Volunteer of the Year

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM

The AFL State Volunteer of the Year Program is a volunteer recognition program that is part of the legacy of the 150 year celebrations in 2008. The program which commenced as part of the Australian Football 150 years celebration rewards seven outstanding volunteers with a trip of lifetime for them and a partner.

Each club, league or association is invited to nominate an outstanding volunteer as an AFL State Volunteer of the Year. The volunteer may have contributed to the completion of a major or significant project throughout the year or they may be someone who has contributed in a number of roles over a long period.

The 2016 AFL NSW/ACT Volunteer of the Year winner is NEIL DUNN.

Neil has won:

  • 2 x tickets to the Toyota AFL Grand Final (GFAFL15/70)

  • 2 x return flights & accommodation for 3 nights (Thurs – Sat) in Melbourne for Toyota AFL Grand Final weekend (except Victoria)

  • The opportunity to walk in the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade

It was Neil’s vision that saw the proposal for a renewed junior competition within the Tamworth AFL spawn, and late in 2015 his efforts that drew together a number of interested parties to see the formation of a working group to transition that proposal into a reality.

Since then, Neil has been the driving force in that group becoming a steering committee to create the 2016 junior competition, seeing four teams compete across the breadth of the local football community. This has also grown to create a number of pathways for talented local juniors to test themselves against a stronger quality of player and advance their footballing experience.

Significantly, Neil has been able to manage a number of competing interests in that time, focusing the different Clubs, each with a very different make up of playing strength in their junior ranks, to see that widespread participation remains the cornerstone of the junior competition in its infancy.

His devotion and hard work has seen the competition work through a number of teething issues in the early days, to now see up to sixty local children playing football. This is a reality that was not long ago seen as an impossibility.

The 2016 League Volunteer of the Year winners are:

AFL Broken Hill

Joe Vidorin

AFL Canberra

 Scott Reid

AFL Canberra – Juniors

 Michael Smith

AFL North Coast

Donna Lynch

AFL North Coast Juniors

Paul Mance

AFL South Coast Illawarra Juniors

Jason Kopke

AFL South Coast Senior

Rod Richards

AFL Sydney

Brian and Lorraine Cloney

Farrer Football League

Shane Mannes

Hume Football League

Fran Jones

Riverina Football League

Blair Campbell

AFL Sydney Juniors

Andrew Miedler

Wagga & District Junior Australian Football Association

Kevin Driscoll

Tamworth AFL

Neil Dunn

South West Junior Football League

Dallas McKelvie

Sapphire Coast AFL

Luke Moresi

Northern Riverina Football League

Jim Davis

Black Diamond AFL

Ken & Annette Garland

AFL South Coast Shoalhaven Junior League

Tim Forrester

AFL Hunter Coast

John Fitter

AFL Hunter Coast

Terry West


How it works

Each club is encouraged to select a volunteer of the year and nominated the them for the Volunteer of the Year award program.

There are two awards:

Volunteer of the Year for outstanding service to the sport.

Merit Award for 10 years + outstanding service to the sport.

The League or Association will evaluate the nominations received within their region and will determine the League Volunteer of the Year.

AFL NSW/ACT then evaluates each League Volunteer of the Year recipient and determines the State Volunteer of the Year.

What the nominated volunteers receive

All nominated volunteers will receive a certificate and a $50 Coles/Myers gift card.

League winners will receive a certificate and a $200 Coles/Myers Gift card, a plague and nominated into the NSW State Volunteer of the Year.

The NSW State Volunteer of the Year will receive a certificate as well as:

  • 2 x tickets to the Toyota AFL Grand Final (GFAFL15/70)

  • 2 x return flights & accommodation for 3 nights (Thurs – Sat) in Melbourne for Toyota AFL Grand Final weekend (except Victoria)

  • The opportunity to walk in the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade

How to nominate

Nominations for Volunteer of the Year opens on the All clubs are invited to put forward one nomination for Volunteer of the Year. The selection criteria for the award is below.

  1. Must have given notable voluntary service to Australian Football.

  2. Must be a willing, voluntary contributor, having received no income from football (NB honoraria excepted).

  3. Must be an ambassador for the game of football who acts and works for the best interest of the game, never bringing the game into disrepute.

  4. Those making nominations should make no more than one nomination.

  5. Years of service will be looked upon favourably.

  6. Previous winners are ineligible.

You can nominate a volunteer online by clicking here and filling in the nomination form or by downloading the nomination form below.

NSW ACT Volunteer of the Year – Nomination Form

For more information please contact Jacinta Houston on (02) 8333 8014 or via email on jacinta.houston@afl.com.au 

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