Crawls honoured in AFL ‘Speccy Awards’

CONTINUOUSLY striving to do the right thing and make a positive difference has seen Northern New South Wales’ Participation Lead Matt Crawley honoured during the AFL’s 2025 ‘Speccy Awards’. 

The ‘Speccy Awards’ are the AFL’s Recognition and Reward program that acknowledges and celebrates the achievements of AFL team members through a variety of rewards, experiences and awards.  

Team members are nominated for many of these awards by their peers, with several awards dedicated to those who epitomise the AFL’s values: Play to Win, Play as one Team, Play with Passion, and Play Fair.  

As a values-led organisation, the AFL values play a pivotal role in bringing to life the culture of the AFL. They guide how team members work and play each day – the decisions, actions and interactions and are embedded in everything the AFL does. 

More than 650 nominations were received across all four values awards, with Crawley bestowed with the Play Fair Award, which honours team members who strive to do the right thing and make a positive difference – championing diversity, inclusion and an equitable playing field. 

Head of AFL NSW/ACT Andrew Varasdi said thisrecognition for Crawls is a win for all in the AFL NSW/ACT team.

“Seeing one of our own in Matthew Crawley recognised at the AFL’s ‘Speccy Awards’ is a moment of immense pride for AFL NSW/ACT,” Varasdi said. 

“This honour for Crawls is richly deserved. He embodies the value of Play Fair, and this award reflects his outstanding contribution to the AFL and his commitment, dedication and impact in his community.   

“Awards like this highlight individual excellence, but they are made possible by strong teams. Crawls’ recognition is representative of the talent and teamwork seen across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and the collective values and ambition that continues to drive forward our efforts in the state and territory.  

“The team is ready for a big 2026, and we look forward to continuing these efforts together as a team next season and beyond.”

Crawley has worked for the AFL for almost 15 years. 

As part of his position, Crawley serves a community-facing role, delivering fun, skills-based sessions in schools and clubs, running NAB AFL Auskick and NAB AFL Superkick programs, supporting community events and game days and championing inclusion, working on programs that support multicultural communities, girls in sport, Indigenous programs, and kids of all abilities. 

He’s known for being a calm and open communicator and listener that consistently seeks to understand and leads with fairness and respect.  

Crawley said he was grateful to receive the award. 

“I have to admit I was genuinely surprised when it was announced yet incredibly humbled,”Crawley said.

“To be nominated by your peers as somebody who they see as a team member that exhibits this important AFL value and then to be recognised in front of the entire team for it was a very proud moment in my career.” 

AFL NSW/ACT and the wider Australian Rules Football community in NSW congratulates Crawls on receiving the Play Fair ‘Speccy Award’.