Former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan. Picture: AFL Photos

The AFL has today announced that six tremendous servants of Australian Football would be honoured with Life Membership of the game at this year's 2025 premiership season launch in March.

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon said the Commission had determined at its December meeting that Life Membership had been awarded to inaugural GWS Giants Chair Tony Shepherd, Geelong Team of the Century member and 25-year Geelong Falcon's manager the late Michael Turner, long-time St Kilda medical officer Dr Ian Stone, former Essendon premiership player and administrator Barry Capuano, 300-game AFL goal umpire David Flegg and former AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan. Turner was notified of his honour before he passed away late last year. 

In addition, the Jack Titus Award, which recognises conspicuous service to the game at club, volunteer or grass roots level, had been awarded to Georgie Day, who has given more than four decades of volunteer service to St Kilda, primarily around the support of new players coming into the club. Day is the first female recipient of the Titus award, since it was inaugurated in 1977.

Mr Dillon said the AFL congratulated each of the new Life members and the game was grateful for the extraordinary service they had collective given across administration, playing, umpiring, talent identification, medical support and assistance and mentoring to others who had come behind them.

"Life membership of the AFL is a high honour and recognises both quality of service across many years and an incredible love for the game and support for its growth and future success,Mr Dillon said.

"Each of our new life members has been a leader for our game in their work, has supported so many others around them, and been someone who has changed our game for the better.

"We look forward to welcoming them at our season launch in Sydney in March and to celebrate them in front of the football family as we welcome a new year for our game."

Life membership will also be awarded to the six players / umpires who automatically qualified during 2024 under the provision relating to 300 official games – Jack Darling, Mitch Duncan, Leigh Fisher, Andrew Gaff, Liam Shiels and Zach Tuohy.

New AFL Life Members (Service):

Barry Capuano

  • 118 games for Essendon 1959-66 (1962 premiership). 
  • Captain / coach Mitcham 1967-68
  • Captain / coach Eltham 1969-70 (two premierships)
  • Coach Stawell 1978 (premiership) 

Service:

  • Essendon FC Match Committee 1974-76
  • Essendon FC General Manager / CEO 1981-88 (including 1984/85 premierships)
  • VFL / AFL appointed roles to Sydney / Brisbane / St Kilda / Fitzroy 1989-93, specialisting in club administration / governance
  • Essendon Past Players and Officials Association for 21 years; Secretary 2001-10, President 2011-21
  • Founded Essendon Past Players Foundation Trust in 2004, to support former club players
  • Founded Essendon Past Players Welfare Program in 2015, to assist former players with training, job and business opportunities.

David Flegg

  • 337 VFL / AFL games between 1990-2011 as a goal umpire (second-most ever), including 19 finals and three Grand Finals.
  • AFL time keeper 2012 – current, for 271 AFL and AFLW games, including 2018 Grand Final.
  • Has currently officiated in more than 600 AFL/AFLW games for his career. 
  • As an umpiring historian, compiled the industry’s records of all field, boundary and goal umpires to have officiated at VFL / AFL level. His records have been accepted as the industry’s official history for umpiring. 

Gillon McLachlan 

  • AFL CEO from 2014 to 2023, after previous AFL Executive roles.
  • He led the introduction of the AFLW competition in 2017 – with accelerated expansion to 10 teams (2019), 14 teams (2020) and then all 18 teams.
  • Drove the acquisition of Marvel Stadium – ensuring the AFL had the asset base to access $600m line of credit to keep the football industry operational at the start of the pandemic.
  • Secured a $225 million upgrade of Marvel Stadium to transform the fan experience and ensure it is a year-round destination for major sports and entertainment.
  • Secured the country’s largest ever sport TV broadcast deal for the AFL competition and ensured an AFLW broadcast agreement which has resulted in the most expansive free to air coverage of a women’s sport.
  • Oversaw strong growth in all the key performance indicators of the sport including revenue ($502m in 2013 to $944m in in 2022), attendances (6.9m to 7.5m) memberships (756,717 to 1.14m in 2021), participation (938,068 to 1.7m).
  • As CEO, Deputy CEO and COO, Mr McLachlan was involved in the investment of more than $3 billion into infrastructure, which has seen the development or redevelopment of stadiums in every state and territory across Australia.
  • As Deputy CEO and COO intimately involved in the creation of two new expansion clubs in the Gold Coast SUNS and GWS GIANTS.
  • Introduced the Indigenous / Multicultural Next Generation Academies (NGAs), to accelerate the talent pathways for talent from diverse communities.
  • Introduced new competitive balance measures to ensure all Clubs had the capacity to pay up to 100 per cent of TPP and fund a competitive level of football expenditure and to control football spending through a new soft cap system.
  • Overhauled the AFL Tribunal and Match Review process and the ARC while continuing to introduce tighter rules at AFL and community level to protect the health and safety of players across all levels of the game while introducing tighter concussion protocols. 
  • Introduction of the Indigenous Advisory Council, to provide advice and guidance to the Commission and Executive on issues concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Led to the appointment of first indigenous Commissioner (Dr Milroy) and first indigenous Executive team member (Tanya Hosch) and the Review of the Peek Rule.
  • Introduced the first Gender Action Plan introduced which has led to a significant increase in women holding senior leadership roles across the AFL Executive and General Manager levels.
  • Appointed Dr Kate Hall as the AFL’s head of Mental Health and Wellbeing and Ranjit Menon as the AFL’s Chief Psychiatrist – a move that has led to an overhaul of the industry’s approach to mental health and significant improvements in the coordination of wellbeing services.

Anthony Shepherd

  • Inaugural chair of the GWS Giants, 2009-23.
  • As chair, was instrumental in the establishment of the club in the challenging market of Western Sydney.
  • Drove the establishment of the club’s culture and values, while establish the basis for staff and player retention in a non-traditional market.
  • Oversaw the club’s entry into the AFLW competition and establishment into its home training basis.
  • Saw the club established as a respected member of the competition, with regular finals’ appearances and a Grand Final appearance.  

Dr Ian Stone

  • Has provided medical services and leadership in the medical field to the football industry for nearly 40 years, including state representative and international representative teams.
  • Medical Officer Fitzroy 1985-96
  • Medical Officer St Kilda 1997 – current.
  • Victoria Team Doctor 1997
  • International Rules Doctor 2004, 2005, 2011.
  • AFL Doctors Association, Executive member 2001-23, including Vice President 2015-16.

The late Michael Turner

  • 245 games for Geelong 1974-88, 285 goals
  • 1979 All Australian
  • Geelong captain 1984-86
  • Geelong Team of the Century (wing)
  • Geelong Falcons Regional Manager 1995-2019.

Georgie Day, Jack Titus Award

  • St Kilda Heritage Co-Ordinator and various club volunteer roles since 1980
  • Began her volunteer work for the club more than 40 years ago with roles assisting match-day functions, raffle sales and caring for the players’ children in the club creche.
  • From 2000, worked to create the club’s data base of memorabilia and records, including storage of all key items.
  • Led the creation of the club’s history display and match by match career records and memory books for all players, which are presented upon retirement. 
  • Is the club’s lead support person across the past two decades for all incoming indigenous players into the club, providing home support to their spouses and families. 
  • Lead support role to young female players since the inception of the women’s program.
  • Life member of the club for service to the playing group across more than 30 years and the submission on her behalf regarding her pastoral care for players was notable for the inclusion of testimonies from past captains Nathan Burke, Lenny Hayes and Stewart Loewe among others. 

New AFL Life Members (Games):

  • Jack Darling (West Coast player with 298 premiership games and 15 official pre-season games). 
  • Mitch Duncan (Geelong Cats player with 295 premiership games and 22 official pre-season games). 
  • Leigh Fisher (Former St Kilda player and current umpire / combined 300+ senior games).
  • Andrew Gaff (West Coast player with 280 premiership games, 18 official pre-season games, one International game and one state game for Victoria). 
  • Liam Shiels (Hawthorn and North Melbourne player with 288 premiership games and 17 official pre-season games and two International rules tests). 
  • Zach Tuohy (Carlton and Geelong Cats player with 288 premiership games, 19 official pre-season games, one State of Origin game and six International Rules Tests).