The VAFA Board comprises 11 members plus the VAFA CEO. Each member of the Board belongs to a designated sub-committee. The Board meets regularly with VAFA Members invited to attend the Annual General Meeting in December and pre-season Members Meeting in March.
The list of current VAFA Board Members is listed below.
President
Paul has had a close connection with the VAFA community over many years.
Paul’s passion of the VAFA stems from a combination of his playing days at Collegians, followed by a 12-year term at Old Carey where his children played, with nine years as President. Beyond that, Paul has previously spent 18 months on the VAFA Board during2018-2019 before stepping down, having a sea change and serving as the Commercial Manager for the Old Xavierians.
Paul was elected VAFA President at the 2023 Annual General Meeting.
Vice President
Ivan Delac joins the VAFA Board after 9 years as President of the Glen Eira Football Club. Having spent the better part of a decade rebuilding the foundations of Glen Eira through a merger, implementing that club’s inaugural Women’s Team and an U19’s pathway partnership with McKinnon Secondary College.
Educated at Xavier College and ACU with a Bachelor of Business, Ivan brings a commercial acumen as a senior manager for Microsoft.
Ivan’s success at Glen Eira AFC came from securing more than $500K in local, state, and federal government grants, other fundraising, and sponsorship initiatives as well as a detailed knowledge and understanding of long term strategic and succession planning. While experiencing a horrid start as President of Glen Eira in 2013, overcoming a 708-day draught between senior men’s wins: Glen Eira has now grown to five teams and delivered five club Premierships, culminating in Glen Eira winning the VAFA Club Championship in 2021.
Ivan served for 2 years as a member of the Divisional Clubs Advisory Group, developing a solid grounding on all matters of football operations and rules planning.
Ivan Chairs the Commercial and Media subcommittee.
Vice President
Sarah joined the VAFA Board as a leader in women’s football. As a foundation player, inaugural two-time premiership captain, two-time best and fairest and Vice President of the Hawthorn Amateur Football Club. Sarah was integral in shaping the club’s women’s program over the last five years.
She has been immersed in the VAFA since the Women’s competition began. Passionate about its growth beyond clubland, Sarah became a member of the VAFA Women’s Advisory group and VAFA Women’s Coaching Academy to broaden her reach and impact on the sport for a new generation of female footballers. With a strong voice for advocating for change as well as recognising the proud history of the competition.
Sarah has a unique skill set with extensive experience in leadership and organisational development, culture and transformation and large-scale project management as a senior learning solution designer at PWC. A highly regarded facilitator and coach, she is committed to creating environments for leaders at all levels to articulate and execute a purpose-led and commercial vision, effectively challenge assumptions and thrive in complex environments.
Educated at Loreto and ACU with Bachelors of Exercise Science and studies in Psychology, Sarah is also an accredited practitioner in a wide range of learning diagnostics and psychometric tools.
Sarah’s experience in the not-for-profit sector as a Director on the Pangea Global Health Education Board, ambassador of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Foundation, and creator of the Getting a head of Brain Cancer fundraising initiative, demonstrates her capacity and passion for making a difference in the community.
Sarah is Chair of the Football and Community subcommittee, overseeing Women’s football.
Nicole is a Director of Operations with over 25 years executive leadership experience in professional services, specifically STEM. Nicole is committed to developing and delivering strategic plans, designing and embedding corporate governance, financial management and developing key stakeholder relationships.
In addition, Nicole is a passionate Australian rules football supporter and administrator. Nicole brings to the board experience at the grassroots level having been involved with the establishment of the MCC Women’s Football Club from its inception and most recently holding the positions of Vice President and President. Nicole’s particular areas of interest include sports governance, the growth and sustainability of the women’s competition, club sustainability and community engagement and partnerships.
Nicole holds a Bachelor of Business and a post graduate qualification in psychology and is a current member of the VAFA Football and Community subcommittee.
Martin has been involved with the VAFA as a player, coach and administrator with De La Salle OC for over 40 years as well as having been involved with the VAFA in a number of voluntary roles including sitting on tribunal and investigation hearings, having been a scribe for the Amateur Footballer as well as having been a sponsor for 4 years with Tahbilk wines.
Academically he holds the following qualifications including a Bachelor of Arts (Sports Marketing), a Graduate Diploma of Business, a Masters in Business (Management) and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education.
Professionally he has worked across a number of areas including experience as a teacher for over 10 years in the Higher Education sector at Monash, and has been employed within the wine industry for the last 15 years and is currently employed with Scotchmans Hill.
Joan Eddy spent 13 years on the Board of the Fitzroy Football Club, 12 of those years as President. She stepped down in Jan 2022. As President at Fitzroy, Joan oversaw the establishment of codes of conduct, financial plans and systems, the first Strategic plan, a Governance framework and a player mental health and well being programme.
Joan has been the recipient of several awards including:
• City of Yarra Community Sports Person of the Year 2018
• AFL Woman of the Year, Community Category 2019
• VAFA Certificate of Merit 2019
• VAFA Medal Naming Award, Premier Reserves Women GF BOG, inaugurated 2023
Joan has 40 years’ social work experience in Social and Community Services, the last 25 in Community Health/Mental Health. Roles have included Management and Clinical Leadership across a variety of areas. Currently employed as a Senior Clinician Social Worker at Western Health Melbourne.
Matt Scholten played 240 games for the Caulfield Grammarians Football Club during the 1980’s and 1990’s. He was the Club’s longest serving President from 1998 to 2012, overseeing three senior Men’s Premierships in E, D and B Grade.
Matt has 37 years experience in the superannuation, financial planning, wealth management industry. For the past 27 years, Matt has run his own business – SCM Financial Group which specialises in financial planning, investment, superannuation, accounting, lending, estate planning and insurance.
Matt is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and a Certified Financial Planner – (CFP).
Matt is Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk subcommittee.
George Haros has been involved with the VAFA for over 30 years, initially as a player and later as President of the Old Ivanhoe Grammarians Football Club, where he is a Life Member and was named the 10th Legend of the Club.
Professionally, George is a Partner at national law firm, Gadens, specialising in employment, industrial relations, litigation and dispute resolution. He is widely respected for his work in complex and high-profile litigation involving the protection of reputation. George has had carriage of some of the biggest sports law disputes of the previous decade, in which he represented both sporting bodies and elite athletes.
He has been consistently recognised by Best Lawyers Australia, Doyle’s Guide, and The Legal 500, and was named one of Australasian Lawyer’s Most Influential Lawyers in 2024. George has also been a two-time finalist for Mentor of the Year at the Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards. George is a passionate Carlton supporter, dedicated husband and father, and maintains strong ties to Tasmania and to his Greek heritage, particularly the island of Kythera.
Sharon Read is a seasoned executive with over 30 years’ experience in senior leadership across Victoria’s public health and not-for-profit sectors. She currently serves as Director of People and Culture and the Foundation at Western Health, where she plays a key role in strategy, innovation, and leading complex organisational change.
Sport has been a lifelong passion, deeply rooted in her family history. She grew up on the side lines of grassroots football, following her father—a respected coach and player—and shares a proud legacy with her grandfather and uncle, who also coached and played. Sharon has been actively involved in the Fitzroy Junior Football Club in an administrative capacity and is the proud mother of two sons who played football for Fitzroy.
Sharon holds qualifications in social work and business leadership and has completed courses with the AICD and Harvard Business School.
Beyond football, Sharon plays competitive tennis for Keon Park and serves as Assistant Secretary. She has played club cricket and netball, and champions the role of community sport in building wellbeing, resilience, and strong local connections.
Richard Smith is a past player and coach at Old Brighton Grammarians Football Club, who has previously served on the Board of Southern Football Netball League. He is a current Board Member with Reclink Australia and has had a corporate career that spans senior corporate and government advisory roles responsible for strategy development, complex project delivery, and high-level stakeholder engagement balancing commercial outcomes and community impact.
Adrian Raftery has had a professional career as an award-winning Chartered Accountant (30+ years) and senior academic. He spent a 4-year term as the National General Manager of AFL Masters. He is an Honorary Fellow within Business Administration at the University of Melbourne, has a PhD, MBA and an Executive Graduate Certificate of Sport Business from Deakin University.
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