Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has taken aim at the AFL and its operations boss Steve Hocking.
Kennett described Hocking’s comments about potentially changing the name of the AFL to AFLM as “thoughtless” after he floated the idea on the ABC’s The Outer Sanctum podcast.
“I don’t think we need to necessarily be looking over the fence at one another and saying whether we need to add another initial to something,” Hocking said.
“But if in time that’s something that emerges, we are all ears at the AFL.”
The AFL later clarified Hocking’s suggestion which Kennett labelled “embarrassing and unprofessional”.
AFL's Steve Hocking has got to be answerable to someone in the AFL before making thoughtless comments, that then have to be reversed. Embarrassing and unprofessional for the AFL. An organisation with little administrative discipline. Answerable to no one.
— Jeff Kennett (@jeff_kennett) February 11, 2020
“AFL's Steve Hocking has got to be answerable to someone in the AFL before making thoughtless comments, that then have to be reversed. Embarrassing and unprofessional for the AFL,” Kennett tweeted.
“An organisation with little administrative discipline. Answerable to no one.”
AFLM was met with resounding criticism prior to the league quashing the idea.
We had a great first round to season four of the AFL Women’s competition. AFLW has built its own powerful identity in the community & we will continue to promote its message & celebrate the league & women’s football. There are no plans to change the name of the AFL competition.
— AFL House (@AFL_House) February 11, 2020