Officials 2023-24
Photo Finish: Rob Jones, Chloe Blennerhassett, Joe Spencley, Di Tzilantonis, Shane Roberts
Results: Nila Blennerhassett, Chloe Blennerhassett
Starters: Rob McIntosh, Graeme Humphrey, Brendan Ferrari, Matthew Webster, Kieren McIntosh Taking applications
Race Caller: Ollie Wurm & Ed Sadler
Stewards: Wally Meechan, Noel Rexter, Demmin Smith, Richard Wearmouth
Handicappers: Colin Lane, Luke Mitchell, David Milligan, Kim McDonough & Chris Macdonald
Colour Stewards: Gill Hayden, Penny conway, Di Tzilantonis Taking applications
Please email val@val.org.au for more information.
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 Open 70m races at Geelong & Ballarat Gifts, winning the Womens 120m 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 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.
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 - Craig Burnett
Craig ran with the VAL from the mid 70’s-late 80’s when a teaching stint in Rainbow saw him take up football umpiring in the Southern Malle Football League. He made a return to running in the 90’s, but knee injuries forced him into permanent retirement. These days he is an enthusiastic supporter of professional running and keen follower of his children Kirrily and Lonain. Craig is President of Athletics Bendigo an organisation that administers the summer track and winter cross country seasons for both senior and little athletes in Bendigo.
Craig has also been an advocate, tribunal member and Tribunal Chair for AFL Central Victoria for 20 years.
Craig has worked with the Department of Education for the past 40 years. He has spent the past 20 years as Principal of a number of schools in the Greater Bendigo area.
Craig has been able to build strong relationships with a wide range of communities in his professional life and his work in a number of sporting organisations. Craig sees the VAL as a strong community based sporting organisation and is looking forward to making a contribution to the sport over the coming years
Director - Todd Ireland
Todd Ireland is a director of the family heating and air conditioning business Dual Heating & Air Conditioning P/L,
that has been a long term sponsor of the VAL.
Todd has competed continuously in the VAL every year since 1987/88 season. Since the late 90’s he has also been a successful trainer with a large group of athletes that has seen him be the VRTA Trainer of the Year on four occasions.
As an athlete he is a 3 time Stawell Gift Finalist , to go along with his numerous Gift wins over the years. In 2015 he was inducted into the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame.
For a number of years now Todd has been both the President of the Victorian Runners and Trainers Association and also of the Northcote Athletic Club which host the Waverley Gift. This is his second stint on the VAL Board after previously being a director for around 10 years, as well as being the Vice President for a number of those.
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
Katie has competed in both amateur and professional athletics for over 27 years, competing in VAL competitions since 1996 to current. Katie has achieved wins across the VAL, TAL, SAAL, and NSWAL over 70m to 400m, has medalled at Victorian State Championships and has made multiple National Championship finals.
Katie has a range of sports administration experience, having been the secretary of the Victorian Runners and Trainers Association Committee for 5 years and a member of the Ringwood Athletic Club Committee for 4 years. Professionally, she has over 20 years working in research and evaluation across the medical, education and health sectors, and understands the importance of evidence-based decision making. Katie has held a number of leadership positions and is currently the General Manager of Research and Partnerships at the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.
Katie will provide a strong female voice and is passionate about equity and decreasing and removing barriers to participation in our great sport.
Director - Dominic Condello
With over 30 years experience in the building industry, I have been the Director of Moonee Ponds Plumbing and Bathrooms for the past 20 years. I am a licensed Plumber and Builder and have also completed The Diploma of Building from RMIT.
I have also been a technical regulator at the Victorian Building Authority, and taught English in Japan. I have previously been a senior coach at Aberfeldie FC.
I came into the sport of athletics as a masters athlete and I am trained by Max Warlow at the Essendon Athletics Club. I hold a few state relay records and have competed for Australia at Masters level. I have previously won the Geelong Gift 100 Masters 2019, Maribrynong 300 Masters 2020, and the Castlemaine Gift 120 Masters 2020.
I hold positions on the Essendon Athletics Club and the Beachside Gift committees. I love the sport of pro running and am a big advocate for community involvement through sport. I am also a big advocate for men's and women's health and well being.
Director - Leslie Williams
VRTA Representative - Kirrily Burnett
Kirrily began pro running at 18 following in her Dad’s footsteps, who ran in the 1980’s. When Kirrily is not running and crafting she is busy working in the early childhood sector as an educator in a community centre.
Kirrily values the importance of early-learning and is equally as passionate for the creative arts, literacy, language linguistics, special needs and STEM.
As well as working on the reconciliation action plan at her centre Kirrily has a strong sense of community and governance, equity and equality, and a voice for the wider community at the VAL