The AFL is pleased to advise that the Fremantle Football Club’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Rosich has been awarded the 2014 Graeme Samuel Scholarship.
The Graeme Samuel Scholarship provides the recipient with $20,000 for use toward a study course and is awarded to a senior manager within the football industry who is working specifically in the areas of business or administration.
Mr Rosich has been CEO of the Fremantle Football Club since July 2008, leading the Club through a significant period of strategic change on and off the field since his appointment, including the re-branding of the Club in 2010 and the development of a new elite training and administration facility at Cockburn Central West, which is due for completion in 2017.
During Mr Rosich’s tenure, Fremantle has posted consecutive record membership figures in each of the past four years and also achieved above budgeted profit in each of the past five years. On field, the Club, under senior coach Ross Lyon, played in consecutive Toyota AFL Final Series for the first time in its history in 2012 and 2013, culminating in the Club’s first ever Toyota AFL Grand Final appearance last year.
Before moving into the CEO role in July 2008, Mr Rosich was General Manager of Commercial Operations at Fremantle for four and a half years and prior to that he held the position of Business Operations Manager with the West Coast Eagles. Mr Rosich previously was the Associate Director in the Corporate Advisory arm of international chartered accounting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, specialising in strategic planning and equity capital raisings.
“It is both a privilege and honour to be awarded the 2014 Graeme Samuel Scholarship, which is also in recognition of the Fremantle Dockers.”
“I am extremely grateful to the AFL for providing such a tremendous opportunity to further my professional development, which will also be of great benefit to the Fremantle Football Club,” he said.
Mr Rosich holds a Bachelor of Business degree from the University of Western Australia and is a chartered accountant.
The scholarship has been awarded by the AFL Commission since 2003 in recognition of Graeme Samuel’s contribution to the game.
Graeme Samuel was one of the original AFL Commissioners when it was formed in 1984. He resigned from the Commission 2003 to take up the position of Chairman of the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission. Over two decades, Mr Samuel played an invaluable role in the strategic direction of the AFL competition and Australian Football in general.
Previous recipients of the Graeme Samuel Scholarship are:
- Trevor Nisbett, CEO, West Coast Eagles FC
- Steven Trigg, CEO, Adelaide FC
- Geoff Walsh, then CEO of North Melbourne FC, former Director of Football, Collingwood FC and now Director of Football of North Melbourne FC
- Rob Threlfall, General Manager, Finance & Administration, Geelong FC
- Justin Reeves, Director of Commercial Operations, Collingwood FC
- Simon Garlick, CEO, Western Bulldogs FC
- Andrew Travis, Chief Operating Officer, Gold Coast SUNS
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