The GIANTS congratulate both Matt de Boer and Andrew Ireland upon their appointments to the AFL Commission.
GIANTS Chairman Tony Shepherd AO said it was important to the clubs that vacancies were filled and that both appointments would benefit the national growth agenda of the game.
“The AFL Commission plays a very important role and it is fundamentally important to have people with strong playing and club experience. Further, both Matt and Andrew have strong experience and understanding of NSW and Queensland – the AFL’s priority growth markets,” Mr Shepherd said.
"I have known Andrew for many years in his various roles, including with the Australian Sports Commission, and I have the highest respect for him. He is an experienced AFL club executive leading both the Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans to premierships and with a deep knowledge of the game from the elite to the grassroots. Matt de Boer has made an invaluable contribution to the establishment of the GIANTS."
Matt de Boer joins the Commission after retiring at the end of 2022 following 223 AFL games, including 138 with Fremantle and 85 games with the GIANTS. He was a member of his club’s leadership groups for all but four years of his 14-year AFL career and also served as an AFLPA player Delegate. In 2023, he was worked part-time for the GIANTS as a Strategic Advisor alongside his work as founder of Athletic Ventures.
GIANTS Chief Executive Officer, David Matthews, congratulated Mr de Boer and Mr Ireland on their appointments.
“Our club has great respect for the experience and knowledge that Andrew Ireland will bring. He was an architect of our original list establishment rules, understands the challenge and opportunities and is a passionate advocate for strategies such as our Academy,” Mr Matthews said.
“Matt de Boer’s appointment is a reflection of his achievements on and off the field; his outstanding values; and potential to contribute to the further growth and development of the game. As someone who played for an expansion team and still lives in Sydney, he will bring a thoughtful and insightful perspective to the Commission over the coming years.”
Mr de Boer, who has a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Western Australia, co-founded venture capital firm Athletic Ventures in 2020. Athletic Ventures is a private equity investment syndicate of current and former elite athletes that partner with world-class entrepreneurs building high-growth technology and consumer companies.
“I am excited and also humbled by becoming a member of the Commission and bring a contemporary lens of football and specifically the ups and downs of an AFL footy career over 14 years at two clubs and two states,” he said.
“Hopefully I can bring an insight into playing in both an established market with Fremantle and an emerging market with the GIANTS.”
