Kiama Junior Football Club (JFC) President Andrew Wales announced on September 17 that he will be stepping down from his position following the annual general meeting in October.

Wales has served as President of the club for three years, but has been part of the committee for six years and involved with the club as a coach and parent since 2012.

Since he came on board as President three years ago, the club has grown and seen tremendous success with the recent 2024 season being one of the most successful in the club’s history.

Under his leadership, the club has grown and achieved tremendous success, with the recent 2024 season being one of the most successful in the club’s history. Reflecting on his decision, Wales feels that now is the right time to step down, having accomplished much of what he set out to achieve.

“I’m a firm believer that there’s a time for people to step up and help and equally there’s a time for them to step aside and make way for fresh ideas and new talent,” says Wales.

“I think after three years as President I’ve achieved a lot and I’ve achieved most, if not all, of what I set out to achieve when I took on the role. I think it's time, and I’m looking forward to someone coming in and keeping the flag flying.”

Wales says his time as President had a lot of highs and lows, but the fact that he was able to accomplish what he set out to do at the beginning is something that he is incredibly proud of.

The highlight has been putting a vision together with a couple of colleagues, Kaz Appleby, Alan Appleby and Paula Shanahan, three years ago and seeing that come to fruition,” says Wales.

“Seeing the club grow in numbers, seeing things that previously might have been a bit clunky become better managed to a point where people look at the club and comment that we have a professional organisation even though we are a grassroots organisation of volunteers.”

Looking ahead, Wales is optimistic about the future of the club and hopes that the teams will continue to find success and remain competitive. He is also hopeful that the junior and senior clubs, which currently operate as separate entities, will merge to create a smoother pathway for young players as they progress through the ranks.

“Having two separate clubs makes it difficult for young people to have a seamless pathway with their football. They get to 17-18 and they have to jump to another organisation. Which is risky because when they’re jumping they can potentially get picked up by a club outside of Kiama,” says Wales.

“If you’re a young player and want to continue your football and be competitive, having a single club means you can start in under 6’s and go all the way through into your senior football with that one organisation without a blip.”

Wales wanted to ensure that it was known that the success of the club over the last three years has not been just a singular effort, but a team effort.

“It has been me, Kaz Appleby, Alan Appleby and Paula Shanahan and the Kiama JFC committee as a team. As President I tend to be the higher profile as that’s what usually happens when you're in that role, but it’s been a team effort which has driven our success,” says Wales.

Following his retirement announcement on Facebook, the post was flooded with comments from supporters, expressing their gratitude and appreciation for his dedication to the club and for the success it has experienced under his leadership.

The Bugle congratulates Andrew on his achievements and extend best wishes for his future endeavours.