Life Members

Gary Bovell, from Dongara, was awarded Life Membership of the West Australian Country Football League (WACFL) in 2018 following decades of dedicated service to country football.

Gary served as a sports trainer for the Dongara Football Club for more than 20 years. During this time, he also played an important leadership role in sports training across both the Great Northern Football League and the North Midlands Football League for over 11 years. His commitment and expertise were instrumental in supporting the North Midlands Football League’s involvement in events such as the Northern Regions Colts Carnival and the Landmark Country Football Championships.

In recognition of his outstanding work in sports training, Gary was appointed Assistant Trainer for the WACFL State Team in 2000. He served in this role for 10 years, contributing to five Interstate Carnivals and the WACFL’s participation in the WAFL Preseason Competition.

Following the retirement of Gordon Davidson in 2009, Gary stepped into the role of Head Trainer for the WA State Country Team, a position he held until 2016. In total, Gary provided 16 years of voluntary service to the WACFL and earned deep respect from players and officials alike for his professionalism, dedication, and tireless work ethic.

In addition to his contributions as a trainer, Gary was also a highly respected country footballer. He won the North Midlands Football League Fairest and Best Award in 1984 and continued playing league football until the age of 42.

Widely regarded as one of country football’s genuine “good blokes,” Gary has received numerous acknowledgements throughout the North Midlands and Great Northern Football Leagues. His Life Membership of the WACFL recognises a lifetime of commitment to the game and to the country football community.

Kellie Morley was awarded Life Membership of the West Australian Country Football League (WACFL) in 2018 in recognition of her long-standing dedication and outstanding service to country football administration.

Kellie joined the WA Football Commission in 1997 as an Administration Assistant supporting both the Umpiring and Country departments under the leadership of Terry Waldron, David Johnson and Peter Troode. From the outset, she became an integral part of the organisation, providing reliable administrative support and contributing to the smooth operation of key football programs.

Following maternity leave in 2007, Kellie returned to the organisation in an Administration Assistant role with the WA Country Football League, working alongside Cameron Knapton. Apart from a second period of maternity leave in 2009, she has continued to serve the WACFL with dedication and professionalism.

Throughout her time with the WACFL, Kellie has played an important role in managing finances and supplies, coordinating State team travel and programs, assisting with sponsorship activities, and supporting the development of country leagues and clubs. Her work has also included a wide range of administrative responsibilities that have helped ensure the efficient running of the organisation.

Kellie’s commitment, work ethic and willingness to go above and beyond her role have made her a valued member of the football community. She has provided outstanding support to both staff and the Executive and is widely respected and appreciated throughout the country football fraternity.

Her Life Membership of the WACFL recognises the significant contribution she has made to the organisation and to country football in Western Australia.

Alan Bishop has made an outstanding contribution to Australian Rules football across local, regional and state levels over more than two decades.

A founding member of the Kimberley Football Association, Alan played a key role in establishing the organisation to strengthen the development of football throughout the Kimberley region. His commitment to the game has spanned coaching, administration and strategic leadership.

Alan served for seven years as a Director of the West Kimberley Football League (WKFL), where he helped drive significant improvements in the league’s operations and development. In 1999 he was elected to the Executive of the West Australian Country Football League (WACFL), where he has continued to contribute to the governance and growth of country football.

For 15 years Alan served as Chief Executive Officer of Garnduwa, working tirelessly to promote junior football across the Kimberley. During this time he helped establish sustainable Auskick programs in remote communities and supported the development of talent pathways leading to state and national competitions.

Alan has also contributed extensively to representative football in the region. He played a major role in the Kimberley Indigenous senior teams that travelled to Melbourne and Perth during the 1990s to play curtain-raiser matches to AFL games. 

Since 2000, he has been involved in the management of every Kimberley Spirit Colts representative team competing at the Landmark Country Football Championships and the Northwest Championships.

His involvement in football also includes more than 20 years of coaching at both junior and senior levels. Alan coached junior football in the East Perth district from 1975 to 1984 with Coolbinia-Yokine and East Perth Highgate, and also served as East Perth’s Under-12 representative coach. He later returned to junior coaching with Sorrento Duncraig in the Subiaco/Claremont district, leading the Under-15 team to a premiership in 2009 and the Under-17 team to another premiership in 2011.

At senior level, Alan coached for eight years in the West Kimberley Football League, winning premierships with Bardi Football Club (1987), Bidyadanga Football Club (1990) and Cable Beach Football Club (2006). He also coached the league representative side on three occasions. After returning to Perth, he coached Hamersley-Carine in the Amateur B Grade competition for two seasons.

In recognition of his significant service to the game, Alan was awarded Life Membership of the West Kimberley Football League in 1999.

Alan’s long-standing commitment to football development, leadership and community engagement has left a lasting impact on the game across the Kimberley and Western Australia.

Over a long and distinguished football career, he has been involved in the game for more than 40 years in a variety of roles including player, coach and administrator. During his playing and coaching career, he participated in approximately 700 league games, highlighting a lifetime commitment to the sport.

As a player, he achieved significant individual success, including winning the prestigious Hayward Medal in the South West Football League (SWFL) on two occasions. He was also the recipient of the Wesfarmers Fairest and Best Award.

His coaching career has been equally impressive. He coached a South West Football League premiership team and also led the SWFL representative side to five Wesfarmers/Landmark Carnival premierships. In addition, he served as the SWFL coach at various Wesfarmers Carnivals, contributing greatly to the league’s representative success.

At the state and national level, he served as a selector for the West Australian Country Football League (WACFL) State Team for four years. He was also appointed an All Australian Selector at the National Carnivals from 2002 to 2010.

Beyond playing and coaching, he has made significant contributions to football administration. He has served as a Board Member of the South Bunbury Football Club and chaired the Organising Committee for the 2004 National Carnival held in Bunbury.

He also served on the West Australian Country Football League Executive for 12 years, including four years as Junior Vice President, one year as Senior Vice President, and three years as President. Throughout his involvement, he has demonstrated a deep passion for football and a strong commitment to the growth and success of the game.

Milton Milloy has made a significant contribution to country football in Western Australia through his long-standing involvement as a coach, administrator and volunteer. His football journey began with the Morawa Football Club, where he served as a junior coach throughout the 1980s before later taking on the role of League Coach in the mid-1990s.

Milton has also played an important role in football administration within the North Midlands Football League (NMFL), serving on the league’s board for several years. In recognition of his dedication and service, he was awarded NMFL Volunteer of the Year in 2016 and was inducted as a Life Member of the North Midlands Football League in 2017.

In 2008, Milton followed in the footsteps of his father, Jim Milloy, by joining the West Australian Country Football League (WACFL) Executive. He served on the Executive for 12 years, concluding his tenure in 2019. During this time, Milton briefly stepped away from the Executive to work within the WACFL as Operations Manager for nine months in 2013. Based in Morawa, he regularly travelled the 700-kilometre round trip to Perth to attend meetings and fulfil his responsibilities. From 2014 to 2019, he served as WACFL Junior Vice President.

Milton has also been heavily involved with the Midlands Regional Football Development Council (RFDC), serving as a board member since 2004 and as Chairman since 2014. His involvement highlights his strong commitment to the development of football across the region.

Through the Midlands RFDC, Milton has volunteered countless hours supporting talent development programs. He has coached North Midlands Colts teams at the Northern Regions Colts Carnivals and played a key role in establishing and running the regional talent academy—now known as the Nic Naitanui Academy—which supports the development of regional players for both the Perth Football Club and local Midlands country clubs.

Across his many roles, Milton has demonstrated a deep passion for talent development and for creating opportunities for young players across the northern wheatbelt. His long and dedicated service to country football reflects a commitment that has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty.

John has played a significant role within both the West Australian Country Football League (WACFL) and the Central Wheatbelt Football League (CWFL) over many years. His involvement has been fundamental not only to the effective operation of these organisations but also to their ongoing development and success. Highly respected across the WA football community, John has served in a variety of leadership and governance roles.

Within the Central Wheatbelt Football League, John served as a Director from 1998 to 2012 and as President from 2001 to 2003. He has also contributed to the league as a member of the CWFL Tribunal over various years and currently serves as a Patron of the league. In recognition of his dedication and service, John was awarded Life Membership of the CWFL in 2012.

At state level, John joined the WACFL Executive in 2008 and has been a key contributor ever since. In 2018, he was appointed President of the WACFL, a position in which he has continued to provide strong leadership and guidance for country football throughout Western Australia.

John’s involvement in football spans from grassroots development through to executive leadership. His commitment, influence and long-standing service to the game make him a deserving recipient of Life Membership of the West Australian Country Football League.