Zebras’ CEO nominated for Victorian Sport Award

21/02/2018

Sandringham Football Club’s CEO David Cannizzo has received a prestigious nomination for the upcoming VicSport awards.

VicSport, the peak body for sport and active recreation in Victoria, announced David Cannizzo is one of four individuals in line for Victorian Sports Administrator of the Year honours.

David is up against AFL Victoria CEO Stephen Reaper, Basketball Geelong CEO Dean Anglin and Tennis Victoria’s General Manager – Participation Belinda Kleverlaan for the Victorian Sports Administrator of the Year award, which recognises administrators that have demonstrated an outstanding level of achievement during 2017.

The nomination details David’s previous role at Southern Football Netball League (SFNL) where he led Australia’s first ever dedicated themed Pride Round of sport (football and netball) to celebrate diversity and inclusion in 2017. The impact and outcome of David’s leadership for the Pride Round initiative meant that the entire organisation was advocating and demonstrating a fun, safe, fair and inclusive environment for not just football and netball, but sport in the country.

David had also significantly contributed to the development of Women’s Football, with a focus on building women’s football and ensuring its sustainability and prosperity through culture change. Through David’s leadership, the League had grown from 31 Member Clubs in 2012 to 36, and the netball competition had increased from six teams in its inaugural season (2012) to 81 in 2017.

SFNL were also one of four shortlisted finalists for the Victorian Community Sporting Event of the Year award. The Victorian Community Sporting Event of the Year award acknowledges an outstanding community sporting event that has benefitted the local community, and the SFNL received its nomination for its resoundingly successful Pride Round last August. The inaugural SFNL Pride Round, which was a first for a community football and netball league in Australia, saw all 20 football grounds in use over the weekend painted with rainbow arcs and more than 100 football teams and 32 netball finals teams participate in other pride-themed initiatives in a show of support for the LGBTI+ community.

Damien Hardwick, Dustin Martin, Craig Bellamy, Cameron Smith, Britt Cox, Scotty James and Destanee Aiava, as well as the Melbourne Storm and Victorian Bushrangers, are also finalists for Victorian Sport awards in various team and individual categories.

The winners of the 2017 Victorian Sport Awards will be announced at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday 14 March.

See the full list of finalists