Local footballer Tom Crellin has received a promotion in role with the AFL in the Gippsland Region.
Crellin has been with the AFL in a Game Development Officer (GDO) role since March 2023 and has provided support for community activations, AFL community camps, Auskick check-ins, and school programs and clinics.
Crellin has just commenced his new position, in the dual role of Club Development Officer (CDO) and GDO dedicated to the East Gippsland region.
Having played his football locally in both the Omeo and District and East Gippsland competitions and hailing from Swifts Creek and now Lakes Entrance, AFL Gippsland, General Manager, Tim Cotter sees Crellin well placed in terms of both opportunities and challenges.
“Tom is fantastic with all the kids he works with in schools and at junior football clubs and his work in getting Superkick up and running in Lakes Entrance has been excellent,” Cotter said.
Crellin will hit the ground running touching base with all Senior and Junior Community Clubs in the coming week, building on the work of Club Development Lead, Nicole Bertuna and Participation Coordinator, Caitlin Weston.
Cotter sees Crellin focusing his efforts in the areas of club support in the coming months, which includes vital areas like volunteer recruitment and retention, promoting good governance in clubs whilst minimising volunteer strain.
This will include promoting and driving self-sufficiency and capacity, through resources such as “AFL Club Help”, which engages volunteers with education and compliance programs by coordinating seminars and workshops, increasing awareness and applications of various grant opportunities, creating reward and recognition opportunities for volunteerism and attending and participating in club development workshops.
Importantly for East Gippsland, the dual role will Crellin as a one-stop shop for both club development and game development support for the region with clinics, school visits, Auskick, SuperKick, AFL Nines and other opportunities able to be accessed locally through Tom with the support of the AFL Victoria and AFL Gippsland team.
IMAGE: Lakes Entrance ruckman Tom Crellin has just started in the dual role of Club Development Officer (CDO) and Game Development Officer (GDO) with AFL Gippsland.
