THE AFL has poached North Melbourne's Jamie Macmillan to bolster its football operations department.

Macmillan, who played 167 games for the Roos between 2010-2020, has been considered a rising star in football's off-field ranks and will join as football performance manager.

He became the Kangaroos' football operations manager after his retirement but moved into the club's strategy team in a wide-ranging role covering issues in and outside of the football department at North.

The League has appointed Macmillan to be a member of its new-look operations area under head of football performance, list management and engagement Ned Guy.

The AFL's general manager of football, Laura Kane, has reshaped her department in her first season in charge and has added Macmillan to the area having worked alongside him previously at North Melbourne.

Macmillan has been targeted by rival clubs in the past but remained at Arden Street however will join the League in the new role.

Former Kangaroos football boss Geoff Walsh has been running the AFL's competitive balance review alongside Kane and Guy, with the AFL arranging meetings with each club to discuss the talent pathway, the player movement landscape and potential changes to Academy systems.

Kane has built her department to better reflect a club football department with Macmillan the latest addition. Josh Mahoney was part of the restructured line-up in being the head of officiating as part of his role as general manager of football operations, while recently retired AFL and AFLW stars Joel Selwood and Erin Phillips were added to engage with players and how the game is played.