Nancy McTaggart receives AFL Merit Award

VAFA Life Member, Nancy McTaggart, was recently awarded an AFL Merit Award for her 50 years of incredible service to the Association.

Nancy, who was awarded VAFA life membership in 2001, has a truly remarkable record dating back to 1969 with her main role as VAFA Scores Recorder whereby she audited every score from each match to ensure the correct balance of ladders every weekend.

VAFA Club Development & Sustainability Manager, Brian Goodman, said “when you consider the amount of work and time spent in the early days of 155 matches to now over 300 matches played over each weekend, you will understand it is a large and responsible task Nancy performed every Saturday & Sunday night”.

For years Nancy assisted her late husband George McTaggart with the organisation of the independent tribunal and interstate representative matches.

She was involved in the VAFA Umpires Association and Umpires Social Club as well as being part of the team who produced The Amateur Footballer record.

Nancy also dabbled in goal umpiring for several years and volunteered to work on Saturdays at the VAFA office to answer phone call queries and offer guidance and advice to clubs and umpires to assist them with any match day issues. Furthermore, Nancy worked tirelessly to ensure match details were provided to media outlets for publication each week.

“The VAFA has been full of admiration and in awe of her hard work as Nancy was always up to the challenge of doing whatever is required in support of clubs, players, officials, administrators and umpires during her 50 years of unprecedented service,” Brian said.

“She epitomizes everything that is good in the VAFA and her contribution in so many ways reflects the contribution of so many people within our clubs.”

Nancy becomes the first woman from the VAFA to be recognised with an AFL Merit Award.

All winners receive an AFL Merit Award Certificate personally signed by the AFL Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of the AFL Commission while being added to the honour board of less than 600 Merit Award winners dating back to 1931.