A stunned Geoff Lange, of Laura, was announced as winner of the inaugural Administrator of the Year award at the 2007 SANFL Affiliated Leagues Media Awards dinner in October.

Northern Areas Football Association secretary since 1992, Lange has been a stalwart in the association spending three years as the recorder and taking on the role of team manager for the Central Zone team, which brings together players from the NAFA, Barossa Light and Gawler, North Eastern, Adelaide Plains and York Peninsula leagues to compete in the annual Country Carnival.

Lange attended the presentation dinner completely unaware he had been nominated for an award.

He said he had enjoyed the role over the years and had met and worked with many fine people, all of who have contributed to the success of the combined football and netball associations.

“I think the NAFA is in a pretty healthy stage as far as the competition goes,” Lange said.

“Because you’ve got six good teams with full colts and B grade and nowadays with all the amalgamations going on you cannot afford not to have six teams – you can’t have five teams.

“I know there’s still talk about amalgamations with the Spencer Gulf Football League, but I just don’t think the culture would work that well especially because of the netball.

“And Pirie people don’t travel, we know through lawn bowls they just don’t like travelling.

“As far as the football and netball partnership, we are one of the leagues that is pretty close to our netball side of things.

“They’ve got good administration, Trudy Kitschke is going back in next year, she is a good administrator and we get on very well together.”

After spending 15 years in the job, Lange is looking to retire from the position as soon as a suitable replacement can be recruited.

“I’ve been wanting to retire badly, but getting a replacement is not that easy,” he said.

“We’ve advertised extensively, but so far there has been no interest shown so I’ve agreed to stay on for the 2008 season.”

Geoff and his wife Joy won two nights at the Lakes Resort Hotel alongside the AAMI Stadium and will be invited to a corporate dinner with a member of the South Australian National Football League to watch a game during the 2008 season.