The AFL today announced that four new Life Members would be inducted at the 2010 Annual General Meeting next month for their services to Australian Football, after having their award confirmed by the AFL Commission. 

 

Former Essendon captain and three-time Coleman Medallist Matthew Lloyd qualified automatically during the 2009 AFL season by reaching 300 games while the Commission also recognised outstanding service to the game by three people and awarded Life Membership to Ray Allsopp, Neil Balme and Laurie Dwyer.

 

Lloyd, who retired at the end of the 2009 AFL season with the seventh highest goal tally in VFL/AFL history with 926 goals, finished an outstanding career as a premiership player (2000), Coleman Medallist (2000, 2001 and 2003), Jim Stynes Medallist (2001) and the holder of 11 leading goal kicker awards for the Bombers.

 
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Allsopp has been involved in football for more than 50 years and was the central force in the development of the Victorian primary schools clinic scheme, which grew into VicKick and was the precursor to the AFL Auskick program. In 2009, more than 160,000 children across Australia were part of a NAB AFL Auskick program.

 

Neil Balme has been involved at senior level football across WA, SA and Victoria and the national competition for four decades, beginning as a player with Subiaco in WA before playing in two premierships with Richmond in the VFL in 1973-74. He coached Norwood in the SANFL to premierships in 1982 and 1984, going on to then coach Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) and Melbourne (AFL). Most recently, he has worked as head of football operations at both Collingwood and the Geelong Cats.

 

Dwyer, a dual best and fairest with North Melbourne during his 201 games between 1956-70, has worked in football since the start of his playing career, serving variously for North Melbourne and the Sydney Swans as a team runner, club director, assistant secretary, development manager, assistant football manager, reserves coach and recruiting officer.

 

AFL Northern Territory Chairman Bob Elix has also been awarded the Jack Titus Service Award for Conspicuous Service to game, in recognition of his involvement with the game in the Northern Territory for four decades. 

 

AFL Chief Executive Officer Andrew Demetriou said the Commission was delighted to be recognising such outstanding contributors to the game.

 

""The AFL has been priviliged to watch a great career in Matthew Lloyd, that finished at the end of the 2009 season. Matthew was a person who pulled people to our game with his skill and he will be missed by Essendon supporters and his achievements are recognised by all football fans,"" Mr Demetriou said.
 
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""Ray Allsopp, Neil Balme and Laurie Dwyer have served our game for more than 140 years between them, and each has done much to make our game stronger, either by bringing children to our game like Ray, working to strengthen our game in all our states such as Neil, and working to build a club's success as Laurie has done.

 

""Life Membership of the sport you have served is the ultimate acknowledgement by everyone in the game of your efforts and the new inductees are indeed extremely deserving."" 

 
300 Games Service

Matthew Lloyd (Essendon)

270 games

24 pre-season games

Three State of Origin games

Four International Rules matches

2000 Essendon premiership

2000, 2001, 2003 Coleman Medal

2001 Jim Stynes Medal

1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 Essendon leading goal kicker

1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 All Australian

 

Conspicuous Service

Ray Allsopp

Worked in the game as a player, and then administrator, for more than 50 years

Key role in the development of the Victorian primary schools clinic scheme, the precursor to the development of VicKick

 

Neil Balme

1968 - Four games with Subiaco Football Club

1969-79 - 160 games with Richmond Football Club, including 1973 and 1974 premierships

1980-90 - Coach Norwood Football Club, contesting the finals in each season and premierships in 1982 and 1984

1991-92 - Inagural coach of Woodville-West Torrens

1993-97 - Coach Melbourne Football Club. AFL Team of the Year Coach 1994

1999-2006 - General Manager Football Operations Collingwood Football Club

2007 - current - General Manager Football Operations Geelong Cats Football Club

 

Laurie Dwyer

1956-70 - 201 games for North Melbourne, including two best and fairest awards

1975-79 - North Melbourne runner

1979 - North Melbourne club director

1980 - North Melbourne assistant club secretary

1981-84 - North Melbourne development officer

1985-86 - North Melbourne assistant football manager

1987-91 - North Melbourne reserves coach

1993-2006 - Sydney Swans recruiting officer

2007 - current - North Melbourne recruiting officer

 

Jack Titus Service Award

Bob Elix

1964-69 - Player with Port Adelaide (SANFL)

1970-71 - Captain Coach Darwin Football Club

1971-73 and 1976-77 - Coach Waratahs Football Club

1979-81 - Coach Nightcliff Football Club

1979 - Coach, Northern Territory

1990 - Coach University Football Club

1998 - Joined Board of AFL NT, Chairman since 2000