The United States Australian Football League (USAFL) is pleased to announce the creation of the Australian Advisory Board. The Board’s mission is “to promote the interests of the USAFL in Australia”. The USAFL will enter its tenth year during this October's US National Championships in Las Vegas. This is the perfect timing to seek the support of football partners in Australia that can help the USAFL to continue to grow the game in America. During it's formative years the USAFL was able to grow through organic growth from the recruitment of American players. As the game's growth has stabilized, the next wave of growth will come though creative and meaningful relationships with Australian individuals and businesses that have a tie to both the sport and America.

The vision of the Advisory Board is:

Friends of the USAFL, in Australia, who have a stature in both business and football, who are willing to advise the USAFL on business in Australia, the inner workings of the game in Australia and their general understanding of everything football.

The aim is to have an Australian wide membership of between 5 and 7 individuals who can advise the USAFL on how to become a better partner of the AFL, access broader support of the USAFL in Australia, and publicize the existence of the USAFL to people moving to the USA.

To launch the Board the USAFL is privileged to have Terry O’Connor as the inaugural Chairman and Tony Fairhead will be the Director of the Advisory Board.

Terrence O’Connor AM QC
Chairman
 

Terry is a retired barrister. He is the former Chancellor of University of NotreDame Australia, was Chairman of West Coast Eagles Football Club and is the former Commissioner of the Australian Football League
 
Terry was awarded the Order of Australia in  2006 for services to the community, particularly the development of higher education institutions, to health services and sporting organizations in an executive capacity and to the legal profession

Terry and his wife Annabel live in Fremantle, Western Australia.

Tony Fairhead
Director

 
Tony has retired from a business career in finance and property investment thoughout Australia and SE Asia. He now runs his family investment company.

Tony was a founding member of the Board of Management of United Way in Western Australia. He is closely connected to the West Perth FC with a family history starting in 1888 and continuing through to his grandson Patrick.

Tony lives in Fremantle, Western Australia with his wife Ros. They co-ordinate  the  hosting program for students from Notre Dame, Indiana and St Johns, Minnesota who are attending Notre Dame Australia's campus in Fremantle. His interest in USFooty started from this connection.

Ros and Tony have two sons. Paul is in business in VietNam and Tim has a company with interests in China.

Tom Potter
Director

Tom Potter is currently the CEO and sole owner of Eagle Boys Pizza, Australia’s largest privately owned pizza chain, a company he formed in 1987.  Tom has had a distinguished career in business serving on various private and public Boards across Australia. 

He hails from Bendigo in Victoria and played Australian Football for approximately 30 years across most States and regions across Australia, including the Northern Territory. 

Tom has spent a vast amount of time living and working in the US over the last 15 years including a 3 year stint at Harvard Business School from 1994 – 1997. 

He is currently a Commissioner on AFLQld and is keen to be involved, particularly on the strategic side of new and emerging markets.  He is 43, divorced with no children.

Peter Schwab
Director

Peter “Schwabby” has a rich history with the Australian Football League, as a player, coach and administrator.

Peter played 171 games for Hawthorn between 1980 and 1991. In 1992 he became assistant coach at the Richmond Football Club, before becoming the head coach at Hawthorn from 2000 to 2004. He currently coaches at Wesley College.

As well as working as a print and broadcaster commentator, Peter has been very involved with the administration of Aussie Rules. He was recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of Football Victoria Ltd, is a Life member of the AFL and has been chairman of the AFL Match Review Panel.

Paul Roos
Director

Paul Roos was widely considered one of the finest players of the modern era during his 17 impressive seasons with Fitzroy and Sydney. 'Roosy' joined Sydney in 1995, and after a season of playing in a variety of positions he slotted into the centre half-back role in 1996 and at 33 years of age he got the chance to play in his first grand final (losing to the Kangaroos).

In 1999 Paul Roos moved to the United States, his wife’s homeland and while there became involved with the newly formed United States Australian Football League. He traveled the country running coaching clinics and was the first National Coach of the American Revolution, leading them to a win over the Canadian Northwind.

After his return to the Australia Roos joined Sydney's coaching staff in 2001 under Rodney Eade, and took over the reigns for the final ten rounds in 2002. In his first full season in charge he took the team, in a rebuilding year, to a preliminary final against eventual premiers, the Brisbane Lions. 

In 2004 the Club, despite a poor start to the season and numerous injury woes, ended the season in sixth place with a 14-10 record. In 2005 Roos finally tasted premiership success after almost a quarter of a century as player and coach as the Club won their first flag since 1933 with a four-point win over West Coast in what he described as "my greatest moment in football". Roos then led his chargers to back-to-back grand finals in 2006, though on the second occasion they lost to the Eagles by a heart-breaking solitary point.

Wayne Jackson
Director

Wayne Jackson is the former Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner of Australia's biggest sporting body, the Australian Football League.  Wayne has recently received a life membership of the AFL.  Prior to this high profile position, Wayne held senior management roles with leading Australian companies including South Australian Brewing Company Pty Ltd, BRL Hardy Limited and Thomas Hardy & Sons Pty Ltd.  Wayne joined Minter Ellison Lawyers SA/NT as a consultant in 2003 and since July 2007 holds the position of Chairman.