The ballot has opened to vote on a member-elect Director position on the Sydney Swans Board, while the club’s Annual General Meeting has been moved to March 2.
As per Clause 29.2 of the club’s constitution, nominations were called for on January 24 this year and were open until February 1.
The club received two nominations for the position: Leo Barry and Michael Kahl. As per clause 29.5 of the constitution, the club is undertaking a ballot to determine the successful candidate.
Information about each candidate can be found below, along with details on how to vote.
Meanwhile, the club’s Annual General Meeting, which had been scheduled for February 23, will be moved to 5:30pm on Thursday, March 2. The meeting will still be held in the auditorium of Sydney Swans HQ in the Royal Hall of Industries.
Members are welcome to attend the AGM and are requested to register their attendance in advance of the meeting via email to Leigh Taylor: taylorl@sydneyswans.com.au
How to vote
The ballot opens at 9am on February 2 and closes at 5pm on February 28, 2023.
CLICK HERE to download a ballot form.
For a member's vote to be valid, each member entitled to vote on the ballot must only vote for one candidate by marking the appropriate box on the ballot form which corresponds to the
candidate they wish to elect.
The candidate that is elected will be the candidate who receives the largest number of votes in the ballot process.
Members entitled to vote, may vote in person at either the club’s Sydney or Melbourne administration facilities, by post, or by sending the completed form via email to 2023ballot@sydneyswans.com.au
The members eligible to vote in this ballot are Life Members, Ordinary Members and Deemed Members.
Life Members
A Life Member is a member who has been elected as a Life Member by the Board at its absolute discretion.
Ordinary Members
An Ordinary Member is a person, who:
- was 18 years of age or older as of January 1, 2023
- has paid the appropriate membership fee due for the 2022 membership year
- has paid the membership fee for the current membership year prior to January 1, 2023 or is paying the current membership fee under an instalment payment plan and all payments under that plan are up to date
- has been accepted by the club as a member in one of the following categories:
a) in Sydney:
- a Platinum Reserved Seat 11 Games, Gold Reserved Seat 11 Games, Red Zone 11 Games, Swans Pass, Blood 5, Redback Member, Red 5
b) in Melbourne:
- a VIC Ultimate, VIC AFL Platinum, VIC Flexi, Blood 5
Deemed Members
Players, officers, and full-time employees of the club who have completed a membership application prior to August 31 in any year and have been accepted by the club as a member, and are members of the club for that year.
Candidates for Director position
Two candidates have nominated for the member-elect Director position, including Leo Barry and Michael Kahl. See below for information on each of the candidates:
LEO BARRY
A premiership hero, former co-captain and veteran of 237 Sydney Swans games, Leo Barry has been a Director of the club since 2020. Being based in Melbourne, he offers an important South Melbourne lens to the Board in keeping with the club’s ‘two cities, one team’ philosophy.
Originally from Deniliquin, New South Wales, Leo joined the club through the AFL Draft in 1994. He made his AFL debut in Round 22, 1995 against Collingwood and soon became known for his ability to take spectacular marks. A club-first player with clear leadership capabilities, Leo earned All-Australian selection in 2004 and 2005, and served as Sydney Swans co-captain from 2005-2008.
However, it’s the 2005 AFL Grand Final that cemented Leo’s place in football folklore and Sydney Swans history. His match-saving mark in the dying seconds against West Coast secured Sydney’s first premiership in 72 years, prompting commentator Stephen Quartermain to declare: “Leo Barry, you star!”.
While playing for Sydney, Leo completed a business degree at the University of NSW and later his MBA at the Australian Graduate School of Management. After retiring from football at the end of 2009, he forged a career in finance, initially working at investment bank Merrill Lynch before becoming a portfolio manager at small-cap investor Fairview Equity Partners.
Leo attributes lessons learned through football, including discipline and the ability to clearly communicate, to his success in business. In addition to valuable business and financial expertise, Leo offers the Board a unique perspective of someone who has played the game at the highest level while contributing to driving the Blood’s revered culture.
MICHAEL KAHL
Michael is a passionate Sydney Swans member. Here, he details why he would like to join the Sydney Swans Board.
The Sydney Swans are one of the great sporting clubs in Australia - I humbly offer my nomination to play a part in continuing to make this great club even greater. Born and raised in Perth, I understand what it’s like for AFL to be the No 1 sport in town, and I see a multitude of opportunities for the Swans to achieve this in Sydney.
I have been a diehard Swans member since 2011, when I relocated to Sydney with my family, and I continue to be more involved with the club each year, being a member of the Centre Circle for the past 6 years. My immediate family are also fanatic Swans supporters - my wife is a lifelong supporter, and my teenage daughter and son also share the passion I have for the Swans.
I have a proven track record of exceptional leadership, characterised by genuine people skills, strategic thinking and financial capabilities. Previously from a banking background, I am the Commercial Director at a global biotech company and have been the recipient of many company and industry awards. The company is focused on neuroscience, and I sit on the ANZ leadership team.
I am an authentic, values-based person, and I genuinely enjoy speaking with people from all walks of life. I am very involved in community - examples include being my son’s sporting team coach and being a mentor and coach for local Year 11 students. I am a champion of all diversity and inclusion and am the executive sponsor of the D&I initiative at my organisation. I look forward to leveraging my experience and skills, particularly in D&I, to grow the Swan’s reach for all people.
I offer unbridled passion for the Swans and the great game of AFL, also having played at an amateur level for a number of years. In my spare time, I like to spend time with my family, hike, travel, and love anything water related.
I am confident I can add value to the current board, and if elected, you have my full commitment that I will go over and above to make a difference to this great club.
