Highly experienced sports administrator Jeremy Butler has been appointed Executive General Manager of the NSW Swifts.
Butler, who has previously held senior executive roles in both football and rugby union, will join the seven-time Premiers of Australian netball just before pre-season training for the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball competition gets underway in early October.
He joins the Swifts having formerly worked as Head of Consumer Business, Marketing & Content at A-Leagues side Sydney FC and before that served as National Teams Marketing Manager at Football Federation Australia (now Football Australia).
During his time at Sydney FC, and in the aftermath of the hugely successful FIFA Women’s World Cup, he played a key part in the club setting a record attendance at a Women's A-League match (11,471), and the increase of the club's Women's attendances by 276% on the previous season.
While based in the UK, Butler worked as Executive General Manager of Sale Sharks, one of the most respected clubs in the top flight of professional rugby and before that was CEO of Tranmere Rovers in the third tier of English football.
Butler said he was excited to join the Swifts after a season of record membership and attendance numbers for the proud Foundation Club.
“Netball is the standout leader for women in Australian sport at both community and professional levels and I have always admired the role the Swifts have played over almost three decades,” he said.
“It is a club that is built on legacy and standards of excellence, both on and off the court, and it is my firm aim to continue and build on the great work that’s already been achieved.
“Briony Akle and her players are proven winners in Suncorp Super Netball and I can’t wait to work alongside them as they aim to rebound back to the pinnacle of the professional club game in Australia.
“I am also equally excited about leading the Club staff whose Game Days and fan experiences have become some of the best in Australian sport.
“Execution of club events, engagement with the community and how the club positions itself on important issues are all vital to growth and success and I am really excited to get started.
“Finally, I would like to thank Netball NSW Chair Sallianne Faulkner, CEO Tracey Scott and the Board of Directors for this fantastic opportunity.”
Scott formally welcomed Butler to the Swifts and Netball NSW family:
“I am delighted to welcome Jeremy to the Swifts after a very competitive recruitment process for the role,” she said.
“Unsurprisingly, we had a lot of interest in this position and that is a testament to the high regard the Swifts are held in across the sporting landscape.
“Jeremy was a standout candidate with an impressive track record, especially from his time at the FFA where he oversaw significant growth in crowd numbers for both the Socceroos and Matildas. This is all the more notable given it happened before the exposure of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia last year.
“The Swifts are leaders in what they do and Jeremy presented a compelling vision of where he feels the club can go next. Given the record numbers we had last year, and with the countdown to the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney well underway, now is the time to make more hay.
“We are delighted to welcome Jeremy to the club and look forward to working closely with him.”
