Hurley Appointed Head of Community Football

SANFL is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Hurley as its new Head of Community Football.

Hurley, a former Sturt FC player, replaces Matt Duldig who was earlier this month announced as SANFL’s new General Manager Football.

Hurley, 31, practised law before joining SANFL as Football Operations Manager of the State League in 2015. He was most recently SANFL’s Head of Football Operations.

As Head of Community Football, Hurley will be responsible for managing the affiliations of the 24 regional Leagues across the State and the metropolitan Adelaide Footy League. He will also oversee the facilities, indigenous programs, participation and game delivery portfolios at SANFL.

Duldig said Hurley’s high performance in managing the League’s football operations had positioned him well to oversee Community Football moving forward.

“Tom’s breadth of football knowledge, strong connections across the football industry and experience in football administration saw him emerge as the ideal candidate to continue to support and strengthen grassroots football throughout the State, ensuring it’s sustainability in the future,” Duldig said.

“Having grown up in the Riverland, Tom also has a great understanding and appreciation of the importance of country footy in regional communities.”

Hurley said he was looking forward to leading the future direction of community football and the 54,000 club participants throughout the State.

“A key priority is to continue to provide the necessary resources and administrative support for the volunteers running clubs and regional leagues who are critical in ensuring that our great game is enjoyed by so many South Australians,” Hurley said.

“There is also an urgent need to develop new and existing facilities at clubs across the State to ensure that we capitalise on the exponential growth experienced in the female space and provide environments that are welcoming and inclusive for all participants.”

Hurley also said a focus would be to drive the connection between SANFL Clubs and their local zones and community clubs which continue to play a critical role in the South Australian talent development pathway.