Tom Harley reflects on his time as a Redleg

Norwood junior player, now AFL Chief Operating Officer Tom Harley visited the Norwood Football Club on Thursday as part of the Gather Round Festival.

Harley and AFL Executive General Manager of Football Operations Laura Kane led a media call at The Parade, alongside Norwood Football Club President Paul Di Iulio and NPSP Mayor Robert Bria.

Harley had the chance to reflect on his time in South Australia, where he played junior football at Norwood, before playing 21 League matches, and getting drafted to Port Adelaide. He played the one AFL match for the Power, before heading to Geelong where he went on to play 197 more AFL matches, including the 2007 and 2009 Premierships.

“I have a spring in my step, I am a proud parochial South Australian and a junior footballer here at Norwood,” he said.

“It is fantastic to see where football is in this state, and how much it means to people here.

“To see a full Norwood Oval, will bring a lot of joy this weekend.”

Prior to joining the AFL Executive Team, Harley was the CEO of the Sydney Swans, working alongside fellow Norwood supporter Andrew Pridham AO (Swans President).

“I am really looking forward to watching footy here at Norwood Oval,” Harley said.

“The whole lot (brings back nostalgia), Richard Kelly (Norwood CEO) took me down through the changerooms before, I played in three consecutive Reserves Grand Finals here and won one of those. But I was a Norwood fan as a kid

“I fell in love with the game when the Legs won the flag in 1984, when the History Makers came from fifth.

“To see Norwood on the national stage and to see the club doing as well as what it is, I am really proud of that.”

Norwood Oval is once again a big part of the AFL’s Gather Round Festival, with two matches – Sydney V Gold Coast on Saturday, and Geelong V West Coast on Sunday, as well as Open Training sessions on Friday afternoon (Sydney and Gold Coast) and Saturday morning (Geelong).

See Norwood’s full Gather Round schedule here