We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and welcoming environment for all people. Whoever you are, you will be accepted into the University’s sporting community with open arms. Use the search button or the links below to find what you're looking for.
Geoff Rees is a graduate from Melbourne University in law and commerce and is a Law Institute of Victoria accredited business law specialist. He has extensive experience in finance, manufacturing, biotechnology, ICT and related service industries. He is regularly called on to assist, advise and resolve disputes in the area of protection, development and commercialisation of intellectual property. His telecommunications work was recognised in Butterworth’s Australian Legal Profile. He is a Committee Member of the Legal Practice Liability Committee, the professional indemnity insurer for Victorian and most National law firms. He has also maintained his interest in amateur and professional sport and continues to be the principal legal advisor to one of Australia’s leading Olympic Sports, which includes convening appeals and disciplinary tribunals. During his time at University, he regularly rowed for Australia and was a member of the first Australian crew to win a gold medal at a world rowing championship. During the course of the 70s, he won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at world rowing championships held throughout Europe. Most recently, Geoff was part of the Masters crew who won gold at the Head of the Charles, the world’s largest two day rowing regatta.
Prof. James Angus AO FAA (Chair) 2015 to 2021
James Angus is now an Honorary Professorial Fellow and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (MDHS), University of Melbourne. In July 2013 he completed a 10-year term as Dean of the Faculty of MDHS at the University of Melbourne. Before becoming Dean, he was Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of MDHS. At the University of Melbourne, Professor Angus has been President of the Academic Board (2000-2001), Pro Vice-Chancellor (1999-2001) and member of University Council (1999-2001). Professor Angus was awarded the Gottschalk Medal of the Australian Academy of Science (1984), is a Fellow of the Academy (FAA) and has been a member of its Council. In 2003 he was awarded Australia's Centenary Medal for contribution to Pharmacology and the Community. Professor Angus was a First Vice-President of the International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR) and was President of the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists. From 2009-2011 he was President of Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand. His current roles include Senior Advisor to the Minister’s Health Innovation and Reform Council, Board Member of the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Chair of Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance and President of the National Stroke Foundation Board. He was appointed an officer to The Order of Australia in 2010 for distinguished service to biomedical research, particularly in the fields of pharmacology and cardiovascular disease, as a leading academic and medical educator, and as a contributor to a range of advisory boards and professional organisations both nationally and internationally.
Lynne Williams 2009 to 2015
Lynne Williams is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, London University and Monash University. She is an independent economics consultant following a career in the public sector spanning over 30 years. Prior to commencing consulting work, Lynne was Under Secretary for the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF), a position she held until May 2011. Previous to this appointment Lynne held senior executive positions at both the Federal and Victorian State level. Since May 2011, she has undertaken a range of consultancies for both the Victorian and Federal Governments. Lynne is on the Boards of Melbourne University Sport, the Faculty of Business and Economics and the (Federal) Climate Change Authority. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) and of St Hilda’s College (University of Melbourne) and vice president of Athletics International (Australia). Lynne received Full Blues in Athletics in 1974 and 1975. She represented Australia at two World Cross Country Championships and a number of international road races. She held the Australian record for 3km on the track and 10 km on the road, and won numerous Australian and Victorian championships.
James Sutherland 2009 to 2015
James Sutherland (Bcom 1988) was a medium-fast bowler who became a versatile off-field allrounder. Twelfth man for Victoria's 1990-91 Sheffield Shield victory, he played four first-class matches and became a Level III coach. A chartered accountant, he worked as a finance manager with Carlton, the AFL club, for six years and in 1998 joined the Australian Cricket Board as a general manager, commercial. He is a life member of the Melbourne University Cricket Club, where he was also a coach. He played in three first-grade premierships during a 17-year career. He is currently the CEO of Cricket Australia. James received Full Blues in 1989 & 1990 and a Half Blue in 1986 for Cricket.
Mitch Anderson 2009 to 2015
Mitch Anderson is a University of Melbourne alumnus having graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours (1997), a Bachelor of Science with Honours (1998) and a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (2006). He was a Melbourne University Sport High Performance Scholarship recipient from 2004 – 2006, and was awarded a Full Blue for Cycling (1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006). Mitch is an Ironman triathlete and has completed 30 Ironman events, including eight Hawaiian Ironman World Championships (including a best finish of 11th in 2004). He became a professional triathlete in 2003, he continues to work in the area of sports medicine as well as being a sought-after multi-media commentator. In 2013, Mitch returns to the University as a student (again) to study a Diploma of Surgical Anatomy.
John Dewar 2009 to 2011
Provost
Helen Hayes 2009 to 2010
Helen spent four years as the University of Edinburgh’s Vice-Principal for Knowledge Management. She is now the Knowledge Transfer Director at the University of Melbourne. Her familiarity with how the University of Melbourne works spans 30 years on campus, including her time heading information management (1997-2003). At Melbourne, she sees opportunities for building on the work that has begun in Knowledge Transfer to maximize the potential contributions of the University’s knowledge, ideas, skills and expertise for the industry, government policy and the welfare of society. Helen has been a member of the Sports Centre for many years.
Mark Hargreaves 2009 to 2014
Mark Hargreaves completed his BSc (1982) and PhD (1989) degrees in physiology at The University of Melbourne and an MA (1984) in exercise physiology at the Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University, USA. His pre-and post-doctoral training included two visits to the University of Copenhagen. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and Exercise and Sports Science Australia and serves on the Board of the Victorian Institute of Sport. During his spare time he enjoys tennis and reading sport biographies. Mark received a Full Blue for Tennis in 1981.
Genevieve Grant 2009 to 2010
Genevieve is jointly enrolled in the Law School and the Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics (School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences). Prior to commencing her PhD Genevieve practised as a personal injury solicitor specialising in motor vehicle accident claims. She previously worked as an Assistant to the Listing Master of the Supreme Court of Victoria and as a Research Officer in the Office of the Tasmanian Ombudsman and the Office of Legislation Development and Review (Department of Justice, Tasmania), where she contributed to the development of the Relationships Act 2003 (Tas). Genevieve is a member of the School of Population Health Human Ethics Advisory Group. She is currently the Secretary of the Hockey Club and has been an active member for many years.
Peter McPhee 2009 - February to July
Provost
Marieke Guehrer 2011 to 2013
Marieke Guehrer is a professional athlete and current member of the Australian Swim Team. A current world champion and former world record holder, Marieke has represented her country at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Pan Pacific Championships during the last decade. She is a member of the Aussie Swim Team’s Leadership Group, is on the Executive Committee of the Australian Swimmers’ Association and is a committee member of her home swimming club, Melbourne Vicentre. Outside the pool, Marieke is in the process of completing her Bachelor of Arts majoring in International Relations and Media & Communications, and has her sights set on a career in the media. Marieke received full blues in 2008 and 2009 for swimming.
Andrew Gillies 2015 to 2016
Andrew Gillies is currently studying a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma in Languages at The University of Melbourne. As a scholarship holder at the Victorian Institute of Sport, Andrew has extensive experience in the sport of Sailing. A multiple national champion, he has received a national award for sportsmanship, and was a joint recipient of the Victorian Junior Team of the Year at the Victorian Sport Awards in 2009. He has represented Victoria in Rugby Union and this began his involvement with Melbourne University Sport in 2011, as runner-up for the inaugural Young Achiever Award. He has represented the University for Rugby 7s, Sailing and Touch Rugby at the Australian University Games, as well as serving as captain for the MURFC under twenty team in 2013. Whilst studying, he has also turned his leadership skills to work with a boutique strategic planning and organisation change consulting firm, working as an analyst.
Prof. Margaret Sheil 2012 to 2014
Professor Margaret Sheil has been the Provost at the University of Melbourne since April 2012. From 2007 to 2012, Professor Sheil was the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council (ARC), where she led the development of a range of new funding schemes and the Excellence in Research for Australia evaluation of Australian University Research. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI), the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE), and was made an inaugural Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Mass Spectrometry (FANZSMS) in February 2014. Professor Sheil is a member of the Australia Indonesia Committee, the, Advisory Council of the CSIRO Science Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF), a member of the University’s Advisory Board for Coursera since 2012, the Clunies Ross Awards Committee of ATSE and is the Education Specialist on the Board of the Australian National Selection Commission for UNESCO. She has previously been a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Innovation and Engineering Council, the National Research Infrastructure Council and the Cooperative Research Centres Committee. Prior to joining the ARC, Professor Sheil had been Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Dean of Science and a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wollongong and had held research positions at the Australian National University and the University of Utah, USA. She has a PhD and BSc(Hons) in Chemistry from the University of New South Wales.
Prof. Margaret Abernethy 2011 to 2017
Professor Margaret Abernethy is the Sir Douglas Copland Chair of Commerce and holds the Chair in Managerial Accounting at the University of Melbourne. Up until 2012 she was Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics, a position she held for over eight years. In 2008 Margaret was named Telstra Business Woman of the Year for the Community and Government sector in recognition of her contribution to higher education. She is internationally recognized as one of the leading researchers in her field and has taught across a range of subjects at undergraduate and graduate level and is recognized as an outstanding teacher. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Hana Dalton 2016 to 2017
Hana Dalton is the student member of the MU Sport Board. Hana is currently undertaking an Honours year in Politics & International Studies, having completed her Bachelor of Arts in 2015. She commenced study at the University of Melbourne in 2012, and has participated in representative sport throughout her time as a student, competing in women’s soccer. Hana has represented the University at Australian University Games three times, and has also participated in the Varsity Challenge in both soccer and futsal. She has been highly involved in Melbourne University Women’s Soccer Club since 2013, serving on the committee and playing in the club’s State League 1 Squad. She vice-captained the senior team to the championship in 2015. Hana has also had extensive involvement in the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU). Starting as an elected member of the Students’ Council in 2013, Hana went on to serve as an Education (Academic Affairs) Officer in 2014 and as the General Secretary in 2015.
Ms Miranda Clark 2017 to 2018
Miranda is currently studying a Juris Doctor at Melbourne Law School having previously completed a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Languages (French), also at the University of Melbourne.
Miranda has been actively involved in the Melbourne University sporting community throughout her studies. She is a former member of the University Netball Club and has had extensive involvement as a player and committee member of the University Tennis Club, including as Co-President for two years. She has represented the University at two Australian University Games, including as team manager for tennis in 2016.
As a student board member, Miranda’s interests will be focused on strategic planning for sport at the University. She is particularly interested in participation and increasing sporting opportunities for all students.
Mr Mitchell Stephen 2017 to 2018
Mitchell is one of the two student board members and is currently studying a Graduate Diploma in Bushfire Planning and Management at the University of Melbourne after completing a Bachelor of Science (Civil Systems) in 2015.
Mitchell first joined the Melbourne University Mountaineering Club in 2010 and has remained an active member, serving on the committee for 6 years, including as President. He has participated, competed and taught across a wide range of adventurous outdoor activities, his preferred pursuits being whitewater kayaking, skiing and mountaineering. Since 2012 he has been involved with the Melbourne University Sports Association in a role helping to advocate for the interests of the sports clubs.
The prime focus areas for Mitchell during his time on the Board of Sport are to open up two way communication channels between club members and the Board, to increase student participation in sport and to improve risk management.
Mr Grant Williams 2015 to 2018
Grant Williams is currently the General Manager of Community Football Operations at the AFL with the responsibility to work with and support the efforts of all State/Territory bodies and International affiliates. Previous to this he was the General Manager of AFL Victoria combining this role with that of AFL Head of Development.
For just over 2 years until 2011 Grant worked for the AFL in the Game Development department as the Development Strategy & Operations Manager in a national role that included working with all State bodies to support their future plans and initiatives to grow the game as well as build the case for future investment in developing the game prior to the 2012 to 2016 media rights deal. Before this he was the AFL Victoria Project Manager responsible for the implementation of the recommendations of the AFL’s Second Tier Review in Victoria and for almost 4 years was the General Manager of Football Operations at Carlton Football Club.
He has worked for AFL SportsReady Ltd & the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) as the Inaugural Project Manager responsible for the establishment of a career transition program for AFL players, now known as the “Next Goal” program, which still provides practical work experience opportunities for AFL players today. For nearly 15 years Grant was in consulting engineering practices as a structural engineer, mainly in the offshore oil and gas engineering in Melbourne and overseas.
Appointed May 2015
Ms Kate Roffey 2015 to 2018
Kate has extensive experience within the commercial, government, sport and not-for-profit sectors, providing high-level expertise in strategic and operational planning and delivery, stakeholder management, organisational change management and political strategy.
Kate is the former CEO of the Committee for Melbourne, a high profile civic leadership role that advocated for the long-term development of greater Melbourne from an economic and liveability perspective.
Prior to joining the Committee, Kate worked with Tennis Australia managing the Melbourne Park Redevelopment and played a leadership role in developing the Masterplan vision for the redevelopment, securing $978 million in government funding for the 12-year build, and renegotiating the commercial and operational agreements underpinning the Australian Open Grand Slam. As part of her role at Tennis Australia, Kate travelled extensively to world leading sports and entertainment venues to gain a cutting-edge understanding of international best practice in facility design, city integration and organisational management.
Throughout her travels, she spent time with leading organisations such as the New York Yankees, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Manchester United FC, Arsenal FC, LA Live and Madison Square Garden.
Kate is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a number of non-executive director roles. In addition to Melbourne University Sport, Kate is a Director of the Melbourne Football Club, a member of the Victorian Ministerial Freight Advisory Committee, Chair of Enterprise Maribyrnong, and is an Ambassador for the Skin & Cancer Foundation and Berry Street.
Appointed May 2015
Mr Adrian Collette AM
Adrian Collette joined the University of Melbourne in early 2013 as Executive Director, Engagement and Partnerships before taking on his current role in early 2014. Previously, Adrian was Chief Executive Officer of Opera Australia (OA) for 16 years. OA is Australia's national opera company and is also the country's largest performing arts company. Before joining Opera Australia, Adrian was Managing Director of Reed Books, a division of Reed Elsevier, a company at which he worked for 10 years. Adrian attended Trinity Grammar School, Kew. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours from La Trobe University and a Master of Arts from the University of Melbourne. He tutored in Literature at both La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne. Adrian also performed regularly as a singer with the Victoria State Opera and was a member of their Young Artist Program.
He is a Board member of the Australia Council for the Arts; a Board member of the Committee for Melbourne and a Life Member of Live Performance Australia. He was also a Member of the Victorian Council for the Arts and a Trustee of Sydney Grammar School for 6 years. Adrian became a Member in the Order of Australia for services to the Arts in 2008.
Ms Alex Lawlor
2017-2020
Alex is a property portfolio and development professional with extensive major projects experience in the arts, education, health and commercial sectors. A qualified architect, Alex has worked with Melbourne's leading design practices as well as developing projects for the public and private sectors including Federation Square, Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne Recital Centre, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, as well as numerous regional development, residential, resort, office, and hospitality projects.
Currently with the University of Melbourne, Alex is responsible for leading the Property & Sustainability portfolio to ensure the quality of the campus experience meets the goals of the organisational strategy - identifying and enabling the critical infrastructure that supports the University's vision. Alex works on a range of city shaping projects – with state and local government, NGO’s, and industry – to mobilise discussion, resources, and investment, that can unlock lasting outcomes.
Alex also mentors women in the construction and development industry.
Appointed November 2017.
Ms Anna Traill (Student member)
2018 to 2020
Anna is currently in her third year of Medicine and plays AFL with the Melbourne University women’s football club. She previously taught high school science in Darwin with the Teach for Australia program and studied her undergraduate degree in Science at the University of Melbourne where she was involved in a variety of intercollegiate sports and represented the University in netball and rowing.
Anna joins the Board with a passion for facilitating broader student engagement in University sport programs as a vehicle for enhancing mental, social, and physical wellbeing.
Mr James Marburg
2015 to 2021
James Marburg came to the role with an extensive background in the sport of rowing. His career at University Boat Club started in 2001, and he has been a member of national teams since 2002, competing in the past two Olympic games (London, Beijing) and winning a Silver Medal in Beijing.
He was also captain of the men's eight at varsity competitions in 2011 and 2012 and rowed at the University of Melbourne vs University of Sydney Annual Boat Race. He remains heavily involved in rowing through the University boat club and as a panel member of the Rowing Australia tribunal.
After studying law at Melbourne James currently works as a solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons. He previously worked in Marketing and Communications at ANZ Institutional. He has been a contributing writer to The Age and engages in public debates and discourse regarding issues in sport from an athlete's perspective.
Mr Michael Dardis
Michael is currently in his final year of the Juris Doctor at Melbourne Law School, having previously completed a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) and the University of Melbourne Extension Program (Mathematics). Having spent significant parts of his life as a competitive but not elite athlete in distance running, swimming, triathlon, and orienteering, he brings with him a passion for encouraging and supporting sport at all levels.
Michael joined the Melbourne University Athletics Club (MUAC) in his first week of university and has been an active member ever since, taking up the role of Vice-President in 2020. He also represented the University in Cross Country at the 2016/17 Southern University Games, helping the team bring home silver on both occasions.
Outside of sport/university, Michael has gained clerkships at three of Australia’s top-tier law firms and is managing director of his own software company — a role which has taught him a great deal. He hopes to use this diverse experience of his to aid his work on the Board as an advocate for students and clubs generally.
Prof. Sarah Wilson
Sarah Wilson is the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Student Life at the University of Melbourne, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAHMS) and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (FASSA).
Sarah’s research seeks to understand relationships between the mind, brain, human behaviour and its disorders, drawing on her expertise as a Cognitive Neuroscientist and Clinical Neuropsychologist. She has pioneered music neuroscience research in Australia, and was Founding Director of Music Mind & Wellbeing, an interdisciplinary initiative linking neuroscience with music and emotional and social wellbeing, fostering research spanning music, science, health and education.
She is Chair of the ILAE Diagnostic Methods Commission (2017-21) and previous Chair of the ILAE Neuropsychology Task Force (2013-17), where she established the first set of international standards for neuropsychological practice in epilepsy. In the field of Clinical Neuropsychology, Sarah is currently listed in the top 10 most cited researchers on Google Scholar. Before taking up the role of PVC Student Life in April 2021, Sarah was the Head of School, Psychological Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
Mr Shawn Ingle (Student member)
Shawn studied a Master of Engineering (Mechanical with Business) and plays with the Melbourne University Rugby Football Club. He's played at the Club for the last 5 years, winning the colts Premiership in 2017. In recent years, Shawn featured in the Victorian U19 side, the Melbourne Rising side and the Rebels' Emerging Player Program. A scholarship holder as part of the University's Elite Athlete Program, Shawn has accrued two University Blues. He has also represented the University in several Varsity Challenge cricket matches and enjoyed taking part in a smorgasbord of intercollegiate sports.
Shawn previously studied a Bachelor of Commerce, gaining a strategic management introduction through an internship with the Strategy team at Nasdaq, the US tech stock exchange. In his free time, Shawn volunteers as a Student Ambassador at the University to champion sport and academic endeavours, and coaches budding young rugby players at Scotch College.
Shawn joins the Board as an advocate for student athletes. He has a passion for facilitating broader student engagement in University sport programs as a vehicle for enhancing overall wellbeing.
Prof. Richard James
Richard James is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education, a leading centre for policy research in higher education. His research program spans access and equity, the transition to university, student finances, student engagement, quality assurance and academic standards. He has published widely on the effects of social class on higher education aspirations and participation.
He is a regular public commentator on higher education policy and is a member of the inaugural Higher Education Standards Panel, the national body that sets standards for the regulation of universities and other higher education providers.
Sporting-wise, in the 1970s and 1980s he represented Australia in track and field and was the Australian 100 metres sprint champion in 1980. He remains active in sport for fitness purposes.
Mr Paul Holland
Paul is the Director of Commercial Services which manages all supply chain engagements across the University.
Since joining the University in 2015, Paul has focused on improving the University’s approach to commercial management to ensure the most value is received considering both expenditure and revenue. One critical achievement has been developing and driving the Universities social & indigenous procurement strategy.
Prior to joining the University, Paul worked in infrastructure, professional services and defence, working on initiatives that have led to significant organisational change, delivery of large complex projects, mergers and acquisitions, and the re-engineering and implementation of processes and systems.
Paul holds a Commerce Degree from Deakin University and an Executive MBA from Monash University.
On a sporting front, Paul played in the amateurs for St Bernard (203 games) and then moved to Richmond Centrals. Since ending his “playing days”, Paul now plays for St Kevin’s in the Masters league as a way to keep fit. Off the field, Paul was a board member at St Bernard’s for two years and now coaches his son’s in Basketball and AusKick.
