Inaugural Coach and outgoing Director Kevin Sheedy has become the first Life Member of the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS.
GIANTS Chairman Tony Shepherd presented Sheedy with his Life Membership as it was announced he would finish with the club after five years to take up a role in Melbourne.
The GIANTS will pay tribute to Sheedy at this Friday night’s NAB Challenge match against Essendon at Spotless Stadium.
After coaching Essendon to four premierships over 27 years, Sheedy was appointed coach of the AFL's 18th club, the GIANTS, in 2009.
He coached the GIANTS for their two seasons in the AFL in 2012-13 before handing over the reins to his successor Leon Cameron.
Sheedy joined the Board as a Director and has continued to work for the GIANTS and AFL across NSW and the ACT.
GIANTS Chairman Tony Shepherd thanked Sheedy for his enormous contribution to the game in Western Sydney and Canberra.
"In many ways Kevin Sheedy has been the father of the GIANTS and leaves an incredible legacy for the game in Western Sydney and Canberra," Shepherd said.
"Kevin helped guide our young players through their first two years in the AFL before handing over to Leon Cameron. He's also worked tirelessly off the field to build our links in Western Sydney and Canberra and raise the profile of the game in these regions.
“We are starting to witness generational change in Western Sydney where participation in the game has grown by 70 per cent since the GIANTS entered the AFL.
“This is in no small part due to Kevin Sheedy’s ingenuity, boundless enthusiasm, hard work and sheer force of personality. He has a deep passion for people and the game and the enormous opportunities it offers and it’s why he is so universally loved and admired.
"Kevin has helped put the GIANTS and the game on the map in Western Sydney and leaves both on a very solid footing. He and his wife Geraldine go with our blessing and gratitude for all they have done.
"It is only fitting that Kevin should become our first Life Member and he will always be a great friend of the GIANTS.
Shepherd said Sheedy's many achievements at the GIANTS included:
- Coaching the GIANTS to their first ever win against the Gold Coast Suns in Canberra in May 2012
- Becoming the first person in VFL/AFL history to play and coach 1000 games against Port Adelaide in August 2012 (the club’s second win)
- Playing 44 AFL debutants
- Building the profile of the game in Western Sydney and Canberra
- Forming corporate and community partnerships and introducing new brands such as Dyldam to AFL
- The Club Champion award, the Kevin Sheedy Medal, named in his honour
"We urge all sporting fans to come to Spotless Stadium this Friday night to thank `Sheeds’ for what he has done for the game."
Sheedy said he was proud to have helped build the GIANTS.
"This has been one of the best things I have done in my 50 years in the game and I want to thank the club and the AFL for giving me the opportunity to be part of it," he said.
"I want to thank everybody I've met along the way but particularly the people of Western Sydney and Canberra for embracing the GIANTS and our great game.
“To see more and more young people from different backgrounds playing AFL gives me a lot of heart about the enormous opportunities for our game in Western Sydney.
"I move on knowing the club has a great future. We have an exciting team, a terrific young coach, great fans, a brilliant stadium and strong corporate and community support.
“The GIANTS are going to be a powerhouse of the AFL and I urge everyone to get on board for this exciting journey ahead.”
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan attended today’s announcement and congratulated Sheedy on being named the GIANTS' inaugural Life Member.
"This honour acknowledges the indelible mark Kevin has left on the GIANTS and his broader contribution to the game in NSW and the ACT,” he said.
"Kevin's role in laying the club's foundations both on and off the field is unparalleled. He leaves the GIANTS knowing the club, and indeed the game is in terrific shape."
The GIANTS play Essendon in the second round of the NAB Challenge in the first-ever Friday night game at Spotless Stadium this Friday, March 13.
GIANTS members with game access receive FREE entry to the match while tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and start from just $18 for an adult and $4 for a junior.
