Ireland, one of the most respected club football administrators, says his time with Brisbane made him realise how new franchises needed genuine help from the start.
"Having been involved with Brisbane in its early stages, I think everyone would accept that the rules weren't good enough for it," Ireland told afl.com.au.
Ireland was on the 'List Management Group' (a team of AFL and club officials who decided the Gold Coast draft concessions).
"If you don't provide decent rules at the start, what inevitably happens is that the club will come back to the competition and ask for further assistance down the track."
Some of the main concessions for the Gold Coast include the capacity to sign a dozen 17-year-old players born between January 1 and April 30 1992.
It will also have picks two, three, five, seven, nine, 11, 13 and 15 and the first choice in each round of the 2010 NAB AFL Draft.
He said once Gold Coast's list inaugural list comes together, "it's up to them to manage it".
Ireland, who played 110 matches for Collingwood from 1975-80, said the same 'List Management Group' assembled to construct the Gold Coast draft concessions were now focusing on western Sydney. No draft concessions have yet been decided for the 18th club.
"We've had one meeting. The next meeting looks as though it'll be in Sydney. It was really a preliminary meeting just to get some guidelines," he said.
"The thing that we've got to get our head around is that it's a different environment that the club's coming in to. You have a bit of a view about how it might be different, but we haven't really firmed up how different."
He also believes a mix of AFL and club officials have made for a balanced view, when deciding on draft concessions.
"People who have accepted this role understand that if you want to sit on the group, it's about making the right decisions – to help the new team, but also balancing that with the competition we have," Ireland said.
"I've sensed no vested interest."
Although Ireland says it will be a "huge task" to get a team up and running in western Sydney, he is right behind the expansion.
"The AFL has sat down with us – as they have with the other clubs in the competition – and they've shown a pretty logical reason why, over time, having two teams in Sydney makes a lot of sense," he said.
"What we now face is the practical problem of implementation. [Sydney Swans coach] Paul [Roos] and [AFL chief executive] Andrew [Demetriou] are on the record saying: 'The last thing that you'd want in the New South Wales market is two weak teams'.
"It would be normal for any expansion team to have it tough for them, because that's the history of sport, but all we can ask from the AFL is support, from a general sense of the code."
Ireland said it was up to the Swans to stay competitive.
"It's our task to make sure that our club list [is up to standard] and we perform as well as we can – that's not something the AFL needs to worry about; that's something we need to," he said.
"In terms of resources and money spent on this market, we think that's where the AFL can help and I'm certain from our discussions that they will."
Ireland said last Friday's launch of the Blacktown Olympic Park Oval – the training venue earmarked for western Sydney – would benefit the Swans.
"In the short-term, we'll be able to play pre-season games here – it looks ideal for NAB Cup and NAB Challenge games – whereas in the past we've played mostly on the road," he said.
"Our discussions with the AFL already look like we might play a number of games here next season and another in country New South Wales.
"From a selfish view, one thing we've missed out on is having venues in Sydney that have been capable of hosting early season games … but the facilities and surface are first class at Blacktown."
