Andrew Ireland Medal

The AFL has announced the best player on the ground in next week’s North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) Grand Final will be awarded the Andrew Ireland Medal.

The NEAFL was established as a second tier competition this year bringing together 17 clubs from across the ACT, NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory to further stimulate the development of the game and build on existing competitions and Academy system.

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou announced the honour prior to the Toyota AFL second semi-final between Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans at the MCG. He said it was a fitting recognition of the contribution Andrew Ireland had made to growing the game in emerging markets. 

“Andrew has been instrumental in the AFL’s push to develop Queensland and NSW/ACT in particular. Among his many achievements he was the architect of the first premierships for both the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans which stimulated stronger interest in the code,” Mr Demetriou said.

“He has been a strong supporter of football at all levels and has helped develop the AFL’s presence in the ACT by supporting AFL matches and the entry of the Swans Reserves into the AFL Canberra competition.”

Andrew Ireland played 110 games with Collingwood in the VFL, including the 1977, ’79 and ’80 Grand Finals. He later played for Mayne in the QAFL and was the State Director of Coaching before becoming General Manager of the QAFL.

In 1990 he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the then Brisbane Bears FC and was instrumental in bringing the Bears from the Gold Coast to Brisbane and the Gabba in the early 1990s. He was CEO at the Lions in their first premiership year in 2001.

In 2002 he was appointed General Manager – Football Operations at the Sydney Swans and helped guide the club to its first premiership in over 70 years in 2005. At the end of 2009 he was appointed CEO of the Sydney Swans.

Sydney Swans and Ainslie will play in the NEAFL eastern conference Grand Final at Manuka Oval, Canberra tomorrow. Northern Territory Thunder and Morningside will play in the NEAFL northern conference Grand Final at Victoria Park, Brisbane on Sunday. In NT Thunder’s case, it will be the young club’s first Grand Final and will feature former Adelaide Crows champion Andrew McLeod.

The two winning teams from each conference will progress through to the first ever NEAFL Grand Final which will be played in Brisbane, Alice Springs or Sydney, depending on results.