Recently retired AFL stars Joel Selwood and Erin Phillips have been added to the league’s football department amid sweeping changes which include a move for umpires to report to a new boss in 2024.

Current umpires boss Dan Richardson has been moved on from the role in a restructure of the department, with former Essendon football boss Josh Mahoney to take over the portfolio with a “head of officiating” to work under him.

The league will carry out a search to fill the new position, while Richardson will become coaching engagement officer and serve as a liaison between AFL and AFLW mentors and the league administration.

Mahoney quit his role at Essendon mid-season before joining a new-look football department led by executive general manager of football operations Laura Kane.

Selwood and Phillips will fill roles focused on the “on-field football product” and “player engagement”, a league statement released on Thursday said.

“I am so pleased that we have secured the knowledge, insight and experience of two of our games most respected leaders to work within our footy department,” Kane said.

“Erin and Joel’s on-field achievements speak for themselves; I am very much looking forward to them joining our recent appointments in Josh Mahoney and Geoff Walsh and making an immediate impact to our broader AFL football operations team.”

The changes to how umpires are governed comes after a string of controversial incidents during the season, with inconsistent interpretations of the league’s dissent rule and issues with the goal review system, including a disastrous decision in round 23 which cost Adelaide a finals spot, frustrating fans and commentators.

The new head of officiating would be responsible for umpiring across all competitions including the state leagues and talent pathways, and take charge of the ARC system, the statement said.

Umpiring general manager Lisa Lawry will shift to a position focused on bringing more women into the umpiring ranks, and will be in charge of finding an umpiring performance centre to develop officials.

“Lisa has done a fantastic job in creating environments and pathway programs dedicated for women and girls to start and progress in umpiring,” Kane said.

“Her new role will amplify and promote this important focus area for us.

“As we continue to invest in high performance training for our umpires, we are investing the possibility of a new dedicated facility in which Lisa will lead this work, with the end goal providing the best facilities available to umpires or officials in the country.”