Wade kicks off Australian Masters Games in Tasmania

The 16^th Australian Masters Games has lured former AFL Tasmania boss Scott Wade out of a short-lived retirement, today announcing his appointment as General Manager of the Games, to be held in North-West Tasmania in October, 2017.

The Games will be staged in Tasmania for the second time, and are expected to attract thousands of participants and visitors and generate millions for the local economy.

Wade, a former Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn Football Club during the 1980s as well as 282 games in the Tasmanian Football League, had 16 years in the CEO role with AFL Tasmania, before resigning in March this year. However the national reach and community appeal of the Australian Masters Games made him re-think his retirement plans.

“When I recently resigned from my role at AFL Tasmania my intent was to essentially retire and take a decent break from any form of permanent or structured work,” Wade said.

“However the opportunity to undertake this exciting and challenging national project as the General Manager of the 2017 Australian Masters Games made me quickly reconsider my short term future.”

The Australian Masters Games is one of Australia’s premier and largest multi-sport mass participation events, catering for participants of all levels across an extensive sport program. The only criteria to participation is that you meet the minimum age requirement, which in most sports in 30 years.

“The Australian Masters Games is a wonderful community engagement project for Tasmania to embrace and it is a national event that makes the wider community aware of the health and wellbeing benefits of sport and physical activity, no matter what age you are,” said Wade of the mass participation nature of the event.

“I’m excited to be involved in such a wonderful event for Tasmania,” he enthused.

Confederation of Australian Sport, the event owner, announced the appointment of Wade, with President and CEO Rob Bradley declaring, “The Confederation of Australian Sport is delighted with Scott’s appointment.”

“Scott’s extensive sport industry experience and contacts will be of great benefit in conducting one of the best ever Australian Masters Games,” continued Bradley.

Cradle Coast Authority Chief Representative Mr Daryl Quilliam said he could not have asked for a better appointment.

“Not only is Scott a former leader of a significant sporting movement, but he is a former athlete himself, and a Tasmanian,” Quilliam said.

“Scott fully comprehends the task ahead and we look forward to his leadership in creating a first-rate Games experience here in the North-West.”

The Australian Masters Games has been held every two years since 1987 and has made a major contribution to masters’ sport and to the local economies hosting the event.

The 15th Australian Masters Games, held in Adelaide in 2015, injected in the vicinity of $13 million dollars to the South Australian economy, with over 8,000 participants of which 55% were from interstate or overseas, including more than 250 international participants from 20 countries.

Federal Member for Braddon, Brett Whiteley MP is excited about the return of the event to Tasmania and the impact it will deliver.

“The 2017 Masters Games will be one of the biggest events to be held in Tasmania and it is absolutely essential that the organising committee is led and made up of highly skilled and experienced people.

“The appointment of Scott Wade as GM is a coup for the event.

“This event has the potential to further build on Tasmania’s growing reputation as a premium destination and therefore we must be at our very best as a state, at a time when so many eyes are focused on us,” Mr Whiteley said.

The Games were last held in Tasmania in 1987, with the inaugural edition conducted in Hobart.

Australian Masters Games Snapshot

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Media enquiries regarding the 16^th Australian Masters Games can be directed to:

Samantha Culbert

Australian Masters Games media

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