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Jamie Howden
Jamie is an experienced Executive with twenty five years of experience and a demonstrated history of achieving definitive and tangible outcomes within the Community and Government sectors. He is a skilled leader in organisational governance, community engagement, program delivery, complex stakeholder management, strategic development, advocacy, and fundraising. Jamie has strong business development skills with a proven track record in leading dynamic high performing organisations.
Previous roles Jamie has held include CEO of the Cathy Freeman Foundation, CEO of FightMND (delivery of the Big Freeze Event - AFL), Head of Government Relations at Children's Ground and General Manager of Ladder (AFL Players Association Charity).
Jamie aims to oversee management of the most professional junior Australian Rules football competition in the country, ensuring children from all backgrounds have access to our great game.
Chief Executive Officer
Bree Vallance
Bree brings over 15 years worth of experience at community sports clubs in a range of roles from volunteer to General Manager.
Bree comes to the SMJFL from Football Victoria as it’s Club Support Manager, whilst also holding positions at King Performance Events & Oxfam Australia.
Driven by a strong administration skill set and passion for grassroots sports, Bree aims to work with your club to
build relationships with Councils, sponsors and your community.
General Manager – Football Operations
Cameron Watts
Cam has been employed with the SMJFL since 2017, and has worked across many roles in the league during that time and currently has the role of General Manager - Member & Business Services.
The primary function of the role is to acquire, retain, and support Sponsors within the Corporate Partnership Program in order to maintain low costs for the SMJFL Members.
Cam runs the league's events in collaboration with Partners and Stakeholders and performs the duties of Master of Ceremonies at key events including end of season Presentation Nights.
In his capacity, Cam aims to administer the best junior football competition in the country, and provide the best possible support to all of the league’s participants.
General Manager – Member & Business Services
Liam Hollingsworth
Liam joined the SMJFL at the beginning of 2024 as the league’s Clubs & Community Lead.
With a strong administration and operations background in the VFL with both the Northern Blues and Northern Bullant’s, Liam aims to use this experience to ensure the best development and sustainability for our member clubs, whilst also educating and guiding clubs on a community and governance level.
Clubs & Community Lead
Doug Haworth
Doug oversees the SMJFL Umpire Academy, the largest of its kind in Australia. Coordinating 660 paid umpires in 2021 over 3,500 games annually, the Academy is a revolutionary feat in community sport.
Doug has been involved with the SMJFL since 2011, starting as a SMJFL umpire. In 2015, he won the AFL Victoria Golden Whistle Award and is apart of the VFL Development Squad.
Head of Umpiring
Nathan Broadbent
Nathan comes to the SMJFL having recently completed a PhD through Tennis Australia and Victoria University, assessing the equipment and playing area guidelines of junior sport competitions broadly, with a specific focus on tennis.
Prior to this undertaking, he completed an Honours project in collaboration with the Western Bulldogs and Victoria University, where he took on additional performance analysis tasks.
Nathan is a former player within the SMJFL with Bentleigh Junior Football Club, and nowadays plays tennis twice a week.
Football Administration Coordinator
Sarah Pretty
Sarah became involved with the SMJFL in January 2023 whilst working in the AFL’s cross platform transfer team, where she assisted us with our transition to PlayHQ.
Sarah re-joins us in the marketing & communications coordinator role and brings a wealth of sport marketing experience from the Deakin Melbourne Boomers, The WNBL, and Netball Australia.
Sarah aims to showcase the SMJFL brand by producing engaging marketing content and by running a leading social media account in the industry.
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Max Timlock
Max joins the SMJFL as an Administration Assistant, having previously been involved with the league at umpire level, as a junior with St Kilda City JFC, and assisting with our activation in 2023.
With a desire to pursue a career in sport, Max will provide administrative support to the league whilst assisting with events, functions and operations broadly.
Administration Assistant
Portia Rosenberg
Joining the SMJFL in 2024, Portia’s role as Umpire Administration Officer will see her coordinate and work closely with our league umpires to ensure the smooth operation of matches and promote umpire development.
Having worked as a Field Umpire with the SMJFL since 2018, Portia’s ambition to grow the league’s umpiring academy whilst simultaneously developing coaching skills of her own will provide our existing and aspiring umpires with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Umpire Administration Officer
David Zivin
David became involved in junior football in 2010 as Team Manager for his sons U9 team. This was the commencement of his footballing journey and has continued his dedicated involvement in junior football.
David progressed from a Team Manager’s role to managing the SMJFL’s inaugural U16’s Youth Girls representative team in 2014.
In 2016 he became the leagues Program Co-Ordinator, responsible for the managing all the SMJFL’s Interleague teams before being appointed as the SMJFL’s Football Pathway Program Administrator in 2019, assisting and managing the representative programs run in conjunction with the St Kilda Football Club’s NGA programs.
David was made a Life Member of the SMJFL in 2021.
Football Pathways Administrator
Jeremy Gleeson
Jeremy is the Business Services Manager at Sports Accounting Australia and joined the SMJFL in early 2022.
Bookkeeper
STAFF
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