Popular Queensland football identity Dean Warren is the new General Manager of Football Operations at the Brisbane Lions.
Friday, 29 October, 2010
Popular Queensland football identity Dean Warren is the new General Manager of Football Operations at the Brisbane Lions.
It is an appointment that means the Lions will have Queenslanders filling their two key football roles, with Warren joining coach Michael Voss.
Warren will belatedly fill the role vacated early this year by long-time football boss Graeme “Gubby” Allan, which was done by ex-High Performance Manager Dan Collins before he was made redundant earlier this month.
Warren, a QAFL State League Grogan Medalist and Queensland Football Hall of Famer, will join the Lions on 15 November after 22 years in administration with the AFL Australian Football League.
A one-time trialist with the founding Brisbane Bears and a 170-game veteran with Wilston-Grange and Kedron-Grange, has held a number of roles at the AFL, including his most recent position as the National Community and Participation Manager.
“Dean has great experience in the AFL, both as an administrator and as the National Community and Participation Manager for the past seven years,” said Lions chairman Angus Johnson in an official club statement today.
“This is an extremely important position and we are very confident that Dean will do a fantastic job.”
Warren, enormously well-respected through Queensland football ranks, said: “Having worked at the AFL for a long period of time, it will be exciting to work for the Brisbane Lions and focus on football operations at a Club level.
“I have great respect for what the Lions have achieved over the past decade and I am eager to hit the ground running in preparation for season 2011 and beyond to ensure that we remain one of the most successful Clubs in the AFL.”
A tough tenacious rover originally from Gympie, Warren made his senior debut at local level aged 14 before going on to represent Queensland at junior and senior level.
He won the prestigious Grogan Medal in 1993 at Kedron Grange, was captain of the club and won two club B&F awards.
In June this year he was inducted with parents Ray and Helen and brother Glen into the Sunshine Coast AFL Hall of Fame in recognition of the entire family’s life-long commitment to the game in the region.
In paying a special tribute to his long-time staff member, David Matthews, AFL General Manager National and International Development, said Warren’s appointment was outstanding recognition of Warren’s achievements and his future potential.
“Dean has a long and distinguished record in developing and marketing the game having started as a Development Officer with the then QAFL in 1988,” said Matthews.
“He rose through the ranks of AFL QLD before being recruited to AFL Head Office as National Youth Coordinator in 2002 and subsequently being promoted to take on the leadership of all participation programs nationally. His leadership of the NAB AFL Auskick program in particular has been exceptional and has been a cornerstone of participation and fan development.
“Under Dean’s leadership our Auskick participation has grown from 123,400 to 168,000 and total participation has grown from 482,000 to 750,000 in the last six years, introducing generations of families to the game.
"Whilst the game will miss Dean’s leadership in the development sense he and his team have the programs in sound shape to continue moving forward.“Dean’s skills, knowledge and ability to develop relationships will underpin a successful next phase of his career with the Brisbane Lions and we wish him well. “Personally I want to thank Dean for his unqualified support and friendship during his time at the AFL.,” said Matthews.
