VAL BOARD

President – Matt McDonough (president@val.org.au)

Matthew has over 20 years’ experience in athletics as a runner, trainer and administrator.  A two time VRTA Athlete of the year, amongst his wins are the Stawell Herb Hedeman 1600m and Stawell 3200m. Matthew is also a former elite triathlete having won the Australia Duathlon Championship in 2005 and 2008. 
Matthew is a Certified Accountant and Fellow of the Association for Tertiary Education Management.  He is currently Faculty General Manager at Deakin University having previously held senior financial roles in the public and private sector. Matthew brings a strong background in corporate governance, accounting and more recently education leadership.

Katie Moore

Katie has competed in both amateur and professional athletics for over 27 years, competing in VAL competitions since 1996 to current. Katie has achieved wins across the VAL, TAL, SAAL, and NSWAL over 70m to 400m, has medalled at Victorian State Championships and has made multiple National Championship finals.  

Katie has a range of sports administration experience, having been the secretary of the Victorian Runners and Trainers Association Committee for 5 years and a member of the Ringwood Athletic Club Committee for 4 years. Professionally, she has over 20 years working in research and evaluation across the medical, education and health sectors, and understands the importance of evidence-based decision making. Katie has held a number of leadership positions and is currently the General Manager of Research and Partnerships at the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine.

Katie will provide a strong female voice and is passionate about equity and decreasing and removing barriers to participation in our great sport.

Mathew Boyes

Mathew Boyes is a chartered accountant. He is a director of his own chartered accountancy and financial planning firm in Frankston. He currently holds membership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants and SPAA. He has over 15 years’ experience in working with SME and assisting them with their business, taxation and superannuation issues.

He has been involved in athletics at various levels since age of 7 and has been involved in VAL competition for over the last 20 years. He has made many finals over various distances and has won a few races over the years. His most recent win was the 2011 Maribyrnong Gift.

Dominic Condello

With over 30 years experience in the building industry, Dominic has been the Director of Moonee Ponds Plumbing and Bathrooms for the past 20 years. Dominic is a licensed Plumber and Builder and has completed The Diploma of Building from RMIT.

Dominic also been a technical regulator at the Victorian Building Authority, and taught English in Japan as well as previously been a senior coach at Aberfeldie FC.

Dominic came into the sport of athletics as a masters athlete and is trained by Max Warlow at the Essendon Athletics Club. Dominic holds a few state relay records and has competed for Australia at Masters level. In the VAL Dominic has previously won the Geelong Gift 100 Masters 2019, Maribrynong 300 Masters 2020, and the Castlemaine Gift 120 Masters 2020.

Les Williams

In 1973, Williams commenced competing in the VAL and is now running in his 50^th+ VAL season, which demonstrates his incredible athletic durability and resilience. 

Williams turned professional in 1973 as a 16-year-old and has won 69 sashes across 50 seasons in the League in an exceptional running career. Most recently, Williams won the Wangaratta Open 800m handicap in January 2023. His other career highlights include victories in the 400m at Stawell in 1983,1600m at Bendigo in 2002, as well as the 400m at Bendigo in 1980 and 1988. Williams also won the Zatopek Mile in 2001.  

The VAL awarded Williams the Distance Athlete of the Year in seasons 1994/95, 95/96, 1996/97, and 1998/99. The VAL Masters Athlete of the year is now awarded in his honour.

Craig Burnett

Craig ran with the VAL from the mid 70’s-late 80’s when a teaching stint in Rainbow saw him take up football umpiring in the Southern Malle Football League.  He made a return to running in the 90’s, but knee injuries forced him into permanent retirement.  These days he is an enthusiastic supporter of professional running and keen follower of his children Kirrily and Lonain.   Craig is President of Athletics Bendigo an organisation that administers the summer track and winter cross country seasons for both senior and little athletes in Bendigo.

Craig has also been an advocate, tribunal member and Tribunal Chair for AFL Central Victoria for 20 years.

Craig has worked with the Department of Education for the past 40 years.  He has spent the past 20 years as Principal of a number of schools in the Greater Bendigo area.  

Craig has been able to build strong relationships with a wide range of communities in his professional life and his work in a number of sporting organisations.  

Diane Tzilantonis

Diane has been a spectator for many years and more recently a VAL official on photo finish and the colour tent.

Professionally, Diane is the managing director of a law firm, responsible for management of the day-to-day operations of the firm and staff. Diane has an extensive financial and regulatory background from her previous roles in both the corporate and government sectors before focussing on building her own businesses.

Outside of her professional life, Diane has always been involved in athletics at some level and held various roles on the committee of the Dorset Demons out of Knox. Diane was also the team manager for the Knox Little Athletics Club for 2 seasons.

Diane has an interest in advocating for more inclusiveness and equality in sport for all athletes, but disability and its barriers are a strong focus.

Todd Ireland

Todd Ireland is a director of the family heating and air conditioning business Dual Heating & Air Conditioning P/L, that has been a long term sponsor of the VAL.

Todd has competed continuously in the VAL every year since 1987/88 season. Since the late 90’s he has also been a successful trainer with a large group of athletes that has seen him be the VRTA Trainer of the Year on four occasions.

As an athlete he is a 3 time Stawell Gift Finalist , to go along with his numerous Gift wins over the years. In 2015 he was inducted into the Stawell Gift Hall of Fame.

For a number of years now Todd has been both the President of the Victorian Runners and Trainers Association and also of the Northcote Athletic Club which host the Waverley Gift. This is his second stint on the VAL Board after previously being a director for around 10 years, as well as being the Vice President for a number of those.

David Griffin

TBA

Kirrily Burnett (VRTA Representative)

Kirrily began pro running at 18 following in her Dad’s footsteps, who ran in the 1980’s. When Kirrily is not running and crafting she is busy working in the early childhood sector as an educator in a community centre. 

Kirrily values the importance of early-learning and is equally as passionate for the creative arts, literacy, language linguistics, special needs and STEM. 

As well as working on the reconciliation action plan at her centre Kirrily has a strong sense of community and governance, equity and equality, and a voice for the wider community at the VAL.