Gavin May has arrived as AFLNT's Regional Development Manager for Katherine after COVID-19 interrupted his original appointment.
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Mr May was in his position for just a few weeks before the pandemic hit, but is now back in town to stay as the Big Rivers Football League gets ready to start in two weeks' time.
Mr May arrives in Katherine with a wealth of experience in footy's back-end, both home in South Australia and in the Northern Territory.
He holds high hopes of new and exciting frontiers for AFL in the Katherine Region.
"I think getting a junior AFL competition absolutely has to be one of our top priorities," Mr May said.
"This year we're also excited to be bringing more home and away games into communities which will a great chance for those clubs.
"I was involved in a pilot for that down in Alice Springs which was successful, and it allows those clubs to run kiosks etc. to generate some income for their program.
"AFL in the Northern Territory is fast, it's skillful with not too much congestion so it makes for a really great game to watch.
"Footy makes a big difference to a lot of people's lives in the Northern Territory, and that's why I feel passionate about working here in particular," he said.
Mr May started out in clubland down in South Australia before moving to Alice Springs four years ago.
There he was involved with the Federals Football Club, before joining AFLNT as a match manager for the area.
He then moved to the Tiwi Islands to manage their league as AFLNT's Remote Development Manger.
Given the distance between leagues in the Territory, Mr May has only had the chance to see 'a few' games of Big Rivers football but was impressed by what he saw.
"In the few games I've seen, I noticed how fast the players are here," he said.
"There's some players with really impressive skills and the passion around the clubs was great to see.
"I'm in town now looking for a house and such so it's great to finally be down here and get started," Mr May said.
More announcements are set to come over the coming days as Katherine builds towards opening round.
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