Experienced football identity Ian Beeck appointed as Great Southern Football League operations manager

The Great Southern Football League has appointed a new paid employee with Ian Beeck starting his new role as operations manager this week. After working to revamp its structure in recent months, the GSFL advertised the part-time position and received several applications before hiring Beeck. The operations manager will be focused on media and marketing, the tribunal, umpires, events and club liaison for the league. The existing role of general manger, filled by Paul Higginson, will remain but will have reduced responsibilities. Beeck comes with a vastly experienced football background in the region, growing up playing in the Southern Districts Junior Football competition. He is a seven-time premiership player with Royals and won the Alan Barnett Medal as best player in the GSFL grand final in 2000. The 51-year-old still plays masters football with the Albany Vikings and is looking forward to the new role. “I’ve got managerial experience in Indigenous employment, youth at risk and pre and post prisoners,” Beeck said. “This opportunity was something close to my heart and something too good to pass up. “As a six-team competition we can’t just plateau and be happy with how things are. “A big part of my role will be liaising with coaches and presidents, being transparent and communicating with them. “I’ve coached in the past and served on committees as well, not just rolled up and played, so I know what it’s like at footy clubs.” Beeck has previously worked as a reporter at the Albany Advertiser, spent time as the editor of the Weekender and still hosts a sports show on local radio station GoldMX. GSFL president Terry Eaton said the league was delighted to appoint someone with such vast knowledge of the game and management. “This is something that has been in the wings for a couple of years but we had to get all our ducks in a row,” Eaton said. “A big thanks to the guys that started it and have pulled it all together. Running a league, it falls a lot on volunteers to manage it. “We needed someone to run that football side of things and be proactive. “He can deal with the operations of the game and take that forward and most country leagues have a general manager or operations manager. “Ian with his background is very qualified and we wish him well in the job.”