2014 State Volunteer of the Year Winners
Each year the AFL recognises volunteers/administrators for their outstanding contribution to Australian Football. Each state and territory selects a State Volunteer of the Year award winner who receives:
- 2 x tickets to the Centre Square Function at the Toyota AFL Grand Final
- 2 x return flights to Melbourne for Grand Final weekend (except Victoria)
- Accommodation for 3 nights (Thurs-Sat) (incl. breakfast)
- The opportunity to walk in the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade
Congratulations to the following people who have been recognised as the 2014 State Volunteers of the Year
STATE | NOMINEES | CLUB / LEAGUE / DISTRICT | YEARS OF SERVICE |
New South Wales/ACT | Tony Dean | Collingullie Ashmont Kapooka FC | 25+ |
Northern Territory | Stephanie Jungfer | Waratah FC | 2 |
Queensland | Brett Gillett | Wilston Grange FC | 15+ |
South Australia | Darren Longbottom | Brinkworth Spalding Redhill FC | 25+ |
Tasmania | Tom Englund | Wynyard FC and Burnie Dockers FC | 15+ |
Victoria | Geoff Morgan | Sorrento FC | 60+ |
Western Australia | Deb Thoars | Newman Tigers FC | 10+ |
NSW/ACT Tony Dean
- Tony and family first joined Collingullie Ashmont Kapooka Football Club after moving to Wagga from Coolamon in 2002.
- In 2003 he was appointed Secretary of the junior club, a position he held uninterrupted until the end of the 2006 season.
- During this time, Tony was Auskick coordinator, team coach, team manager, player registrar and game day coordinator.
- In 2010 Tony was appointed Secretary of the Senior club, duties including: general secretary, match day secretary, player registrar a role he currently holds.
- Tony was appointed the inaugural Secretary of the CAKFNC Management Committee. The committee is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the operations of the senior and junior divisions.
- Tony also manages the equipment and indigenous assistance grants for the junior club, netball surface upgrade, new change room construction, overseeing of the funding, planning and build of the new lights at the Crossroads Oval.
- Tonys performance in has been outstanding across 12 consecutive years of exceptional service to the Collingullie Ashmont Kapooka Football Club.
NT Stephanie Jungfer
- Steph has been volunteering at the Waratah Football Club for almost 2 years now and produced incredible results including junior player memberships increasing by approximately 100 and helped increase sponsorship income by about $30,000.
- Steph has a passion for the juniors within the football club and has strongly enforced the vision of junior development, and that the juniors are the future of the football club.
- She juggles part time work and being a mother/wife but is constantly volunteering to work on the raffles on home games, help out at BBQs, pick the Belyuen community kids up from the ferry and take them to and from games, and meet with sponsors to confirm their sponsorship.
- She has recently helped form a link between The Waratah Football Club and St Johns Catholic College as well as the Belyuen Community which has given several indigenous children the chance to play AFL.
- Steph has been the key driver to hold a training clinic in the Belyuen Community which will be held in August 2014 where kids can participate in a training session with senior players as part of encouraging sign on for the upcoming season.
QLD Brett Gillett
- Brett has consistently and diligently led Wilston Grange FC to adopt values that engender respect, accountability and progression through his forward thinking approach about community engagement, family friendly attitudes and inclusion.
- Brett led the club to engage in the Good Sports program and steered the finance model away from reliance on an alcohol/bar related income, and worked to build suitable facilities so that family friendly income streams could be implemented, such as a commercial kitchen, a cafe, a gym/boot camp as well as other tenants such as AFL9's, Touch, Oztag and school use of facilities.
- Brett created an inclusive and progressive environment which has seen the generation and maintenance of very successful Masters and Ladies teams
- He ensured that the club was financially viable through generation of sponsorship revenue and important in kind contributions with local community businesses and suppliers, and oversaw sustainable allocation for football department expenditure.
- Brett is the driver and one of the co-founders of the BINSC (Brisbane Inner North Sporting Community) which is a community sporting club cooperative group that works together to improve facilities, support, funding and outcomes for local member clubs and their constituents.
SA Darren Longbottom
- Darren has been involved with the Brinkworth Spalding Redhill FC since its amalgamation in 1987 and has been a committee member for the past 11 years.
- Darren has held the position of club treasurer for the last 6, but fills a variety of roles as required including managing the membership for the football and netball club, tallying milestones by players and club members and has been a sponsorship committee member and sponsorship treasurer for 5 years whilst coordinating and working with the clubs sponsors.
- Darren organises all the club rosters, coordinating boundary, goal umpiring and time keepers and works with his wife to organise and sell all club merchandise.
- In 2014, he created and implemented a code of conduct and cyber safe policy, as well as a player registration form.
- Darren is also the BSR motor accident representative for the club.
TAS Tom Englund
- Tom commenced his volunteer role with the Wynyard Mini League in a role that lasted 15 years while his boys progressed through the ranks.
- He took on various coaching roles at Wynyard FC and Burnie Dockers FC while his wife Lynne managed the canteen and his children were involved.
- Tom was the Club Junior Coordinator from 2009 to 2011 and then stepped up and took on the Presidents role at the Wynyard Football Club - a role he still holds today.
- During his presidency, Tom has been successful in attracting a grant that saw new lights erected that allow the club to hold night games.
- Tom has seen the club go from cellar dwellers to winning Premierships in the under 19s and Seniors. The club now has a strong junior base and pathway.
- Current plans have been approved to overhaul the ground surface with new drainage and removing a bike track. Work will commence during the off-season.
- Tom and his family have all been tireless, passionate and loyal servant of the WFC and football along the NW coast of Tasmania.
VIC - Geoff Morgan
- Soon after Geoff was born the Morgan family moved to Sorrento and owned Morgans Hardware Store and Royal Insurance which they sold in 1973.
- Geoff has either played football or cricket or been an administrator continuously for the Sorrento Football Club (and Sorrento Cricket Club) for over sixty years and has always acted professionally without ever being paid for his services.
- During his time at the Sorrento Football Club:
- Played AFL since he was 13 years old and his first senior game when he was 16 years old.
- Played over 210 games including the 1964 premiership before finishing playing football in 1970.
- Has been on the committee since 1984 as treasurer and also as team manager of the firsts since 1984 (including doubling up with the reserves for approximately 5 years).
- Attends every training session and all home and away games from the Under 18s through to the conclusion of the seniors.
- Geoff has spent on average approximately 25 hours per week on football club activities over the last 30 years (15,000 hours or 625 days of service). He has not, and would refuse even if offered, any sort of payment for his services.
- Geoff is also part of the MPNFL historical committee and has been a member of that committee for the past 5 years. Geoff attends a meeting on the 1st Thursday of every month for this committee .
WA Deb Thoars
- Deb joined the committee and has been involved with the Newman Tigers Football Club since 2003 when her son started to play.
- Over the years, Deb has been an interchange steward, worked the kitchen and bar, been Vice-President and President for the Tigers FC, helped the club get grants, organises all the pre-game paperwork and works the interchange bench.
- Deb has been a Team Manager and helped get Sponsorship for the club over the past 11 years.
- Deb is instrumental in getting the team on the field each week and is very supportive of all committee members and coaching staff and always lends a hand where needed even if it is not her role.
- Deb is also on the NNFL (Newman National Football League) Committee where she has been a Secretary for about 5 years. The time and effort she puts into this helps improve the competition.
- Deb is one of the most dedicated woman in football. She is extremely caring and works towards making both the Football Club and the NNFL better.
