Not many people can say they were the first ever employee of an AFL club. 

Al McConnell can. 

Handpicked out of his role at the AIS overseeing the country’s best young footballers in the AFL Academy, McConnell was appointed the GIANTS’ High Performance Manager in July 2009, long before the team even had a name, let alone a home base or any players. 

Since then, McConnell has gone on to play a profound role in the GIANTS’ journey, ingraining himself into the very fabric of the club across nearly 17 years. 

From his first role as High Performance Manager of the club’s TAC Cup side and then its NEAFL side, McConnell has also served as a line coach for the AFL side, Director of Coaching, Operations Manager, Head Coach of the AFLW side, and currently Head of Development for the club’s Academy. 

As the GIANTS celebrate their 15th AFL season this year, we sat down with McConnell to reflect on the remarkable journey of the man who has been part of the club longer than anyone else. 

For McConnell, the earliest days of the club were defined by uncertainty, improvisation, and belief. 

The AFL had initially sent him to Sydney in 2007 to better understand the challenges faced by young footballers coming out of the northern states and trying to make AFL lists. Not long after came the announcements of expansion into the Gold Coast and Western Sydney, and eventually the approach that would change the course of his career. 

At that point, there was no blueprint. 

“We didn’t have any ground to train on, we didn’t have any staff,” McConnell recalled of the very early days. 

“I probably moved offices three or four times. Initially I was still in the AFL’s offices in Moore Park, then to the grandstand at Blacktown. Then we moved to Rooty Hill RSL, then to the athletics track, and then eventually to GIANTS HQ where we are today. 

“So there was a lot of moving and a lot of different training venues, all while trying to build a footy club from scratch.” 

McConnell oversaw the club’s inaugural TAC Cup side in 2010, a team made up largely of scholarship holders from New South Wales and the Northern Territory, before transitioning into a dual football operations and coaching role as the club entered the NEAFL in 2011 and the AFL in 2012. 

Those early years demanded adaptability from everyone involved. 

“There was a lot of multi-skilling and dual roles,” McConnell said. 

“To be honest, for most of my time at the GIANTS, I had two roles.” 

McConnell said the environment reminded him of his time at Fitzroy: under-resourced, but rich in resilience and determination. 

Even amid heavy losses and difficult seasons, he believes one defining trait emerged early. 

“We were always competitive,” he said. 

“Even in those days, apart from a brief period in the third year, you knew we were always going to have a go.” 

One of McConnell’s most vivid memories remains the club’s first AFL game against the Swans in 2012. 

“I actually snuck off,” he recalled. 

“Normally I’d be up in the box ready to coach, but I snuck off down the race just to watch them run out. 

“I remember thinking, ‘I cannot believe we’re here and we’ve done this.’ 

“Some of the early conversations I remember involved talking about how we were going to find these players, how we didn’t have a ground to train on, and how we didn’t have any staff. 

“So I vividly remember the moment we entered the stadium for our first game. It was unbelievable, it was such a surreal experience.” 

While a vital piece of the club’s AFL program, McConnell’s connection to the club extends far beyond the men’s side. 

After becoming the GIANTS’ Director of Coaching under Leon Cameron, he later took over as Head Coach of the AFLW side while continuing his role with the men’s program - another reflection of the multitasking reality of an expansion club and the early AFLW landscape. 

Under McConnell, the GIANTS AFLW side reached its first finals series in 2020, though he still speaks with frustration about surrendering a three-quarter-time lead in the club’s maiden finals appearance. 

“The first year we actually missed finals by one game, so we had a really good first year. 

“Then in the third year, we played finals. We led at three-quarter time and got rolled - which I am still quite frustrated about.” 

Throughout his time helping build an AFL club from the ground up, McConnell remains adamant that there was one thing that mattered most – the people.  

“When you’re building something from scratch, you have an obligation to make a good impression on those people you come in contact with,” he said. 

“They may not become members or supporters even, but you need them to have something good to say about the footy club.” 

Now a life member of the GIANTS, McConnell speaks with immense pride about the club’s growth from a concept into a genuine force in the AFL landscape. 

“I’m really proud of the fact that I am a life member of this club. 

“The most important thing is building this into a place that’s sustainable for the long term and making sure it is around in 100 years. 

“I think that’s one of the things the club does very well - it has a bigger picture in mind. 

“I certainly think in many respects that what the club’s achieved in 15 years is remarkable. 

“Now we need a bit of silverware to show for it.”