Cheryl Cates was among six women from across Australia nominated for the 2012 Football Woman of the Year Award.
Cheryl Cates is a strong and principled woman, who quickly became a force for good in SA upon moving to Adelaide from interstate in 2005.
With multiple roles in the Australian Defence Forces and 10 years with the RSL Headquarters in Canberra, Cheryl Cates arrived in SA with a strong administrative intelligence.
Noting that the women’s league needed greater organisation and governance, she accepted the role of SAWFL president for six years.
Gina Dutschke acknowledges Cheryl Cates as the person who ‘saved’ the women’s league.
Cheryl and her husband, Peter Cates, who was involved with the PAFC, lobbied the AFL to introduce a national competition.
Using her network of influence, strong relationship-building, high volunteering work ethic, and administrative know-how, the league stabilised and grew, readying itself for the enormous expansion that was about to come.
Cheryl Cates was among six women from across Australia nominated for the 2012 Football Woman of the Year Award, having been the longest serving volunteer of the SAWFL to-date.
Further, the Cheryl Cates Volunteer of the Year Award is now presented to a key volunteer from within the SAWFL who goes above and beyond in supporting female football, often in multiple volunteering roles.
