WAFC Commissioner Election ResultsTuesday, November 26, 2019 - 3:15 PM

The election results for Commissioners of the West Australian Football Commission were endorsed last night, Monday 25 November 2019, at a meeting of WA Football stakeholders.

Commissioner HON. Cheryl Edwardes AM was reappointed for three years and has been endorsed by the WAFC Board to serve as Vice Chairman from 1 January 2020.

Commissioner Neil Randall was reappointed for one year, extending his overall term on the WAFC Board to nine years.

Worley Global Strategy Director, Amber Banfield, was appointed for her first term of three years after being elected to the Board position vacated by retiring Chairman Murray McHenry.

Mr McHenry, who has been a WAFC Commissioner since 2010 and served as Chairman since 2015, has completed the maximum tenure under the WAFC constitution, following a decade of voluntary contribution to grassroots football.

Mr McHenry has played a key role in setting a clear strategy for WA football during this time, leading the WAFC through future funding negotiations and supporting the range of positive reforms being implemented across all segments of the game to ensure football in WA is well placed for the future.

Mr McHenry said he had thoroughly enjoyed his time as a Commissioner and thanked everyone who had given him their support.

“To the other Commissioners, WAFC staff and Executive, WAFL clubs, AFL clubs, the AFL and other football stakeholders, as well as the current members of State Government I’ve had the pleasure of working with, it has been a privilege and I sincerely thank you,” he said.

“The role has been rewarding, challenging and a great opportunity to contribute to the future of WA Football.”  

HON. Wayne Martin AC QC, who was appointed to the WAFC Board in January 2019, has been endorsed by the WAFC Board as the new Chairman. 

Mr Martin has served the State and people of Western Australia in a variety of roles, most recently as Chief Justice of Western Australia, a position which he held from 2006 until his retirement from judicial office in 2018.

He also served as a Chair and Board member of numerous professional, not-for-profit and government organisations during his lengthy legal career, and has passionately followed football in Western Australia throughout his life.

ELECTION RESULTS

Hon. Cheryl Edwardes AM

Reappointed for a 3-year term from 1 January 2020 to 1 January 2023

Hon. Cheryl Edwardes was admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 1984 and the High Court of Australia in 1986. She was the first female solicitor appointed to the West Australian Parliament in 1989 and the first female Attorney General in WA in 1993. Mrs Edwardes is a member of the Foreign Investment Review Board. She is also a Chairman and Independent Director on a number of ASX Boards and private companies, and continues to assist and support many community organisations. She was made a member of the Order of Australia in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours and has also served as a WAFC Commissioner since 2016.

Neil Randall

Reappointed for a 1-year term from 1 January 2020 to 1 January 2021

Mr Randall has more than 40 years of experience as a football player, volunteer, coach and administrator. He played over 200 WAFL League games and was a chairman of selectors under legendary coaches Mal Brown and Haydn Bunton. During 20 years as a Board member at Subiaco Football Club he oversaw a range of portfolios including sponsorship, marketing, facility development, membership and football.  He was Club President for seven years and also served on the WAFL Council of Presidents, including one year as Chairman. Neil has been State President of the Australian Hotels Association WA for more than a decade and is an alternate Director with the HOSTPLUS superannuation fund.

Amber Banfield

Appointed for a 3-year term from 1 January 2020 to 1 January 2023

Mrs Banfield is Global Strategy Director at Worley, Perth, where she has held various roles for the past 20 years, supporting the Company's significant transformation into the largest energy and resources service provider globally. Her experience has included engineering, program management, marketing and communications, strategic planning, investor relations, corporate affairs, commercial strategy and business and financial planning across the New Energy, Oil and Gas, Mining and Infrastructure sectors. As the mother of four, she is actively involved in community football in various voluntary positions, which has allowed her to develop a deep understanding of the complexities and requirements of the game at grassroots level.