The Sydney Swans inducted five new life members at the 2018 Club Champion Dinner on Friday night. 

Andrew Ireland, Tim Laing, Tony Peek, Grant Bercht and Rob Spurrs were recognised for their contribution to the Club by being awarded the honour.

Andrew Ireland
Ireland joined the Club in 2002 as General Manager of Football before being elevated to the position of CEO in 2009, a role he has held since. Ireland will step away from his position at the end of 2018. A key figure in the recent on and off field success at the Swans, Ireland is a highly successful football administrator who has been involved in several premierships throughout his career.

Grant Bercht
Brecht is a pioneer in the mental wellbeing space in the AFL industry having started with the Swans as Club Psychologist in 2001, a position he held until 2017. His role within the Club was elevated in 2007 when he became an in-house consultant working closely with players and their families on mental health issues.

Rob Spurrs
Spurrs currently holds the position of Athletic Performance Manager at the Club and is responsible for the overall conditioning of the team. He joined the Swans at the start of the 2002 season and has developed into a leader in his field.

Tim Laing
Laing started with the Swans in 2006 as Chief Financial Officer, a role he will retire from at the end of the 2018 season. During his time at the Club, he has experienced tremendous growth with annual revenue doubling to $60 million and the Club has recorded a surplus in ten of the 13 seasons he was at the financial helm.

Tony Peek
Tony was a hugely respected and admired figure within Australian football circles throughout the country but nowhere more so than at the Sydney Swans. In 1989, Tony accepted the role of Media Manager with the AFL working hand-in-glove with then-CEO Ross Oakley. Within the next few years the title would be upgraded to General Manager – Communications. He went on to hold the role of Head of Strategy and Planning with a particular focus on the northern markets. He went on to be the right-hand-man for the two most recent AFL CEO’s in Andrew Demetriou and Gillon McLachlan. On Saturday, July 14 at Il Duca Restaurant in East Melbourne, Tony joined a small group of his closest friends at the Swans for lunch. In Andrew Pridham’s absence, the function was hosted by Andrew Ireland and attended by Richard Colless, John Longmire, Tom Harley, Dean Moore, Jason Ball, Kinnear Beatson, Michael O’Loughlin, and Adam Goodes. Andrew surprised Tony by presenting him with Life Membership. Tony was extremely delighted and proud. Tony sadly passed away after a brave battle with cancer on Monday, October 1.