AFL NEWS
The AFL today announced that 11 new Life Members would be inducted at the 2017 Annual General Meeting in March for their services to Australian Football, after having their award confirmed by the AFL Commission.
Life Membership was conferred under the provision of ‘Special Service to the Game’ to dual Essendon premiership player and long-time club administrator John Birt, 1983 Brownlow Medallist and inaugural West Coast captain Ross Glendinning and former AFL Commissioner Sam Mostyn.
Sam Mostyn, now a director at the Sydney Swans, was the first woman elected to the AFL Commission and becomes the second woman in VFL/AFL history to receive Life Membership, after the late Jill Lindsay.
A total of eight players and umpires qualified automatically after having reached 300 total AFL games as an umpire, player or player and coach – Gary Ablett junior, Matthew Boyd, Luke Hodge, Jarrad McVeigh, Dean Margetts, Simon Meredith, Matthew Nicholls and Leigh Montagna.
Les Bailey from the Geelong Cats was awarded the Jack Titus Service Award for outstanding service to football, particularly at a club level, for his 40-year commitment to the club as a volunteer.
AFL Chief Executive Officer Gillon McLachlan said the Commission congratulated each individual on their award and the game looked forward to thanking each personally again at the season launch in March for their contribution to football, both on-field as players, umpires and coaches and off-field for their service as administrators / officials.
The records for each person are as follows:
Game Qualification:
Gary Ablett junior
288 premiership games for the Geelong Cats and Gold Coast Suns.
24 pre-season games for the Geelong Cats and Gold Coast Suns.
Premierships 2007, 2009.
Brownlow Medal 2009, 2013.
Club Best and Fairest 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013.
Club Leading Goalkicker 2006, 2012, 2013.
Club Captain 2011-16.
All Australian 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 (vice-captain), 2011 (captain), 2012 (vice-captain), 2013 (vice-captain), 2014.
Matthew Boyd
282 premiership games for the Western Bulldogs.
28 pre-season games for the Western Bulldogs.
Four games for Australia.
Premiership 2016.
Club Best and Fairest 2009, 2011, 2012.
Club Captain 2011-13.
All Australian 2009, 2011, 2016.
Luke Hodge
286 premiership games for Hawthorn.
21 pre-season games for Hawthorn.
Four games for Australia.
Premierships 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015.
Club Best and Fairest 2005, 2010.
Club Captain 2011-2016.
Norm Smith Medallist 2008, 2014.
Jim Stynes Medallist 2014.
All Australian 2005, 2008, 2010 (captain).
Jarrad McVeigh
287 premiership games for the Sydney Swans.
20 pre-season games for the Sydney Swans.
Three games for Australia.
Premiership 2012.
Club Best and Fairest 2008, 2013.
Club Captain 2013-2016.
All Australian 2013.
Dean Margetts
277 premiership games umpired.
35 pre-season games umpired.
Simon Meredith
288 premiership games umpired.
32 pre-season games umpired.
Grand Final umpire 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.
Matthew Nicholls
280 premiership games umpired.
33 pre-season games umpired.
Grand Final umpire 2013, 2014.
Leigh Montagna
271 premiership games for St Kilda.
28 pre-season games for St Kilda.
Six games for Australia.
All Australian 2009, 2010.
Service Qualification:
John Birt
193 games as a player for Essendon (VFL), 1957-67.
57 games as a player /coach for West Torrens (SANFL), 1968-70.
11 games for Victoria.
Two games for South Australia.
22 games as a coach for Essendon 1971.
Premierships 1962, 1965.
Club Best and Fairest 1961, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969.
Assistant Coach Footscray (VFL) 1972-76.
Football Manager Collingwood FC 1982-85.
PR Manager Collingwood FC 1986-94.
Company Secretary Fitzroy FC 1995-98.
Melbourne-based Manager Brisbane Lions 1997-2002.
Ross Glendinning
56 games for East Perth (WAFL), 1974-77.
190 games for North Melbourne (VFL), 1977-86.
40 games for West Coast (VFL), 1987-88.
15 games for Western Autralia.
Two games for Victoria.
Three games for Australia.
Brownlow Medallist 1983.
Club Best and Fairest 1982, 1983.
Club Leading Goalkicker 1987, 1988.
Club Captain 1987-88.
All Australian 1982, 1983 (Carnival), 1983 (Season), 1984, 1987 (Carnival), 1987 (Season), 1988.
East Perth Team of the Century.
North Melbourne Team of the Century
WAFL Hall of Fame.
Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Sam Mostyn
Sam was the first woman to be appointed to the AFL Commission, joining in 2005, coming from a strong corporate and government advisor background in a non-traditional football state.
She brought a diversity of thinking to AFL Commission and was a powerful advocate for the importance of people from diverse backgrounds being involved in Australian football at all levels, leading the debates on the AFL’s Respect and Responsibility policy, Indigenous and multicultural programs.
Her advocacy for the participation of women and girls playing at all levels of the game and in the work force in the AFL and across clubs and states was a significant factor in the development of a national women’s league.
Jack Titus Award:
Les Bailey, Geelong Cats
Les' contribution to the club has spanned more than 40 years in a variety of volunteer roles, including 38 years as team manager. Life Member of the club since 1989
