for the game in Australia's largest city.
22. Peggy O'Neal
Richmond president
Previously: 2016: 17; 2017: 49
She stood her ground with steely resolve at the end of 2016 when rumblings of a board challenge began to emerge, and reaped the rewards 12 months later when the Tigers marched to their first flag in 37 years. It is hard to think of a club president with less of an ego than O'Neal, whose operating philosophy at Tigerland seems to be to instill the right levels of governance and process, ask the appropriate questions at right time, and let the executives run the club. Still, Australia wants to get to know her a bit better, and since the flag win she has appeared on ABC TV's Q&A and spoken at the National Press Club. She has quite the story to tell.
21. Brendon Gale
Richmond chief executive
Previously: 2016: 17; 2017: -
What a club the Tigers have become. Impeccably run from top to bottom and ticking boxes not just on the field, but off it as well. Under Gale's leadership, Richmond has become a well-rounded organisation that most importantly is developing key non-football revenue streams that don't rely on the gaming industry. When your chief customer officer, Cain Liddle, is poached to become the chief executive of Carlton, of all clubs, you must be going all right. The Tigers are a leader in the digital space and have capitalised on the premiership in the right fashion – they had already surpassed last year's membership tally by the middle of February. AFL boss Gill McLachlan clearly isn't going anywhere, but if you were framing a market for his replacement, Gale would feature heavily in the betting.
20. Brian Cook
Geelong chief executive
Previously: 2016: 16; 2017: 23
His remarkable tenure as Geelong chief executive continues. He joined the Cats at the start of 1999 after nearly a decade with West Coast in the same role and will end this season as the equal longest-serving chief executive in the history of the game. His body of work is immense at the Cats, with the redevelopment of the once-decrepit GMHBA Stadium into one of the premier sports stadiums in the country, three premierships and countless finals appearances. However, these are interesting times at the Cats, with Cook committed to the job until at least 2020, although you wonder whether that would have been the case had two of his most trusted lieutenants, Steve Hocking and Justin Reeves not departed for respective new roles at the AFL and Hawthorn.
19. Ray Gunston
AFL general manager of infrastructure, major projects and investment
Previously: 2016: - 2017: 19
A fitting ranking given the number his son, Jack, wears for Hawthorn and also because of the considerable scope within his remit at the AFL. Gunston successfully negotiated the new CBA agreement on behalf of the League, is the chairman of Etihad Stadium and front and centre of the discussions with the Victorian Government about the stadium's future, and has been charged with reviewing the AFL's ties to the gaming industry and how that can be reshaped in the future. These are all meaty decisions for the game to make, but Gunston is hugely respected in football.
18. Mark Robinson
Herald Sun chief football writer
Previously: 2016: 13; 2017: 17
Read the comments on the Herald Sun website after his articles and it becomes clear that Robinson remains one of the most polarising figures in football media. Then again, any big name in footy has an equal band of fans and detractors, so he is not alone in that respect. As the lead writer for the biggest football paper in the country and the co-host of Fox Footy's heavily watched AFL 360, he is prolific and influential. Two things are key with 'Robbo': 1) rank and file footy fans relate to him, and 2) players enjoy chatting to him. He also has a keen understanding of how the game is played. These are the credits he has in the bank and they're important after a rocky 12 months that included a tweet about Collingwood's Alex Fasolo that he would like to take back and then his sudden departure from SEN where he was a key contributor across several programs.
17. Craig Kelly
TLA Australia chief executive
Previously: 2016: 31; 2017: 29
The former Collingwood defender sold his Elite Sports Properties business to the global TLA a few years back with the proviso that he remains at the helm in Australia. The business is going well, with more than 260 AFL players on the books as well as several AFL coaches and high-profile broadcasters and commentators. "He orchestrates the whole footy media scene," said one observer. TLA acquired Stride Sports last year, meaning another leading agent Tom Petroro and his team are on the books, and when you add in the events and sponsorship aspects of TLA's business, it has become indispensable to the football industry. As for Kelly, "He's steering the ship nicely till he gets his buy-out," said another AFL identity. After that, who knows? Many believe him to be the logical successor to Eddie McGuire as Magpie president but given his close ties to the AFL and his friendship with Gillon McLachlan, some sort of large role in the game seems a given.
16. Jeff Kennett
Hawthorn president
Previously: 2016: - 2017: -
Football's unofficial 'leader of the opposition' is back, having answered an SOS last October from the Hawks, who were a bit rudderless and lacking leadership and stability at the top of the organisation following the abrupt departures of president Richard Garvey and chief executive Tracey Gaudry. Kennett, who was Hawks president from 2006 to 2012, has since made some sweeping changes to the senior management of the club and in an extraordinary move, gained the agreement of all board members to step aside if better people come along in the meantime. The big-ticket items are still to come, namely Alastair Clarkson's future beyond the 2019 expiration of his contract, the Dingley training and administration complex and the future of the club's partnership with the Tasmanian government. Tassie is particularly fascinating and if the AFL can prise the Hawks out of there (and it would take one hell of a deal to do so) it dramatically changes the landscape in footy's most troubled state.
15. Travis Auld
AFL chief financial officer, manager of clubs and broadcasting
Previously: 2016: 25; 2017: 21
A $66 million turnaround in the AFL's bottom line looks good for Auld, the executive in charge of the League's day-to-day finances. But where his impact is more pronounced is his go-between role with the clubs, and what we do have in 2018 are fewer dust-ups, at least in public, between the clubs and HQ. The Etihad tenant clubs are also pleased that after years of writing cheques to the AFL, new match-day revenue arrangements are now in place. Fixturing and scheduling is the final piece in the puzzle for Auld and while you can't please all the people all the time, the abundance of Carlton and the relative lack of the Demons and Hawks on Friday nights this year raised eyebrows when the draw was released.
14. Patrick Dangerfield
Geelong champion, AFLPA president
Previously: 2016: - 2017: 11
Didn't back up his Brownlow win from the year before, but he might have had an even better year, given his brilliance in the midfield and as a one-out forward. Those who saw him kick 5.6 against Hawthorn on one leg will never forget it. And that's the thing with Dangerfield – his on-field talents have not been diminished one little bit by his various media roles, his AFLPA leadership duties and even fatherhood. The more that is thrown his way off the field, the better he plays. Dangerfield is the third-most active AFL player on Twitter and his insights are usually sharp and on-message. "He's probably the best at being authentic, humorous and showcasing life outside of footy," said Twitter's former head of sport in Australia, Jonno Simpson.
13. Paul Connors
Player manager
Previously: 2016: 27; 2017: 18
Connors is coming off a big year in which he kept Josh Kelly at Greater Western Sydney despite enormous offers to move elsewhere, had seven of the first 11 players selected at last year's NAB AFL Draft come from his stable (the Victorian private schools are his specialty) and expanded his business by bringing in the respected Robbie D'Orazio as an equity partner. Connors now has more than 100 players on his books and can help shape premierships in the next few years. If the Giants win a flag this year or next, having Dylan Shiel and Josh Kelly remain with the club will have been vital. Connors engineered Patrick Dangerfield's move to Geelong, whose premiership window remains open, and this year it is Tom Lynch's decision whether to remain with Gold Coast or move back to Victoria that will be made in conjunction with Connors. Richmond remains a huge premiership chance if Lynch goes there, while the Hawks become a genuine contender once again if he joins them. And then there's Collingwood, which will move heaven and earth to get him. More often than not, Connors' clients tend to stay put, so don't count out the Suns keeping him by any stretch.
12. Gerard Whateley
SEN broadcaster and commentator, Fox Footy AFL 360 co-host
Previously: 2016: 8; 2017: 10
In a summer of major media moves, Whatley's move to SEN was the biggest. Admittedly, this survey was taken when Whateley was still with the ABC, but it is hard to see how his influence will wane now that he plies his craft on a 24/7 AFL-obsessed station. What is already clear after just two months is that he remains one of footy's calmest, balanced and most sophisticated broadcasters despite the change of address, and that footy's heavy hitters will find their way to his morning timeslot, just as they do to the evening TV show he co-hosts with Mark Robinson on Fox Footy. He will be missed by the ABC and the AFL will miss having him there; the national broadcaster can be Sydney-centric and it did no harm for footy that it's No.1 sports broadcaster was Melbourne-based and so influential in the indigenous game.
11. Rupert Murdoch/Fox Sports/Foxtel
Chairman, News Limited
Previously: 2016: 10; 2017: 12
We're only in the second year of the six-year media rights deal which delivers Fox up to six exclusive games a week and a huge chunk of the $2.5 billion the AFL is pocketing from this rights deal, but where this gets interesting is the soon-to-be-finalised merger between Fox Sports and Foxtel. What is tipped to follow is the public listing of the new business, to be headed by new Foxtel boss and former Fox Sports chief executive Patrick Delany, which would arm it with the cash to aggressively chase future sports rights in a highly competitive market against entities such as Facebook and Netflix. Before then, Foxtel is likely to need to make a decision on the AFLW, of which it has so far broadcast every game as an act of goodwill towards the AFL, but whose broadcast rights for next year and beyond will shortly go to market. Another key partnership with the AFL is the WatchAFL app, which services AFL fans outside Australia with live and replayed games, and Fox Footy's AFL various panel shows.
