Wealth of experience added to WAFL Tribunal

Four experienced legal professionals have been appointed to the West Australian Football League (WAFL) Tribunal to provide additional resources and support.

The appointments will allow multiple members to adjudicate serious cases and appeals, while also spreading the workload for these valuable volunteers over the course of a season.

The additional members also allow the WAFL Tribunal’s scope to be expanded to hear West Australian Women’s Football League (WAWFL) cases and forms part of a WAFL Tribunal succession plan.

The new WAFL Tribunal members include:

Andrew Maughan

Andrew is a current magistrate who played WAFL League football for East Perth and has also served on the Goldfields Football League Tribunal.

William Robinson

William is a Partner at Wotton Kearney Lawyers who has played TAC Cup football and Amateur Football. He has also previously served on the Football Federation Victoria (soccer) tribunal and appeals board for 6 years.

Brieanna Mercer

Brieanna is a solicitor with Herbert Smith Freehills and currently serves on the Waterpolo WA Tribunal. Her father, Bruce Mercer, was a former assistant coach at Swan Districts. She is the first woman appointed to the WAFL Tribunal.

Seamus Rafferty

Seamus is a barrister and solicitor and former WAFL umpire. He has appeared at the AFL Tribunal on behalf of Fremantle Football Club and is a current investigator for the WA Amateur Football League. Seamus can serve as a tribunal member and an arbitrator.

These new members will supplement existing WAFL Tribunal members:

Judge Denis Reynolds

His Honour Judge Denis Reynolds oversees the WAFL Appeals Board. He is one of the longest serving judicial officers in Australia and the longest serving President of the Children’s Court of Western Australia – a position he has held since 2004.

Trevor O’Sullivan

Trevor O’Sullivan is a Partner at O’Sullivan Davies Lawyers, specialising in family law.

Paul Heaney

Paul Heaney is a retired Magistrate and has served on the WAFL Tribunal for 36 years.

Alan Moroni

Alan Moroni is a Magistrate at the Family Court of Western Australia.

In addition, Brendan Taylor serves as WAFL Arbitrator for any transfer disputes or other disputes relating to the WAFL Rules and Regulations. Mr Taylor is a Partner at Mills Oakley lawyers.

WAFL General Manager Steve Hargrave said the competition was honoured to secure the services of such qualified professionals to oversee its tribunal, appeals and arbitration processes.

“It is fantastic to have such a high level of expertise engaged with our competition. We really appreciate the valuable time the members of our tribunal commit in a voluntary capacity,” he said.

“We have received tremendous ongoing service from our current tribunal members and I am delighted they will now receive additional support in this critical role.”