Club Patron & No. 1 Ticket Holders
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Club patron: Julia Gillard
Number-one ticket holders: Merv Hughes and Russell Mark
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Julia Gillard (AC)
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Julia Gillard
Julia has been patron of the Werribee Football Club since 2010.
She was the 27th Prime Minister of Australia and the first, and only, woman to serve in that role. Since leaving office, she has dedicated her time to advocacy, governance roles, and writing.
In 2021, Julia was appointed Chair of Welcome, a global charitable foundation based in the UK, which supports science to solve urgent worldwide health challenges. She is also the founder and inaugural Chair of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King's College London and Chair of its sister Institute at the Australian National University. GIWL strives for a world where being a woman is not a barrier to becoming a leader in any field.
In 2014, Julia joined the Board of Beyond Blue, one of Australia's foremost mental health awareness bodies, and was appointed Chair in 2017.
As a life-long advocate for increasing access to education, especially in developing nations, Julia was Chair of the Global Partnership of Education from 2014 to 2021. In 2023 she led the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care in South Australia.
Julia has also held the following positions:
- Distinguished Fellow with the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution in Washington;
- Hon Prof. at the University of Adelaide;
On Australia Day 2017, Julia was honoured to be awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia.
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Merv Hughes
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Merv Hughes
Merv has been No.1 ticket holder of the Werribee Football Club since 1992. He is also a Life Member.
He was born in Euroa, Victoria. Organised sport began in 3rd grade at Werribee. In 5th grade, he pestered his father to be allowed to join football at Werribee where he held his own, even though he was one of the smallest players. Merv's enthusiasm for sport was described as "Unquenchable."
Merv started his cricket career playing district cricket with Footscray in 1978-79. He was selected for Victoria in 1981-82 and made his debut against the South Australian Redbacks.
Merv also played Australian Rules football with Werribee Football Club during the winter months between 1979 and 1984. He played 95 games as a key position player.
Merv first appeared for Australia against India in 1985-86. He took 1-123 and was not re-selected until the Ashes series against England the following year.
Merv's physical presence was imposing. He was a burly 194cms with a handlebar moustache, a penchant for exuberant displays of affection for his fellow players and with a tendency to talk to the opposition in colourful language. One of his nicknames was "Fruitfly". Australian test captain, Allan Border explained it was a reference to "Australia's greatest national pest".
Merv has been a Life Member of our club since the mid 90's.
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Russell Mark (OAM)
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Russell Mark (OAM)
Russell was recognised as joint No.1 ticket holder of the Werribee Football Club in 1996. He is also a Life Member.
He was born in Hoppers Crossing and educated in Ballarat between 1969 and 1981. He completed a Diploma of Business Studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (1982 - 1985) and worked in the real estate industry as a real estate valuer from 1985 until 1997.
He won the Olympic gold medal in double trap at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He also won an Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He has competed at six Olympic Games: 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012.
Russell is a dual World Individual Champion (1994, 1997) and dual World Team Champion (1998 and 1999). He won an individual World Cup gold medal in Los Angeles in 1991. This was the first-ever World Cup individual gold medal by an Australian in any shooting discipline.
In August 2007, in Munich, Germany, the International Shooting Sports Federation inducted him into its Hall of Fame as the greatest double trap shooter of all time.
In 1997, Russell was honoured with the Order of Australia Medal for services to sport and the Australian Sports Medal in June 2000.
In 2019, Russell was nominated to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. He is the second shotgun shooter so honoured.