Directors & Officials

Executive Officer - Taylah Perry

Taylah came to the role of EO to challenge herself and expand her career in a sport which she is passionate about and in a community which she already knew and loved.

She spent five years at Little Athletics Victoria in the role of Membership, Programs and Merchandise Coordinator which covered a broad range of activities, from liaising with 100+ Little Athletics Centres across the State, designing merchandise and managing the online store, to organising community events and major sponsor activations, including the Good Friday Appeal, Kids Day Out.

Taylah has been racing in professional running events for 10 years and she still loves it as much as the first year. Her highlights include winning the Open 70m's at Geelong & Ballarat Gifts, the Stonnington Gift and making the Womens Stawell Gift final in 2017.

Taylah has a Bachelor Degree in Marketing and Event Management from Latrobe University.

Taylah’s vision at VAL is to increase participation, provide greater Club support and strengthen the opportunties for pro running across the state of Victoria.

President - Matt McDonough 

Matthew has over 20 years’ experience in athletics as a runner, trainer and administrator.  A two time VRTA Athlete of the year, amongst his wins are the Stawell Herb Hedeman 1600m and Stawell 3200m. Matthew is also a former elite triathlete having won the Australia Duathlon Championship in 2005 and 2008. 

Matthew is a Certified Practising Accountant and Fellow of the Association for Tertiary Education Management.  He is currently Faculty General Manager at Deakin University having previously held senior financial roles in the public and private sector. Matthew brings a strong background in corporate governance, accounting and more recently education leadership.

Vice President - Andrew McManus 

Andrew McManus’ competitive running career spanned 17 years with his first run at Maryborough in 1989 and last at Stawell in 2005. He won the Stawell Gift in 1992 (finalist in 1994 & 1999), Bay Sheffield Gift in 1999 (finalist in 2003) and Botany Bay Gift in 2000 and was a member of the Australian Olympic Team in Athens in 2004 for the 4x100m Relay.

Throughout his running career he has always been interested and involved in sports administration and took an active role in the clubs he competed for. From 2005 to 2009 he was a member of the Victorian Runners & Trainers Association (VRTA) and was President from 2007 to 2009. He joined the VAL Board in 2007 and was President from 2009 to 2011. Andrew’s vision for the sport is to see its future secured through continued growth, development and organisational improvements that deliver greater benefits for athletes, trainers, clubs and local communities.   

Andrew is the General Manager Managed Services for the Fred IT Group. His previous business experience includes time as GM Operations at Fred, as a HR Consultant, covering Performance Management, Organisational Development and Strategic Advice, along with other Sales and Management roles. He has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology. Andrew and his wife Suzie have three children, Milla, Addison and Finn.

Director  - Mathew Boyes

Mathew Boyes is a chartered accountant. He is a director of his own chartered accountancy and financial planning firm in Frankston. He currently holds membership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants and SPAA. He has over 15 years’ experience in working with SME and assisting them with their business, taxation and superannuation issues. He has been involved in athletics at various levels since age of 7 and has been involved in VAL competition for over the last 20 years. He has made many finals over various distances and has won a few races over the years. His most recent win was the 2011 Maribyrnong Gift.

Director - Simon Jackson

Simon is a marketing and sales professional in the consumer goods industry. He joined the VAL board in 2019 with the goal of building awareness, trial, and participation in the sport, so professional running can flourish in the future.

Simon's running career started at age 7, and continues today into his Masters years as a self-trained athlete. Simon has won races in every distance from 70m to 300m. Major wins include the Northcote Gift (2012), Sandringham Gift (2014), Maryborough Gift (2017), and Meadowglen Gift (2018).

When away from the track, you may find Simon running after his two children or dog.

Director - Keely Henderson

Born into the world of athletics, Keely Henderson has been involved with athletics since she was 5 years old. In 2014, she competed in her first VAL competition at St Albans.

Prior to joining the VAL circuit, Keely competed in the Australian Youth Championships and has been a Victorian champion and finalist in a range of track and field events.

As a previous winner of the Ballarat Women’s Gift (2017), the Stonnington Gift (2016), and a finalist in the Women’s Stawell Gift in 2015, Keely is very familiar with the VAL circuit. She has also won Open 70m races at Wangaratta and Maryborough.

Currently, Keely is completing a double degree of Bachelor of Health Science/Applied Science (Osteopathy) at RMIT and is an advocate for Women in sport and supporting up and coming junior athletes.

Director - Katie Moore