Andrew McLeod and Kylie Duggan among those welcomed as AFLNT life members

AFLNT has welcomed a host of new life members with well-known Territory footy names such as Andrew McLeod, Shaun Cusack and Kylie Duggan among the inductees

Buffette Kylie Duggan has been made an AFLNT life member. Picture: Celina Whan / AFLNT Media

AFLNT has welcomed a host of new life members with well-known Territory footy names such as Andrew McLeod, Shaun Cusack and Kylie Duggan among their number.

To be eligible for player life memberships past or present players must exceed playing in 150 Women’s Premier League games or 200 Men’s Premier League, NT Thunder or representative team matches.

Darwin Buffaloes’ duo Kylie Duggan and Michaelia Roberts, and Palmerston Magpies’ Hayley Davey were all endorsed for player life memberships.

Former TIO NTFL umpire of 49 years Dean Dempsey and Melissa Thiele who umpired more than 430 games were endorsed for Umpire Life Membership.

Prior NEAFL umpires Dean O’Donoghue and Joanne Wood were also endorsed for the officiating honour.

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And for outstanding service to football in the Northern Territory, Andrew McLeod and Shaun Cusack were endorsed for the two Honorary Life Memberships.

McLeod has been a long time role model for aspiring NT footballers having played for Darwin Buffaloes in the NTFL, winning the 2011 NEAFL premiership with NT Thunder and winning two premierships with Adelaide in the AFL.

He was named captain of the AFLNT Team of the Century, awarded Life Member of the Buffaloes in 2010, won the Steve Abala Medal for Administrators in 2013 and was inducted into the AFLNT Hall of Fame with Legend Status in 2014.

Cusack has had an extensive involvement in Territory footy as a Central Australian Football League representative, multi-premiership player, coach, umpire and commentator.

He has an impressive football resume including awards for winning the Best on Ground award in the 2001 CAFL vs Spencer Gulf League and CAFL’s leading goal kicker in 2008.

Head of AFLNT Stuart Totham acknowledged the new life members crediting them all as worthy recipients.

“Warm congratulations to those who acknowledged for their service to NT footy by receiving AFLNT Life Membership at our AGM this evening,” Totham said.

“All recipients thoroughly deserve their Life Membership, and we are looking forward to honouring and formally inducting them as new Life Members at the TIO NTFL Grand Final Life Members Luncheon.”

Andrew Dillon, Dianne Borella and Kathleen Cole have all been reappointed as AFLNT directors for an additional three-year term joining Ted Liddy, Lincoln Jenkin, Thomas Wilcox and David Ross.

Ross Coburn and Colleen Gwynne have both retired from the director role.

AFLNT chairman Sean Bowden congratulated the life member inductees while also thanking the outgoing directors.

“The Territory is lucky to have such great role models and leaders to look up to in our game. Congratulations to everyone who has received Life Membership,” Bowden said.

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“I want to take this opportunity to thank retiring AFLNT Directors, Ross and Colleen for their outstanding contribution to Territory footy and to also thank the re-appointed Directors for their continued commitment to the game.”