Four dedicated volunteers and football stalwarts have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to Australian Football with the AFL Merit and AFL Victoria Volunteer of the Year awards.
Hailing from country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne, this year’s winners were acknowledged in front of family and friends at the recent AFL Victoria Community Football Awards night held on November 11.
Please see below for a list of the winners and their outstanding service to football:
AFL MERIT AWARD
The AFL Merit Award is a long-standing initiative which recognises individuals for their outstanding service to Australian Football.
Ten years is the minimum period of service for which a nomination will receive consideration.
AFL Victoria acknowledges two people, one from country Victoria and one person from metropolitan Melbourne with a Merit Award for their contribution to football.
This year’s winners were recognised at the recent AFL Victoria Community Football Awards and will now join 600 fellow Merit Award winners’ names on the honour board dating back to 1931.
See below for the stories of this year’s AFL Merit Award recipients:
JOHN SMITH 
AFL Wimera Mallee (Country recipient)
For over 30 years, John Smith has worked as a committed administrator at club, league and commission level on the country football scene.
A stalwart in every sense of the word, John has spent the last decade pouring himself into every possible role within the Wimmera Mallee region.
He has served ten years on the Wimmera Football League Commission, five years as Chief Commissioner of the league, established the Wimmera Football League Umpires Group (WFLUG) and was the inaugural Chief Commissioner of the AFL Wimmera Mallee Commission.
For the countless hours of hard work, passion and dedication, John was awarded life membership of the Wimmera Football League in 2013.
PETER HADDAD 
Yarra Juniors Football League (Metro recipient)
Peter Haddad has held nearly ever title imaginable over the last three decades. When his eldest son began playing for Balwyn FC in the mid 1980’s, Peter poured himself into the club, taking on roles as coach for various teams and joining the club’s committee.
Peter also served as president for the Balwyn JFC for a number of years, and became the first person to be awarded life membership of BJFC in 1999.
As a member of the Hawthorn District JFL Executive Committee, Peter helped pioneer the merger with Doncaster and District JFL and creation of the Yarra Junior Football League.
Since 1997, Peter has worked in various roles at the YJFL. From 1997 to 2009 he was treasurer/finance manager, has been President since 2010, and was awarded life membership in 2007.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Volunteers are the lifeblood of community football. Season 2016 saw over 78,000 volunteers dedicate hours of hard work and passion to ensuring their local clubs thrive as part of the wider community.
This year, AFL Victoria recognises the outstanding efforts two volunteers (one metropolitan and one country) and their invaluable contributions to community football.
See below for the stories of Kathryn Callaway (Rowville FC) and Jane Steicke (Woorinen FC).
KATHRYN CALLAWAY 
Rowville Football Club (Metro recipient)
For over 15 years, Kathryn Callaway has been the backbone of Rowville FC. Kath has volunteered as team manager coordinator, treasurer and secretary at RFC – just to name a few.
Kath’s altruism knows no bounds. She operates the junior canteen every Sunday before cooking up a storm in the clubrooms to serve meals to the junior teams. She looks after game tallies, lodges online scores and paperwork, best and fairest votes, handles accreditation, club policies, does the banking, mail collection and stocktake.
In addition to working two jobs, Kath pours in excess of 40 hours every week into ensuring RFC runs smoothly. A cherished, hardworking gem, Kath has been credited as the glue that holds the community together.
JANE STEICKE
Woorinen Football Netball Club (Country recipient)
Jane Steicke is the lifeblood of Woorinen FNC. For over 25 years, she has served as the matriarch of Woorinen – stepping in wherever she is needed to lighten the workload of others.
After the Woorinen sheds were decimated in a fire earlier this year, Jane singlehandedly salvaged the club. She spent hours sourcing replacement kitchen materials and operated the canteen out of an old caravan, and ferried food and utensils to neighbouring clubs to ensure the Woorinen troop could still have weekly dinners.
Jane is always thinking of others before herself, and cannot bear to see anybody go without. She cooks over 150 meals a week for players and members and even pays for meals for those who can’t afford to.
To see more winners from the 2016 AFL Victoria Community Football Awards, CLICK HERE…
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