The AFL is pleased to announce AFL Group Financial Controller, Jacob Attwood has been awarded the Inaugural 2022 Ray Gunston Scholarship.

The Ray Gunston Scholarship is in honour of much-loved AFL executive, friend and mentor to many people across the football industry, Ray Gunston who sadly passed away in July of this year.

Gunston had filled a range of senior roles across football, as well as a previous outstanding career in business life. Ray was an extremely valued member of the AFL, for both his ability to lead and complete major projects, and for his strong values and ethical framework in how he conducted himself.

The Ray Gunston Scholarship was open to highly talented middle to senior leaders within the AFL who have the aspiration and the potential to progress to an AFL or Club Executive role.

Executive General Manager People Sarah Fair congratulated Jacob. 

“We received some truly outstanding applications right across the AFL. The AFL Executive had the privilege of reading through all the applications but also had the tough job of selecting a winner. On behalf of the AFL, I congratulate Jacob on being the well-deserved recipient of the 2022 Ray GunstonScholarship,” Ms. Fair said.

Mandy Gunston on behalf of the family was pleased to hand the inaugural Ray Gunston Scholarship to friend and colleague of Ray, Jacob Attwood.

“Ray adored the AFL industry and loved the supporting its people, particularly young people,” Mandy said.

“Ray would have been both humbled and proud to have a scholarship in his honour that rewards people for looking after others in football. He would be absolutely thrilled to know that his friend and colleague Jacob Attwood was the inaugural recipient.”

Jacob said he was honoured to receive the award and thanked those around him who have supported his professional career.

“I was extremely fortunate to get to work closely with Ray over his time at the AFL. Remembering Ray, what stands out was not just what he achieved for the industry but the impact he had on the people he worked with. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him; Ray was so generous with his time, always willing to provide guidance to others and I would not be in the fortunate position I’m in today without him.”

“To be named the inaugural Ray Gunston Scholarship winner is a humbling honour and one of the highlights of my career. I’d like to thank the AFL Executive for the privilege and congratulate them on establishing an award to remember Ray. I speak on behalf of many when I say we miss him every day, and I look forward to taking the opportunities afforded from the scholarship to enhance my own contribution to the code and provide support to others in the industry the way Ray did.”

Jacob will receive $20,000 to invest in further professional development.

Ray Gunston

At the AFL, Ray Gunston had worked as CFO and General Manager of Infrastructure, Major Projects and Investment, after previously having served as Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Essendon Football Club. At league headquarters, he had chaired the AFL Investment committee, overseen all non-operational investments and negotiations and overseen the capital management and structuring of the AFL balance sheet.

Before working in football, his many senior roles had included Chief Financial Officer of the Tatts Group, executive roles with Westpac, Price Waterhouse, Aluminium Smelters of Victoria, Southern Cross Austereo and the Victorian Government. He was a non-executive director and Chairman of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Hotel Property Investments and Melbourne Stadiums Limited. He was also a non-executive director AFL Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades.

Ray played a leading role in the transformation of the privately owned Tattersall’s into the publicly listed Tatts Group as an ASX 100 listed national and global company, followed by initiating and implementing the $4 billion merger of Tatts and UNITAB. He also played a lead executive role in acquisitions for the Tatts Group.

While son Jack has carved out an exceptional AFL career, Ray was an outstanding player with Strathmore in the EDFL for the majority of his career and for three years with Brunswick in the VFA (1979-81). He began with Strathmore in 1967 at junior level, and was a member of the 1984 premiership team, and was honoured with Life Membership in 1989, with his parents also being life members at the club.

A dedicated club man, Ray said at the time, “I was very proud and honoured to have received Life Membership in 1989 from the Club that had honoured both my parents previously with Life Memberships given their dedication and love for the Club and the people they enjoyed being with.”