2022 Toyota NSW/ACT Volunteers of the Year Announced

AFL NSW/ACT is proud to present winners across eight categories in the NSW/ACT Toyota Volunteer of the Year for 2022. 

Volunteers, coaches, umpires and teachers have been recognised from across the state and territory, from the Riverina to the north west, the central coast to the central west, and in metropolitan Sydney. 

Head of AFL NSW/ACT, Tiffany Robertson, congratulated the state and territory’s Volunteers of the Year: “Well done to our Volunteers of the Year in NSW and the ACT. Volunteers are the engine room of community sport and the extensive list of nominations received in 2022 is a testament to the high esteem they are held in the footy community. Thank you to everyone who spent time nominating outstanding people in their communities who make such a significant contribution to our game. 

“Volunteers have navigated the challenges of the past few years exceptionally well to get our game back on track and 2022 would not have been possible without them. As this season draws to a close, I hope everyone in seasonal programs including community footy and NAB AFL Auskick can reflect on all they’ve achieved for their communities, clubs, families and friends this year.” 

Each winner will receive a $200 gift voucher from the AFL and go into the national pool where, if successful, will receive an AFL Grand Final experience. The 2022 Toyota National AFL Volunteer of the Year will also win a Toyota Hilux, valued at $69,000. 

Toyota AFL Community Volunteer of the Year

Liz Hawtin – Sydney University Australian National Football Club (AFL Sydney)

Sydney Uni says it could not survive without the energy and effort Liz Hawtin has put into the club for the past 12 years as Men’s Premier Division and Premier Reserves’ Team Manager. Throughout this time (and many years at St Ignatius College prior) she has been a force at all games – home and away – doing whatever she can for any Sydney Uni side, including those she’s not the official team manager. There is no game day duty that Liz hasn’t covered, from making sure the canteen is being run correctly to ensuring timekeepers and ground managers know what they are doing. No task is too big or small for Liz, and it’s well known by all General Managers of Sydney Uni AFL over the years that Liz is the go to person who will always go above and beyond to support and assist.

NAB AFL Auskick Volunteer of the Year

Ebonnie Whan – Narrabri Auskick Centre

The small town of Narrabri in North West NSW has a population of fewer than 13,000 people hadn’t had a NAB AFL Auskick program for a number of years… until Ebonnie came along. She was instrumental in restarting the Narrabri Auskick Centre and did a fantastic job engaging the community. In 2022, Narrabri had the most Auskick registrations in the North West region, which is an amazing achievement given there are nearby towns with significantly larger populations. Ebonnie’s motivation for restarting the centre was simple: her son was turning five and she was desperate for him to play Auskick – to do so, she had to start the Auskick centre herself! Ebonnie and the Narrabri coaches have then done a fantastic job delivering a terrific program loved by all the participants. They’ve engaged parent helpers to support, got involved in the themed sessions and Ebonnie and her kids even came to Sydney to celebrate Buddy Franklin’s 1000th Goal.

AFL Disability Inclusion Ambassador of the Year

Rowan Bilkey – Cardiff Australian Football Club (AFL Hunter Central Coast)

Rowan was instrumental in organising the Hunter’s Kickability program. He set up and ran the first and only disability inclusion program in the Hunter Central Coast region so children aged nine-16 years with a disability to play Aussie rules football. Rowan was the architect of a six-week program which provided an opportunity for children with a disability to learn and enjoy the game of Aussie rules football. The feedback from all the kids and parents was overwhelmingly positive and the program has become well-known throughout the region.

AFL Senior Community Coach of the Year

Ben Hyndes – Wollongong Australian Football Club (AFL South Coast)

Ben has grown the Wollongong Lions women’s program from a single side in 2019 when he took charge, to three sides in 2022. The club has more than 80 registered women playing across Premier Division and Division One in the AFL South Coast competition. This growth is a testament to Ben’s recruitment, coaching and ability to develop a positive culture for female footballers. Ben also coached the AFL South Coast Women’s representative side on the two occasions they have played. He also co-coached the inaugural Illawarra Academy of Sport Women’s program. Ben’s contribution has significantly grown women’s football at the Wollongong Lions and throughout the region.

AFL Junior Community Coach of the Year

Jon Clarke – Newcastle City Junior Australian Football Club

Jon coaches Newcastle City’s U9s and U15s teams, its Senior Women’s team, and the Hunter Representative team. Jon’s aim is to make the club and the sport of AFL fun, and available to everyone. He never makes a fuss but gets all jobs done behind the scenes. He is a calm coach and reminds his players to regularly support and encourage each other, and models the respect he encouraged in the boys. He is usually the first to walk over to the umpires after every game and shake their hand and thank them for their time, even stepping in to umpire at other games when they are short. He is a quiet achiever, with a gentle approach that motivates the players, and they always come away smiling whether they win or lose. His players say they love how he always values and acts upon their input!

AFL Primary School Teacher of the Year

Andrew Noad – Griffith East PS

Andrew has been a staunch supporter of AFL NSW/ACT primary school football programs, particularly the Paul Kelly Cup (Primary School Championships) competition. For more than a decade, Andrew has continually provided the opportunity for girls and boys to participate in Aussie rules football. This has come through the countless hours of planning, trialling, selecting, and coaching. Andrew’s willingness to engage the support of the community, parents, AFL NSW/ACT, and local football club coaches to support his plans has been the hallmark of his application. Andrew has achieved great success on the field, his greatest success will be his legacy of attracting new players to our code through his engagement of students. Andrew sits at the top of primary school advocates in the MIA and deserves to be recognised on every occasion.

AFL Secondary School Teacher of the Year

Tim Hunter – Denison College, Bathurst High Campus

Tim is a central figure in the planning and advocacy of the Central West’s high school gala days. Tim participated in the NSW/ACT review of the Schools Cup structure in 2021 and promotes these carnivals heavily in his school. He works closely with neighbouring Bathurst schools to maximise engagement and ensure a successful competition as possible. Tim’s positive attitude towards growing the game, and willingness to look constructively to ensure the best possible experience is second to none in the region. Tim’s connections to local clubs and involvement in the local AFL competition has also seen him encourage new schools to participate in our carnivals.

AFL Community Umpiring Service Award

Murray Lembit – AFL Canberra Umpires

After many years of coaching the junior and senior umpiring groups and being the main umpiring contact point for Senior clubs within AFL Canberra, Murray has fostered strong respectful connections with all stakeholders involved in community football in Canberra. In season 2022, Murray has been the backbone of the Canberra umpires as the Senior Head Coach. Murray has taken the lead on everything from umpire transition from juniors to seniors, and developing training content to accommodate umpires in their first year through to state-league level umpires. Murray also supports umpires in dealing with incidents from the weekend, provides regular match day coaching to umpires and manages all the weekend umpire appointments and any changes involved. Murray always goes above and beyond what is expected from him, he never complains about things out of his control and is always looking at ways to make his training culture and umpire experience the best possible for all involved.