A call from Leigh Matthews and a little white lie were behind Brisbane Lions’ Board Member Cathie Reid’s move into the world of AFL.
Speaking to AFLW General Manager Women’s Football, Nicole Livingstone in the AFLW podcast, League Leaders, Reid recalls how Matthews convinced her to nominate for the Brisbane Lions Board despite her busy schedule.
“A couple of weeks [after speaking at the launch of the Women of the Pride], Leigh Matthews rang up and asked I would meet him for coffee, and if I would be interested in joining the Board,” Reid said.
“He goes ‘The time commitment isn’t that bad, it’s only one board meeting a few hours a month, you might want to join a few committees, but you won’t have to do that straight away.’
“Now on a weekly basis I’m going from here to a meeting at the Gabba. I’m at the Gabba normally a couple of days a week…The kids and Stuart laugh all the time.”
Despite Matthews’ small exaggeration in the time commitment, Reid told Livingstone that she is wholly absorbed in the rewarding work of a Board member.
Since joining in 2016, Reid has witnessed plenty of changes at the Club, with none bigger than the development of the Lions AFLW program.
Reflecting on the journey the Club took in it’s initial bid for an inaugural team, Reid said that it would’ve been a big mistake for Lions to opt out of applying.
"It was something that both (deputy chair) Sarah Kelly and I were really passionate about, the initial call was for bids and who was going to be involved," Reid said.
"Sarah and I, along with the rest of our board, were really adamant that we needed a women's team and it was a really important opportunity for us. Particularly in a state that still has such a skew towards rugby, letting go of the opportunity to have a women's team would be a big mistake.
"We've just been so incredibly lucky to have had Bree (Brock) there leading our women's team alongside with Craig (Starcevich) and all the other fantastic people who work in that space.
"To see them get rewarded with the ultimate reward this year of the premiership, all that hard work and effort, it's been a real joy to have the opportunity and privilege to work with the women's team from its inception. It's very much one of the favourite things I do."
EPISODE GUIDE
5.30 – An unusual start to Cathie’s career as a pharmacist
7.35 – Changing your life plan when you’re thrown a curve ball
13.00 – Starting a business and the importance of taking risks
15.30 – The use of innovation and technology in business
20.18 – The competing needs of business and family
26.00 – A call from Leigh Matthews
31.37 – The impact of AFLW and the growth of women's footy in Queensland
35.00 – Creating opportunity from adversity
42.03 – The importance of taking opportunities
