The AFL today announced that 11 new Life Members would be inducted at the 2022 Annual General Meeting in March for their services to Australian Football, after having their award confirmed by the AFL Commission.
Life Membership was conferred under the provision of 'Special Service to the Game' Geelong Football Club recruiter Stephen Wells.
Wells joined Geelong in 1984 and has since played a significant role in shaping the Cats' on-field success which has include a trio of premierships between 2007 and 2011.
A total of eight players, coaches and umpires qualified automatically after having reached 300 total AFL games during the 2021 season as a coach, player or umpire – Luke Beveridge, Grant Birchall, Stuart Dew, Patrick Dangerfield, Shane Edwards, Josh Kennedy, Jacob Mollison and Robert Findlay.
The records for each person is listed below.
Patrick Dangerfield - AFL Life Member Game Qualification
285 premiership games and 19 pre-season games played for Adelaide Crows and Geelong Cats, kicking 324 goals.
8 x All Australian 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 (Vice Captain), 2019, 2020 (Captain).
6 x International Rules games 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017.
4 x Club Best and Fairest 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
State of Origin game, 2020
Brownlow Medallist, 2016
Club Captain, 2014
Stephen Wells - AFL Life Member Service Qualification
1976 – 1977 - Geelong Amateur Football Club player in VAFA, VAFA representative team v TAFL
1977 – 1978 - Ocean Grove Football Club player in the Bellarine Football league, Bellarine FL Representative Team
1979 – 1980 - Geelong West Football Club Player in the V.F.A, VFA Representative team v NTFL, VFA Representative team v SANFL
1981 – 1982 - West Adelaide Football Club player in the SANFL
1983 - Southport Football Club player in the Q.A.F.L (Premiers)
1984 – 1985 - Echuca Football Club player in the Goulburn Valley Football League, Goulburn Valley Football league representative teams, Victorian Country Football League representative team VCFL
Feb 1984 - Commenced work with the Geelong Football Club
1984 – 1985 - Country Zone Development Officer – Echuca based
1986 – 1990 - Development Officer – Geelong Based, Under 19s Assistant Coach
1991 – 1993 - Assistant Football Manager, Role in Recruiting working with Bill McMaster
1994 – present - Recruiting & List Manager
1998 - Recruiting Manager / General Manager Football Department
2004 - Life member Geelong Football Club
2008 - Member of the AFL’s List Development Committee for the establishment of the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney teams.
2009 - RJ Hickey award for outstanding service to football
2013 – present - Member, Honouring the Past Committee
2015 – present - AFL’s Player Movement Advisory Group
2019 - AFL Coaches Association Neale Daniher Lifetime Achievement Award
