Community Legend: Adrian “Starry” Walsh.
Adrian ‘Starry’ Walsh arrived at the Nomads in 2001 aged around 40. He quickly immersed himself in football in the New England region. He started playing in 2003 winning the 2004 premiership.
He soon found himself on the club executive and has stayed there ever-since.
Over the years, he has taken many roles including Secretary, President, Treasurer, Vice President (and more than one at once!).
In 2006-07 he coached a losing grand final team. During this time Starry and his family also ran the canteen and fulfilled many other club commitments.
Since then he has moved to assistant coaching, presidential roles and many obscure tasks.
In the four years we have been at the club Starry has been a man of true legend around the club (and league).
He is the president, assistant coach to a three-peat of premierships. He organises the committee and delegates appropriately if anyone is willing.
Not only this, he provides leadership and support to his coach and fellow team-mates. He is game-day manager completing ground reports, player numbers, runners etc.
He then straps on his boots (and mechanical knee) then plays if needed (often) and if not manages the team rotations.
Proceeding, he helps clean up the shed, collect the dirty jerseys for washing, collects votes, promptly fulfills duties on sportingpulse and then heads to our sponsor hotel to award the best players for the day.
In the following days Starry writes a 2000 word game review for the Nomads’ website.
With the Nomads being a very transient team heavily relying on students, the Nomads often do not have a full team.
Often Starry has been on the phone until midnight for nights leading up to games orginising player permits, transfers and registrations.
Starry is a person many players look up to which important with most players fresh from leaving home to go to uni and needing a good role model. Maybe more importantly he is the “Jilby” (indigenous for Old Man) mentor that the indigenous players in the team look to in good times and bad (on and off the field).
Starry has been a rock for the indigenous players that make the Nomads such a special place.
When you think there is nothing left for Starry to possibly do there is.
He helps organise BBQs every Thursday night with him sporting the tongs when needed. He sorts out trophies for awards nights and honour boards. He talks to current and potential sponsors, organises people for AFL 9s competition for sport UNE. He helps organise club events such as the ball, jumper presentation. He is a guitarist and lead vocalist for the Nomads’ house band “Them Crooked Shankars” who perform at the club ball and presentation!
On top of all this, for a club that has had 336 players represent the club in it’s history with an average career span of 16.08 matches, Starry is the games record holder on 164 (50 more than next best) and still going! He is also a life-member.
To put it simply, the club probably wouldn’t function without him, especially in a club where there are little-to-no Old Boys/parents to help with the running of the club. He is also president of the league and has been for over 5 years.
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Each week during the regular season AFL NSW/ACT will identify and recognise a local Community Legend from one of our community Leagues. Volunteers play a vital role within our game and without them community football simply doesn’t happen.
AFL NSW/ACT would like to thank all of our community volunteers for their ongoing commitment to our game.
