Welfare of community in accountant’s good books
FORMER chartered accountant Michael Dowling has balanced the books of his life through a combination of community and private sector work.
During more than 40 years of service to the Geelong community, Mr Dowling has also juggled work in the RUCKMEN in the AFL and at the local level have the work of Hugh Seward to thank for potentially prolonging their careers.
While working as the Geelong Football Club doctor, Dr Seward in consultation with the AFL introduced the 10m circle at the centre bounce.
“In the early 2000s, we identified a spike in knee injuries to ruckmen that was devastating their careers,” he said.
“Ruckmen had been running from up to 25 metres away to jump at the centre bounce and by limiting the run-up the momentum at impact dropped and we were able to stop the injury.”
The introduction of the 10m circle public sector with roles at a range of community welfare organisations.
“My motive in life is to give more than is expected and I’ve been lucky and fortunate to have plenty of opportunities to do that,” he said.
Today Mr Dowling will be made a member of the Order of Australia for significant service to social welfare, business and education groups.
In the late-90s, Mr Dowl- was a product of the AFL Injury Survey that Dr Seward initiated when he started at Geelong Football Club in 1982.
“I am proud that it is the world’s longest-running publicly released injury surveillance system in professional sport,” he said.
During more than 35 years working in Australian rules football, Dr Seward has gone beyond the call of duty.
He paid close attention to understanding trends behind injuries as the president of the AFL Doctors Association between 1991 and 2006.
Today Dr Seward, a Newtown resident, will be made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to Australian rules football as a doctor, particularly to the prevention and management of injuries. ing was a key driver of a push that aimed to add 1000 extra jobs in Geelong.
“We went out as a group of people and lobbied businesses to take on extra staff and progressively we got 1000 people into jobs,” he said.
The Newtown resident was the chairman of Samaritan House Geelong between 2013 and 2016.
During his tenure the outreach service was able to
“My award is also recognition of the work of sporting team doctors across Australia, and in particular the doctors at AFL clubs who provide world-class care to their players,” he said.
Dr Seward is pleased the AFL has shown more attention to managing concussed players but he is calling for more research into its long-term impacts.
The AFL life member is currently a director of the Geelong Football Club and has been part of Australia’s medical team at the past two Commonwealth Games.
Dr Seward was a founding member of the AFL Research Board in 2000 and began as a senior lecturer at Deakin University’s School of Medicine last year. build additional crisis accommodation for the city’s most needy.
Determined to steer the next generation of Geelong residents, the 68-year old has been a deputy chancellor at Deakin University and a Geelong College council member, and he is currently serving on the Marcus Oldham College council.
“I want to help the community moving forward and education is a very important part of that. I want to help people grow and achieve their potential,” he said.
Mr Dowling has used his finance skills to help keep the books of St Mary of the Angels Parish and Geelong College in check for more than 20 years.
He is also a founding member of the Geelong Gallery Foundation and was president for two years.