North Melbourne has made significant changes to its Board of Directors, welcoming former AFL captain Andrew Swallow and Melbourne businessman Nick Dowling as new members. Their appointments follow the recent departures of director Anthony Stevens in March and Paul Dwyer’s resignation earlier this month.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 05: Andrew Swallow of the Kangaroos in action ahead of Daniel Wells of the Magpies during the 2017 AFL round 20 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Collingwood Magpies at Etihad Stadium on August 05, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Swallow and Dowling will officially begin their roles at next month’s Board meeting. Dwyer stepped down due to increased business commitments requiring frequent travel overseas.
North Melbourne president Dr. Sonja Hood AM expressed gratitude for Dwyer’s contributions. “Paul has brought incredible business acumen and intellect to the Board since joining in 2018,” Dr. Hood said. “The club has benefited from his calm and sensible approach to many issues we’ve faced. On a personal note, I want to thank him for his counsel, support, and unfailing good humor. We will miss him.”
The Board approved the appointments of Swallow and Dowling at their monthly meeting on Thursday. As casual Board appointments, they will stand for formal election at the club’s annual general meeting later this year. They join Dr. Hood, Andrew Harris, Selina Lightfoot, Rodney Piltz, Suzana Ristevski, and Dr. Harry Unglik as club directors.
Swallow, who captained North Melbourne from 2012 to 2016, had a distinguished career, winning three Syd Barker medals and playing 224 games from 2006 to 2017. He was awarded life membership in 2017 and has remained active in football, working with Gold Coast’s men’s and women’s programs and at a community level with the Byron Bay Magpies Football Club.
Dowling brings extensive executive and directorial experience across multiple business sectors. He began his career in banking with NAB and Macquarie Bank before becoming CEO of real estate group Jellis Craig in 2011, where he now serves as executive chairman. Dowling has deep ties to the North Melbourne community, coming from a family of passionate Kangaroos supporters.
Dr. Hood praised the new appointments, stating, “We’re thrilled to have people of the calibre of Andrew and Nick join the club Board. We’ve focused on developing a skills-based Board to navigate the challenges of the next few years, both on and off the field. Andrew and Nick bring strong and diverse skill sets that complement our existing directors. We now have experience across football, finance, legal, governance, medical, business, marketing, property, and community.”
The club looks forward to leveraging the expertise of its newly expanded Board to steer North Melbourne through future challenges and opportunities.
