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Hall of Fame Welcomes Jeff Persson
Jeff Persson joined the Kangaroos as a player in 2000, but most people don't realize he actually was a mere fan of the team from late 1998 and attended every home game in 1999 before joining the team as a player. He immediately became a fixture in the club both on and off the field serving on numerous committees to help run the club, raising sponsorships (his company, Healthways, has been a sponsor since 2003), managing the team, and most recently serving as club president.
Jeff has been playing the game for all nine years he has been with the club, playing pretty much every position except the ruck. He has developed into one of those "crafty veterans", using his footy brain and hustle to get the better of players with more skill and youth. This year Jeff became only the third Kangaroo Centurion when he played in his 100th game for the Roos. In addition, he accomplished what most only dream of: this year he was selected to the US Revolution national team that competed in Melbourne Australia in the third International Cup.
In addition to playing the game, he is also an umpire. He trained in 2001 to be a field umpire, and since then has become the most accomplished non-Australian umpire in the world, having been the first to be accredited by the AFL as a Level 2 Field Umpire (2002), the first to work games in Australia (2002), the first to work games in the International Cup (2002), the first to be selected to work an International Cup Grand Final (2005), and the first non-Australian to work a game at the MCG. In 2007, USFooty named Jeff one of only seven Umpires of the Decade and he was one of two Americans so honored.
As you can see Jeff is quite the enigma, and at the nationals tournaments, he alternates every other hour between playing the Kangaroos games and umpiring the Division 1 games. His passion for the game both on and off the field is apparent to everyone. He has stepped up in the last several years to help the club on other ways. He is working with Moreen Logsdon to build the Kangaroos Netball team, having played for the netball team in 2007 (in addition to everything else!) And of course he has been on the board of directors for many years now, the last two of which he has served as president.
Jeff actually recruited me to become the coach of the Kangaroos in 2006, although it took me a while before I realized just how great a club the Kangaroos Club is. It is an honor to be the one to introduce Jeff to Hall of Fame. Congratulations, Jeff, on your induction into the Hall of Fame.
Meet Hall of Famer: Jeff Persson
Member since: 2000
President, 2 (2007-2008)
Board of Directors, 7 (2001, 2003-2008)
Secretary/Treasurer, 1 (2001)
Australian Festival Committee, 2 (2003-2004)
Football Manager, 5 (2002, 2005-2008)
Games Played, 103
MAAFL Championship Teams, 2 (2000 and 2002)
USAFL Revolution Nomination, 1 (2008)
International Games Played, 7
Field Umpire Games: 111
AFL Field Umpire Level 2 (first and still the only non-Australian in the
world with this accreditation level)
International Games: 25
2005 International Cup Grand Final, Field Umpire
USAFL Umpire of the Decade, 1998-2007
Family: wife Holly Baker; Step-son Garrett Jackson
