With thanks to Gregor McTaggort and Georgina Cahill from the Shepparton News and also thanks to David Lee from the Shepparton Advisor we bring you news about our new Operations Manager Mr Simon Devine. Our last News Item spoke about the Magnificent Career of Mr Keith Wellman finishing up in his position as General Manager of the Goulburn Valley Football League and that a New Era is about to begin.
As a League (clubs have commenced pre-season training with their new Committee's in place) the New Era for the Goulburn Valley Football League commences on Tuesday 27th January 2015 after the Australia Day public holiday on the Monday. It was announced in the Shepparton News on Friday 2nd January 2015 that the AFL Goulburn Murray Regional Board has appointed Simon Devine as its League Operations Manager. The News (then) understood that Mr Devine will join the Regional Administration Centre from AFL Queensland where he had been employed since 2011 as the AFL (Qld's) competition manager where prior to that he was the Umpire Development Officer up North. In that news item (2.1.15) Mr Martin Gleeson, the General Manager of the AFL Goulburn Murray Regional Administration Centre was reported as saying he had received 15 applications for the position with six or seven of those applications being of a high standard and with Mr Devine having competition management experience. Mr Gleeson also stated that Mr Devine would be mainly responsible for the GVFL but will also provide 20 to 25% assistance to the administration of the Kyabram District Football Netball League and the Shepparton and District Junior Football League.
On Wednesday 7th January 2015 the Shepparton News printed a story by Gregor McTaggart after Gregor had interviewed Mr Devine the sub-heading being "NEW OPERATIONS MANAGER LOOKS FORWARD TO LIVING AND BREATHING FOOTBALL IN THE GOULBURN VALLEY" Gregor's report reads as follows ----- "The chance to work in a region that lives and breathes football has lured Simon Devine to trade in Queensland for the Goulburn Valley. Devine, 35, was yesterday confirmed as the AFL Goulburn Murray new League Operations Manager. Gregor quotes Simon as saying "It's a great opportunity to work with a well-known country football league. I'm looking forward to coming from a non-traditional football state where footy is No. 2 or No. 3 in the pecking order to where the game is lived and breathed 24-7. This is a chance to work in an intense footy environment and also from a personal development perspective it is a step forward for my career." Gregor further reports that Simon is a nephew of the former Geelong great player John Devine and was born in Hobart but moved up to Queensland with his parents when he was only seven years of age. Simon played our game with the powerhouse QAFL club Southport before retiring from playing at the ripe old age of 23 so he could focus on the administration side of our great game. In seven years working with AFL Queensland, Simon enjoyed a stint as the state's umpire development officer before making the transition to competition co-ordinator in 2012. Simon stated, "In my role I looked after all leagues in the South-East from the QAFL down to Amateur B which also included the women's footy competition - I was involved in the restructure 18 months ago when four clubs from the NEAFL competition came back to play community football." Devine holds a Bachelor of Business Administration/Sports Management from Griffith University and said he was aware of the history of the GVFL's recent move from its previous autonomous set-up to the new structure he will form part of. Simon further stated "I hope to be able to provide as much support as possible to club volunteers and administrators and continue to evolve the league's operations. It is about winning people over to work with them to ensure the league is run the best it can be and that comes back to relationships with people. I think I am the type of person that can pick up the 'phone and have open conversations with anyone." AFL Goulburn Murray Chairman Nicholas Rolfe has backed Devine's appointment saying he beat a high-quality felid of applicants for the role. "Simon has established himself over the past two years in managing 16 senior competitions across South-Eastern Queensland including budgeting, the Fox Sports Pulse system, permits, transfers, tribunal and events", ROLFE said. "This type of experience will stand him in good stead to drive the administration of the RAC's member league's - he will also provide competition management leadership for the KDFNL, the Shepparton District and the Seymour District junior football league's."
Simon Devine and his wife Terri will move to the area this month in readiness for his first day in the role on January 27.
In the Wednesday 14th January 2015 edition of the Shepparton Advisor, reporter David Lee published extracts of his interview with Simon where Simon is quoted as informing "Joining AFL Goulburn Murray is an exciting new challenge for me and one that I am really looking forward to. I made the decision to apply for the AFL Goulburn Murray League Operations Manager as I believe it would be a great opportunity to work in the "heartland of the AFL" (country Victoria) and being involved with a well renowed league as the GVFL would also be great for my professional devlopment. AFL Goulburn Murray Region Manager Martin Gleeson concluded the interview with the Advisor by stating "Simon's appointment is the important first component of the RAC's 2015 structure. We have been working over the last six weeks to set up the most effective operational structure to service our members and the League Operations Manager role was the first priority to get right. Personally, I am looking forward to Simion commencing in late January as this service structure can now come together for the benefit of all clubs."
No doubt we all look forward to meeting Simon and wife Terri and to welcome them - we certainly do have an exciting time ahead of us with us playing the strong Geelong interleague team at Deakin Reserve in May to determine who is No. 1 in Country Victoria and also having Hawthorn and North Melbourne play on Deakin in March. Sure, I like cricket and the hot weather; but I can hardly wait for the footy to get under way.
GO THE MIGHTY GV !!!!!!
Last Modified on 27/09/2016 13:54