Firm stance ... Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas. Source: Sarah Reed / News Limited
In the final analysis, it was Keith Thomas, the CEO of Port Adelaide, not the AFL executive, who pulled the pin on Darren Burgess's (unpaid) involvement with Adelaide United's search for a full-time coach.
Thomas made that position clear last Wednesday evening in a press statement to the Adelaide Advertiser.
For a heathen, such as I, who hearkens from non-traditional Aussie Rules territory (NSW), talking with Thomas about what unravelled in Burgo-gate has added to my understanding of the AFL machine.
At this point, it’s perhaps worth clarifying references to "the AFL". What might one mean when referring to "the AFL"?
Is it the organisation (administration), the game (the professional league) or the culture that accompanies this societal phenomenon?
Give or take, it’s been a couple of decades since the Victorian Football League (VFL) morphed into the AFL. The evolution of the sport’s governance and structure has achieved an international best-practice standard and, in the process, become a commercial leviathan.
The whole-of-sport alignment has been so expertly rolled-out that the lines of demarcation between the various parts of the sport can sometimes be, to the untrained and naked eye, difficult to discern.
It might seem like a trite example, but the symbolism seems powerful to me; nowadays one no longer hears from kids that they play Aussie Rules (certainly in non-traditional Aussie Rules regions, where to play "footy" means something else), but that they play AFL.
Truth is, only the talented few get to play in the AFL. The AFL is the competition and Aussie Rules is the game, isn’t it? Or have I missed something?
Now, from the get-go and according to them, kids play AFL. They're immediately part of the AFL continuum, part of the broader movement. As a branding exercise, it’s brilliant.
It’s a great example of a sport's corporatisation intersecting with community and grass roots activation. One can but admire its effectiveness.
The intersecting layers of the AFL are tightly woven. Indeed, as Thomas told me, his overseeing state affiliate, the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and AFL are "joined at the hip". Again, such structural efficaciousness would be the envy of many organisations.
During our conversation, Thomas explained that there sometimes may appear a "blurry line" between the AFL and SANFL (and, an innocent question; what is the "national" part of the South Australian state competition, anyway?).
But back to Darren Burgess, high performance and strength and conditioning doyen. Burgess was approached by A-League club Adelaide United, seeking his assistance in their search for a new head coach.
Burgess's bona fides for such a contribution are strong, having just returned from a stint in the UK with football powerhouse Liverpool, which itself followed a period with the Socceroos for the 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign.
Burgess sought approval from his Port Adelaide employers, which was duly granted. Indeed, on February 5, Port’s Football Operations Manager, Peter Rhode, in declaring his club had "no issues" with Burgess's Reds involvement, added "we are always happy to see someone contribute to something like that".
But by February 14, ironically, the love-in was over. Thomas conveyed the message to the Reds that Burgess was no longer available to Adelaide United.
On Wednesday evening of last week, Thomas stated in a club press release, "We were happy for Darren to begin assisting Adelaide United in its search for a new coach. But with the 2013 AFL season approaching, I reached the view that Darren's efforts were best concentrated on the challenges of preparing the Port Adelaide Football Club for the year ahead."
So, what happened between February 5 and February 14, that so changed the club’s attitude to Burgess's unpaid extracurricular activities?
Enter SANFL, the holder of Port’s AFL participation license.
According to Thomas it was made clear to him in a meeting with SANFL that it wasn’t thought to be a good idea that Burgess be assisting the Reds.
Darren’s high-priced recruitment and seniority, the pressure on Port after recent failed seasons, etc were listed as reasons and that total focus to the Port cause was required.
SANFL was "very firm about it". Further, Thomas "presumed it was possible that SANFL might have spoken to the AFL"” about the issue. Thomas said he never spoke with the AFL about Burgess and Adelaide United.
Thomas did, however, come around to the SANFL view.
And so, this much is clear - the AFL (Head Office) denies any knowledge of the matter. The intervention of AFL affiliate, SANFL, lead to a rethink at club level at which point AFL club Port Adelaide’s CEO terminated the relationship between Adelaide United and Burgess.
Meanwhile, Adelaide United’s search for a new head coach continues, sans Darren Burgess.
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