Ex-All Blacks manager Darren Shand brought in as AFL’s Melbourne Demons seek external review

Darren Shand spent nearly 20 years with the All Blacks.

Melbourne captain Max Gawn is “glad” the embattled Demons have decided to recruit former All Blacks manager Darren Shand to review the AFL club’s football department.

Just two days after Kate Roffey stepped down as president and left the club board, Melbourne will go ahead with an external review fafer a slide down the ladder and superstar Christian Petracca making his frustrations clear.

New president Brad Green will also review the club’s board.

Gawn tried to play down the significance of Shand helping Green and Demons chief executive Gary Pert sift through the wreckage of a disappointing 2024 season.

“I get why this is big news, but in my head it’s not big news,” Gawn told Triple M on Monday.

“Surely if we won the flag and finished first, I would love to have the All Black leadership and culture [leader] come in and check how we’re going.

“I’m glad it’s happening. I think every club should get reviewed every year.

“I own two restaurants ... and we constantly have people come in and do an external review on our restaurant ... hopefully we get some good stuff from it.”

The review comes after a succession of dramas on and off the field that have plagued Melbourne since their drought-breaking 2021 premiership.

Petracca, who is contracted until 2029, was left considering his future at Melbourne for weeks due to the club’s on-field slide and the fallout of the traumatic season-ending injuries he suffered during the King’s Birthday match against Collingwood.

Just a day after Roffey had exited, Petracca posed for photos with other Melbourne players while watching the Demons’ AFLW game.

Roffey was roundly criticised for a radio interview she gave in a bid to ease supporter tension around the murmurings about Petracca.

Late last month, Petracca committed to staying with Melbourne, putting his name and words to a statement released by the club.

Shand comes to help Melbourne after almost 20 years with the All Blacks, playing a major role in building the culture of New Zealand’s powerhouse rugby team.

He stepped away from that job in December and has since been working in consultancy roles.