About AFL Europe
With a strong focus on participation, game development and community events, we intend to provide nations across Europe with a platform of contacts, equipment and facilities to grow the game within their nation. Through events such as the Champions League, Anzac Cup, European Championships, and Euro Cup, we are continually looking to develop the standard of football from both a qualitative and quantitative standpoint.
As a game which is foreign to much of its market in Europe, we continually strive to embrace all individuals willing to take part in the sport. With the administration repeatedly producing new projects and initiatives to promote both attendance and interest within the sport, AFL Europe remains motivated to ensure the game can prosper and progress through all male and female competitions in Europe.
Patron
His Majesty, King Charles III
His Majesty, King Charles III, officially became a Patron of AFL Europe in August 2013, having developed a fondness for Australian Football after spending time at Geelong Grammar in 1966. His Majesty has a great passion for the development of young people, which contributed to his support of AFL Europe.
Commission
Josh Philpot
Josh became Chairman in December 2023, after serving as Deputy and Commissioner since 2020.
He moved to London from Melbourne in 2017, where he worked in professional sport across several coaching and administrative roles during an eight-year stint at the Victorian Rugby Union and Melbourne Rebels and was also involved in the Melbourne Uni Blacks Australian Football team for many years.
Josh has strong expertise in sport, commercialisation, and technology consultancy, supporting sporting rights holders, start-ups, agencies, and entertainment clients integrate emerging technology, digital and data opportunities into traditional commercial strategies.
Sarah Howell
Sarah found the sport of Australian Football in 2012 and having never seen or heard of it before, became instantly hooked.
Sarah holds valuable experience in corporate management and volunteers in numerous roles throughout AFL England at club, league and national level. These roles include Secretary of Wimbledon Hawks, Co-Chair of AFL London, Travel and Finance Manager for Great Britain Bulldogs and Swans, as well as Treasurer of AFL England.
Although she has never played the game, she is extremely passionate about building and developing the game throughout Europe.
Chris Dobson
Chris has had a lifelong passion for Australian Rules Football, growing up in country Victoria continually involved as a player, coach, or administrator across Shepparton, Melbourne, and Canberra.
Since moving to London in 2016, he has stayed active in the AFL Europe community, coaching the North London Lions and contributing to the club’s committee, earning life membership for his efforts.
Chris is also involved in the UK/EU sports, events/entertainment and not-for-profit industries through his role at Rosterfy, where he works with various sporting bodies, rights holders, and corporate partners across the UK, EU, and the US.
Sport and sports management have been central to his career, starting as a PE teacher and later managing development programs for national governing bodies and the Australian federal government.
Miles Rose
Miles joined the AFL Europe Commission in January 2024 is currently the Partnerships and Sales Director at Hytro.
Miles has global experience in sports marketing on all sides having previously worked with rights holders, clients and agencies. He specialises in sponsorship strategy, leveraging sponsorships via activation, business development and event management. His previous experience includes working as Commercial Director for SportsPro Media, Tour of Britain, Regional Head of Partnerships for Ironman Oceania, Head of Business Development for Swimming Australia as well as being the European Sports Marketing Manager for Speedo.
With a strong commercial background and network, Miles will look to develop strategic partnerships and drive the commercial value of AFL Europe.
Dr. Graham "Doc" Howard
Graham began as Community Commissioner with AFL Europe at the end of 2023.
He has been an English lecturer at Kiel University in northern Germany since 2009 and has been a member of the Kiel Koalas AFC since 2022, when he also became one of the team managers for the German Eagles and the Results Officer for AFL Germany.
In 2023, Graham was a member of the AFL Europe Events Sub-Committee and part of the Kiel Koalas / AFL Europe organisation team that delivered the Euro Cup. Before moving to Germany,
Graham was also a manager for railway projects in New South Wales and subsequently worked as a musician, photographer, and events coordinator. He grew up in Western Sydney before AFL had taken a foothold there, and is now looking forward to helping provide opportunities for AFL players throughout Europe that he didn’t have access to when he was younger.
James Earl
James leads Fladgate’s Commercial, Sports & IP team and specialises in the UK and international sports sector. He has extensive experience working with the full spectrum of stakeholders across an array of issues in the broad sports field, including national and international governing bodies, funders/investors, teams and clubs, alongside rights holders, brands and agencies.
Carissa Turner
Carissa has sporting experience as a former international badminton player for Wales who she represented at two Commonwealth Games before working for the National Governing Body as their Events & Marketing Officer. She now works as an Operational Services Manager, delivering projects and overseeing contracts in the Telecare sector.
With a passion for providing the best service possible, problem-solving, achieving goals and a perfectionist attitude, Carissa is looking forward to helping support the further growth and development of initiatives and opportunities for AFL in Europe.
AFL Europe Key Committtees
Competition Committee
Sarah Howell (Chair) (England), Carissa Turner (Vice-Chair) (Wales), Gerard Walls (Northern Ireland), Marianna Graham (England), Eoin O Sullivan (Ireland)
Community Football Committee
Carissa Turner (Chair) (Wales), Dr. Graham Howard (Vice-Chair) (Germany), Phil Forbes (Poland), Zoltan Marosy (Hungary), Jane Newberry-McLeod (England)
Commercial Committee
Josh Philpot (Chair), Miles Rose, Chris Dobson, James Earl
Finance Committee
Josh Philpot (Chair), Jay Treloar, Marianna Graham
Tribunal
TBC
Staff
Jay Treloar
Jay has a wealth of experience in community development, particularly surrounding education and teaching. Jay is a valued addition to the AFL Europe staff and will lead from the front in promoting positive change and supporting the AFL Europe community across the continent.
AFL Europe Volunteers
Strategic Projects Coordinator
Ben Grenier
Finance
Marianna Graham
Umpire Development Coordinators
Ian Kafka-Patterson (England), Walter Gibilaro (Germany)
Social Media Coordinator
Calumn Newman
Ambassadors
The AFL Europe Ambassador program aims to embrace and empower passionate advocates for the AFL and help AFL Europe grow the game throughout the region. Ambassadors will deliver impact for the game through championing the sport, advocating and promoting both AFL Europe and Australian Football through their own networks and events as well as fostering and growing lasting relationships that will help the AFL Europe community thrive.
If you are interested in applying to be an AFL Europe Ambassador please email admin@afleurope.org
Bill Muirhead AO
Renowned adman and passionate South Australian, Bill Muirhead AO was South Australia’s 25th Agent General. In 2013, Bill became a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia, for significant service to the community of South Australia through the promotion of international trade. Bill is an Adelaide man through and through who believes there is no better place to watch footy than the Adelaide Oval.
Renee Frizzell
Renee is an experienced sports marketing professional, having worked across international sporting events and partnerships in Formula 1, Tennis, Rugby and AFL, and now at Formula E in London. A country Victorian at heart, she has played numerous sports and was watching AFL at the G from a young age. Renee worked at the Melbourne Demons in events and in player development, and also worked closely with the AFL Players Association supporting players to pursue education.
Renee continues to support community engagement through sport, having played AFL in London and managed the club’s Big Freeze international fundraising campaign for 4 years, as well as being a strong advocate for women in sport.
James O’Brien
James is a creative force in the world of events, hospitality, and immersive experiences, with over two decades of expertise delivering excellence for global brands, including Formula 1, McLaren, and Red Bull Racing. Known for his innovative mindset, attention to detail and exceptional delivery, James combines strategic vision with hands-on execution to create extraordinary moments that inspire and engage.
Originally from Western Australia and now based in the UK, James proudly carries his Aussie roots wherever he goes. A lifelong AFL fan and passionate supporter of the Richmond Tigers, his dedication to teamwork and resilience mirrors his approach to business.
Lizzy Crotty
Lizzy Crotty FRGS is the Head of Development for Australian Wildlife Conservancy UK, leading fundraising efforts for Australian conservation across the UK and Europe. Her career in conservation and sustainability has taken her across Australia, Africa, and the UK, and she is a confident public speaker who regularly presents at global conferences and leading institutions.
Lizzy was one of 100 women globally selected each year for the Homeward Bound leadership programme for women in STEMM, which culminated in a three-week expedition to Antarctica in January 2025. A proud Bluebagger originally from Hobart, Lizzy has called London home since 2019 but remains a fiercely loyal Carlton supporter—still dreaming of the next premiership flag.
Guy Hume
Guy Hume is a qualified Chartered Accountant, a longstanding investment banker, and has been based in the UK for the past 20 years. A parochial Victorian originally from Melbourne, Guy is also a loyal Richmond Tigers fan and flew home just for the weekend of the 2017 Grand Final.
Craig Lovett
Craig is one of the most experienced professionals in the area of event management, and sustainable strategies for venues and global events. Over the past 38 years Craig has become a well-recognised success by his peers and clients alike whilst his business and relationship skills have seen rapid expansion throughout Australia, United States of America, United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East.
Michelle Morgan
Michelle served as a commissioner from 2013-2016, using her experience in media and marketing to help drive growth across Europe and strengthen connections with former colleagues at AFL HQ in Melbourne. From tournaments in Croatia and Glasgow to the emotion and atmosphere of being in Villers-Bretonneux for Anzac Day – the ability for sport to unite people across cultures and support soft-diplomacy created a big impact.
Most recently, Michelle lead marketing and business development activity across the Asia Pacific for global sports architects Populous, having worked for the AFL in Australia’s northern markets before that. Highlights include the creation of the Gold Coast SUNS and the Sydney Swans’ Premierships in 2005 and 2012.
Ben Leaver
Ben is an experienced major event and operations professional with nearly 20 years of international experience. His professional journey began with Cricket Indonesia, before moving to Dubai where he spent over a decade with the ICC delivering events around the world. During his time in the UAE, he was heavily involved with the Dubai Dragons FC and the AFL Middle East. Now based in the UK, Ben is continuing his career in cricket as Head of Operations for The Hundred.
A proud Croweater, and still recovering from the 2017 Grand Final, Ben has an unwavering passion for sport on a global scale and is excited to contribute to the growth of AFL across Europe, ensuring that more people can experience and enjoy the great game.
Marianna Graham
Marianna is present on the AFL financial committee as an independent, assisting with the fiscal running of AFL Europe. Marianna is an experienced accountant with a history of employment in the real estate industry, currently working at Clearbell Capital LLP.
Marianna is a proud grassroots coach of AFL and Cricket, achieving a Level One AFL Coaching certificate with AFL Europe and a Level Two Cricket Coaching certificate with the ECB. Marianna is a pioneer in women’s AFL in Europe, she was one of the original founders of the AFL London Women’s League in 2015 and in 2019 was elected as co-chair of AFL London.
Jason Allen
Jason is a storied CEO and Non-executive director with global experience working in sport and tech-driven companies, leveraging technology to enhance efficiency, engagement and performance.
Jason currently Chairs a number of private equity portfolio companies and is a co-founder of JAM Sports Management who are at the forefront of sports agencies, ensuring athletes receive full support on their sporting endeavours. JAM currently represent F1 driver Oscar Piastri, Olympian Kelsey-Lee Barber and Formula E driver Mitch Evans.
Matt de Groot
Matt is an experienced newsreader, journalist and columnist for companies such as Sky, NOVA and Yahoo. His ability to adapt from hosting live events, commentating on sporting events, writing opinions and reviews make Matt a valued asset at AFL Europe.
Matt’s skills in events hosting makes it our pleasure to announce him as our Master of Ceremonies at the 2025 AFL Grand Final Lunch on the 26th of September!
