GIANTS Directors Peter Taylor and Christine Cawsey will be honoured as Life Members of the GIANTS as they step down from the Club’s Board after nine years.

Mr Taylor and Ms Cawsey have both reached the maximum tenure as Club Directors having each served three consecutive three-year terms - the longest term possible under the Club’s constitution.

The pair were ratified as Life Members at the Club’s AGM held in Sydney today.

As a foundation Director of the GIANTS, Mr Taylor has helped grow Australian Rules Football in the ACT for nearly five decades and was instrumental in bringing the GIANTS to Canberra.

As head of the ACT4GWS campaign well before the GIANTS entered the AFL competition, Mr Taylor was the catalyst for securing over 5000 support pledges from the ACT public in additional to financial support from both the community and Government sectors.

Mr Taylor’s impact on the game reaches far beyond the elite level - he is a life member of Belconnen Football Club and a member of the AFL Canberra Hall of Fame for his role as a player, coach and administrator.

As a Western Sydney-based Director of the Club since inception, Ms Cawsey has ensured the Club remains meaningfully embedded in the community while providing invaluable leadership during the GIANTS formative years.

Ms Cawsey’s standing in the Australian education system is second to none and her ability to engage all sectors of the community in a highly diverse and non-traditional football region has proved pivotal in the Club’s growth.

Christine Cawsey at the GIANTS Ladies Lunch.

GIANTS Chairman Tony Shepherd has paid tribute to Mr Taylor and Ms Cawsey after nine years of service as Directors.

“The GIANTS have been very fortunate to have individuals such as Peter and Christine work tirelessly to grow the Club and the game more broadly through our formative years,” said Mr Shepherd.

“Peter’s capacity to build support of the Club in the ACT has been significant and we are grateful for the leadership and guidance he’s provided over the past decade.

“He has been a key member of the Club’s Football Committee since its inception and has always worked closely and honestly with the senior management of the Club.

“Peter’s position in the ACT community has seen the Club benefit on every level and he will continue to be an outstanding advocate for the GIANTS as we continue to grow in the years to come.

“Christine has steered the Club’s community agenda through an extraordinary period of growth, providing great leadership in building a Club in the most culturally diverse region in Australia.

“The extraordinary growth of the Club’s membership base is born out of the relationships we’ve established with our communities over the past 10 years. In this regard, Christine has been a key architect.

“Christine has also been a vitally important member of the Club’s Integrity Committee since inception, providing calm and clear leadership on a range of complex matters. 

 “Christine has also been a staunch advocate for women’s football and was critical in the implementation of the ongoing development of our AFLW program. 

“Both Peter and Christine thoroughly deserve recognition as Life Members of the GIANTS and we look forward to both Peter and Christine continuing their involvement with the GIANTS for many years to come.”

Ms Cawsey will continue her role as Chair of the Club’s Community and Inclusion Committee as well as a member of the Club’s Integrity Committee. Mr Taylor will remain a member of the Club’s Football Committee.

The pair will be formally inducted as Life Members of the GIANTS at the Kevin Sheedy medal at the end of the 2021 AFL season.

Mr Taylor and Ms Cawsey will take the number of Life Members to 10 with the pair joining Kevin Sheedy, Callan Ward, Jeremy Cameron, Phil Davis, Toby Greene, Leon Cameron, Heath Shaw and Lachie Whitfield in receiving the honour.