DANNY Daly says learning the administrative side of the game – and not a desire to become a senior coach – led him to the vacant role as Brisbane's football boss. 

Daly was appointed as the Lions' general manager of football on Monday, after David Noble was named North Melbourne's new senior coach, and he told AFL.com.au he was still getting his head around it.

The 54-year-old has spent six seasons at the Lions, the past four as Chris Fagan's head of coaching strategy.

Fagan and Noble have been trailblazers for aspiring senior coaches.

Both have successfully gone from coaching backgrounds to the administrative side of football clubs, before ultimately landing their first AFL coaching jobs in their 50s.

Daly says that path isn't on his mind though.

"Once 'Nobes' was in the running for the North Melbourne job, I thought he might get the gig, so I did think about what that meant for the GM's role," Daly said.

"It had always been in the back of my head, but until two weeks ago it wasn't something I'd seriously considered.

"There's the coaching path and the administration role … and the administration role was the one I wanted to take.

"It's about getting my hands dirty in the new role at the moment.

"I chatted to 'Fages' about what he thought, and he thought I'd be good at it whether I got it or not, and that's when I decided to have a crack at it."

Noble's departure and Daly's internal move are the first changes to Brisbane's off-field hierarchy since 2016.

Another coach is expected to be named imminently, and Daly says the change in voices will be a good thing.

"Familiarity is always a great thing," he said.

"With success comes opportunities for people to go to other clubs, and it created an opportunity for me to come up and someone to come into my role.

"There's two new roles, but it shouldn't affect us too much. It might help reinvigorate things a little bit, if anything."

Daly is returning from a family holiday and will begin his new role by heading to Melbourne on Monday to be with Brisbane's recruiting and list management team ahead of the NAB AFL Draft.

"I think the first couple of months will be about getting around to people in different departments and creating relationships with them: board members, sponsors, coterie groups, and them getting to know me.

"We've come a long way in four years and the last two years have been outstanding growth, but we've still got a bit of work to do to get to ultimate prize of winning a premiership.

"I think we're in a very good space with our list and list management team … they've done a great job.

"I love being part of a great team and a great organisation, and that's what I'm most excited about, keeping us driving towards winning that next premiership for the club."