Perth Broncos American Football Club

01/09/2026

Perth Broncos American Football Club are saddened to pass on the news of the passing of one of our own. Our condolences to all that knew her.

For the full article, please see the link below.
https://archive.is/VxxZ4

"She was the life of any party."
Tragically killed while on a morning ride with friends, Bridie Lee was planning to reunite with family for Christmas.
Her heartbroken loved ones and clubmates pay tribute to an extraordinary life 🔗 https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9340860/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Post

08/05/2026

***Dispute that ended the club***
This dispute was between the Perth Broncos American Football club and Gridiron West. GW was only comprised of 3 members at this time, two who has since left the Gridiron West Board.
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Analysis of the Dispute:
This section sets out the substance of the dispute between the Perth Broncos American Football Club (PBAFC) and Gridiron West (GW) in plain language, with reference to the governing documents in force at the relevant time: the Gridiron West Rules of Association (July 2023) and the Gridiron West By-Laws (October 2023).
The aim of this section is to record the legal and procedural arguments made on both sides, and to explain where the rules supported each position, so that a future reader can understand the dispute without reconstructing it from the email correspondence.
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The Central Question
The dispute turned on a single question: Did the Perth Broncos lose their status as an Ordinary Member of Gridiron West, and if so, by what mechanism?
Everything else — eligibility to enter a team, the four-month membership rule, the refusal of mediation — flowed from the answer to this question. If the Broncos were still an Ordinary Member at the time of the May 2025 outreach, then the four-month rule in By-Law 3.5 was not in play, because the four months had already long since passed. If the Broncos had ceased to be an Ordinary Member, then By-Law 3.5 applied and the club was ineligible to enter a team for 2025/26.
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How a Member Can Cease to Be a Member
Rule 12 of the Rules of Association sets out, exhaustively, the circumstances in which a member ceases to be a member. There are five, and only five:
• The member is an individual who dies.
• The member is a body corporate that is wound up.
• The member resigns under Rule 13 (which requires written notice to the secretary).
• The member is expelled under Rule 18 (which requires a formal process: 28 days' written notice, a committee meeting, opportunity to be heard, and a recorded decision).
• The member ceases under Rule 15(4), which applies when an annual membership fee determined under Rule 15(1) has not been paid within three months of the due date set under Rule 15(3).
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These are the only pathways. The Rules of Association do not contain a general "inactivity" or "lack of engagement" ground for cessation of membership.
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What Gridiron West Argued
Gridiron West's position evolved over the course of the correspondence. The arguments made, in summary, were:

• That By-Law 3.5 made the club ineligible. By-Law 3.5 states that "to be considered for team entry, the ordinary member must have maintained their status as a member for a minimum of four months preceding the start of the season." GW argued this applied to all members regardless of history or founding status, and that the Broncos did not meet it.
• That the Broncos had "ceased to hold Ordinary Member status through inactivity and non-compliance with entry procedures." This wording appears in GW's email of 5 August 2025 refusing mediation. GW expressly stated in the same email that the Broncos "were not removed or expelled under Rule 12 or 18" and that "no disciplinary action was taken."
• That the absence of fee payment, team entry, and league communication "collectively constitute a failure to maintain active membership engagement, a reasonable expectation for all ordinary members." This argument appears in the GW email of 11 July 2025.
• That "the By-Laws and Rules do not exist in a vacuum and must be interpreted in the context of operational participation and transparent intent." Same email, 11 July 2025.
• That allowing a single-team entry would contradict the strategic direction of the league, which (per a draft strategic plan circulated to clubs) required new or returning clubs to field a full complement of teams.
• That no genuine dispute existed for the purposes of Rule 26, because the matter was "not a dispute about how rules were applied — it is a disagreement with the consequences of non-compliance" (5 August 2025 email).
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What the Perth Broncos Argued
The Broncos' position, summarised across the correspondence:
• That the club had not ceased to be a member under any of the five Rule 12 pathways. The club had not died, been wound up, resigned, or been expelled. The only remaining pathway was Rule 15(4) — non-payment of an annual membership fee.
• That Rule 15(4) had not been triggered. GW had not determined an annual membership fee under Rule 15(1), had not set a due date under Rule 15(3), and had not issued an invoice. GW itself confirmed in the 11 July 2025 email that "no direct invoice was issued to PBAFC in 2024/2025." The Broncos' position was that the team entry fee of $250 (set by By-Law 3.6) was a separate fee from the annual membership fee referred to in Rule 15, and that GW had conflated the two.
That, in the alternative, if the membership had lapsed, Rule 15(5) permitted reinstatement on payment of the annual membership fee, and the Broncos had offered to make this payment. GW declined this offer.
• That By-Law 3.5 did not apply because the Broncos had never lost ordinary member status, and the four-month clock had therefore never been reset.
• That GW had not followed its own procedures, in that no formal notification of any change in membership status had ever been issued to the Broncos, despite a Broncos member serving as GW Registrar during the relevant period and the Broncos Chair having direct contact with the GW Chair on 5 November 2024 regarding ground marking at Lightning Park.
• That the dispute was a valid matter for mediation under Rule 26, and that GW's refusal to participate was itself a breach of the Rules of Association.
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What the Rules Actually Say
Reading the Rules of Association and the By-Laws as plain text, several observations can be made:
• Rule 12 is exhaustive in its list of cessation pathways. The rule begins "A member ceases to be a member when any of the following takes place" and lists five circumstances. There is no residual category and no general discretion. The phrase "ceased to hold Ordinary Member status through inactivity" used by GW does not correspond to any of the five pathways.
• Rule 15 distinguishes between an "entrance fee" and an "annual membership fee." Rule 15(1) provides: "The committee must determine the entrance fee (if any) and the annual membership fee (if any) to be paid for membership of the Association." The phrase "if any" indicates that a fee in either category exists only if the committee has determined it. Rule 15(3) requires that members pay the annual membership fee "by the date (the due date) determined by the committee." Rule 15(4) operates from that due date.
• By-Law 3.6 establishes a separate "non-refundable entry fee of $250 per team." This is a per-team fee, payable as part of the team entry process, and is structurally distinct from the annual membership fee in Rule 15.
The Rules of Association do not contain an "active engagement" requirement. No rule requires ordinary members to enter teams, communicate with the league, or otherwise participate operationally in order to retain membership. Such a requirement may be desirable as a matter of policy, but it is not in the governing documents.
• Rule 26 mediation is a member-initiated right, not a committee-controlled process. Rule 25(1) provides that the mediation Division "applies if written notice has been given to the secretary requesting the appointment of a mediator." Rule 26 then sets out how the mediator is chosen. The committee does not have a power to determine that "no genuine dispute exists" and decline mediation on that basis. Rule 27(1) requires that "the parties to the mediation must attempt in good faith to settle the matter."
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Where the Two Positions Met (and Where They Did Not)
The two positions can be reconciled on a small number of points and not on the larger ones.
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Common ground:
• Both parties agreed that the Broncos did not enter a team in the 2023/24 season;
• that the Broncos did not communicate formally with GW for approximately twelve months;
• that no invoice for any membership fee was issued;
• and that no formal Rule 18 expulsion process had taken place.
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Disputed ground:
• The parties disagreed on whether ordinary membership could lapse outside the five Rule 12 pathways;
• on whether the team entry fee under By-Law 3.6 satisfied the "annual membership fee" referred to in Rule 15;
• on whether a club's silence over a season was sufficient to terminate membership in the absence of any formal process;
• on whether By-Law 3.5 applied to a club whose membership status was itself in dispute;
• and on whether the dispute was within the scope of Rule 26 mediation.
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Procedural Observations
Setting aside the substantive question of membership, several procedural points are visible in the correspondence:
• GW did not at any point issue a written notice that the Broncos' ordinary membership had ended, the date on which it ended, or the rule under which it ended. Rule 12(2) requires the secretary to keep a record, for at least one year after a person ceases to be a member, of the date and reason for cessation. Whether such a record exists for the Perth Broncos is not visible from the correspondence.
• GW did not at any point in the period between the end of the 2023/24 season and the Broncos' 9 May 2025 outreach contact the club to enquire about its intentions or to advise of any change in its status. This occurred despite a Broncos member (Scott Smith) serving as GW Registrar and the Broncos Chair (Jesse Radovic) communicating with the GW Chair on 5 November 2024 regarding ground marking.
• GW initially indicated in its 5 August 2025 email (10:38) a willingness to participate in mediation, requesting only that the Broncos cover the costs. Approximately ninety minutes later, in a second email (12:04), GW reversed this position and refused mediation on the basis that no genuine dispute existed.
• The strategic plan circulated by GW to member clubs shortly after the Broncos' re-entry request stated that new or returning clubs would only be admitted "once all existing clubs have full complement of teams or new club can field all teams." In the 2025/26 season, this would have required a returning club to field men's, women's, and junior teams; in the 2026/27 season, two junior teams in addition. This standard, if applied to the Broncos' suggested 2026 return, would have made compliance practically impossible. GW's encouragement to the Broncos to "use 2025/2026 to rebuild and plan for a fully compliant return in 2026" sat in tension with this strategic direction.
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Outcome
The dispute was not formally adjudicated. GW's final position, communicated on 5 August 2025, was that mediation would not proceed. The Broncos did not formally pursue escalation to the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, or to the State Administrative Tribunal under the Associations Incorporation Act 2015, although both options were reserved in correspondence.
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The Perth Broncos American Football Club did not field a team in the 2025/26 Gridiron West season and announced the closure of the club to other member clubs by email on 20 July 2025. The closure brought to an end approximately 37 years of continuous participation in organised gridiron in Western Australia by the state's oldest American football club.

08/05/2026

Finalisation of the Club - Historical view.
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The Perth Broncos are one of Australia's oldest gridiron clubs. The club was established in 1988 as the Bassendean Broncos to join the inaugural Western Australian Gridiron Football League (WAGFL). In September 1988 the Broncos played in the first organised gridiron game ever held in Western Australia, defeating the Southside Seahawks 2–0 — the only score of the game being a safety. Alongside the Northside Chargers and the Southside Seahawks, the Broncos were one of the three foundation clubs of organised gridiron in the state.
The WAGFL folded in 1996 and Gridiron West, formed in 1994, became the sole governing body for the sport in Western Australia. The Broncos were continuous members from the league's establishment.
The club won its first senior men's championship in the 2012/13 Gridiron West season. In 2017 the Broncos fielded a women's team in the inaugural Gridiron West Women's League. Across the club's history it competed in men's, women's, and junior competitions, and several of its founding members and former players were instrumental in the establishment of Gridiron West itself — most notably Bige "Moose" Jones, recognised as a founder of both Gridiron West and the Perth Broncos.
By the time of the events recorded in the following posts, the Perth Broncos held approximately 37 years of continuous history in Western Australian gridiron, making them the oldest American football club in the state.

Perth Broncos American Football Club Gridiron West Westside Steelers Gridiron Club Curtin Saints Rockingham Vipers American football Club West Coast Wolverines American Football Club Hills Valkyries Gridiron Club Swan City Titans Gridiron Club

05/05/2026

Well that's an interesting turn up for the books. Credit to all those who volunteer but sometimes it just isn’t enough. I hope this means Gridiron in WA can turn the corner and start to develop again.
First of all, I honestly believe that most of the time, people volunteer for the right reasons, In this case, to maintain and grow Gridiron in WA, and in our case, to help the Broncos grow. Unfortunately when those same board members turn their back on their supporters and members, something has to happen. For the Broncos, we could have survived except Gridiron West had zero interest in supporting us and then let the Swan City Titans move 7 minutes down the road from us, was the final nail in the coffin.
While I cannot excuse the same board who is supposed to maintain and grow the sport in WA for turning its back on one of the original clubs who helped form GW, due to the litigious nature of the previous Broncos board burning every bridge they could, when we needed help, there was none.

Unfortunately for the Perth Broncos American Football Club its too late for us.
I cannot blame fully blame GW for the downfall of the Broncos, the intial issue that allowed us to fail into this predicament sits squarely with the previous Broncos boards, when they turned their back on the members and supporters and several of them used their position to threaten and pressure supporters and players. And ultimately the Broncos paid the price. Interesting, makes me wonder what happened to the Blitz.

Not that it means much to anyone but for history, let me share a little of the correspondence and fight that we fought to keep the club alive, and the zero interest the last GW board had in allowing us back in. The below email was not the end of the fight, but where we wanted to make sure that all the clubs realise the damage a non-representative board can do to clubs. More to follow.

****.com>
Sent: 20 July 2025 16:00
To: Saints Curtin ; ***.net.au ; claremontjets@********west.com.au ; president@****coastwolverines.com.au ; [email protected] ; rockinghamviper****.com ; Ben ; leilua***.com
Cc: [email protected] ; Chair***
Subject: End of an Era - Perth Broncos American Football Club

The Perth Broncos American Football Club would like to announce that due to the removal of our ordinary membership from Gridiron West by the Gridiron West Committee, that our club, with 37 years of history with Gridiron in Western Australia, will be closing its doors.
Whilst we understand that some clubs may not see this as a particularly significant event, we would like you to consider what has happened to the Perth Broncos, and how it may affect your club in the future, should a similar conflict arise. The Perth Broncos attempted to work with Gridiron West Committee, however the decision appears was already made to exclude the Perth Broncos from the league, and no counter discussion or proposal was entertained. The Perth Bronco’s were instrumental in setting up Gridiron West, the Men’s, Junior and the Women’s league. We have a rich history of competing in all three competitions and our plan was always to rebuild to that same level of participation.
We repeatedly asked for documentation to show our removal of an ordinary member and that evidence was not provided. Gridiron West Committee continually used two points, that are NOT documented in minutes, Rules of Association or By-Laws as a justification for this removal or Gridiron West have failed to provide that information. We have our own suspicions as to why the Perth Broncos have been excluded from Gridiron West, however we do not want to speculate at this point. We want to keep this account factual for clubs to consider if this is how they want their State Sporting Organisation to operate.
Reasons for exclusion of the Perth Broncos American Football club by Gridiron West.
Lack of payment of fee to Gridiron West to continue membership as an ordinary member.
Clearly stated in the Rules of Association, there are two fees that Gridiron West can charge a club. A team entry fee which is clearly stated as a $250 fee for each team competing in that season, and a membership fee.
As the Perth Broncos did not enter a team last season, we did not pay a team entry fee. We have requested any sort of written communication or evidence that this fee is more than a team entry fee (although named that way) and the clubs all understood that.
There has never been a membership fee set for any club in Gridiron West that we can find. This means the Perth Broncos have been held to a standard that does not exist, has never been communicated or invoiced, and we are being punished for that.
Failure to engage with Gridiron West in any official capacity during the 2024/2025 season
PB acknowledges that due to internal issues within the club, this is accurate. As per the Rules of Association and the By-Laws, this is NOT a reason for suspension of ordinary membership from Gridiron West.
PB also acknowledges that Gridiron West is able to interpret the rules any way it see to benefit Gridiron in WA and Gridiron West.
PB was working with the Titans on hosting Gridiron West at Lightning park, and this included running the bar/canteen, liaising with Gridiron West Chair on the 5th November 2024 (during the season) for ground marking, and also Scott Smith as both a member of the Perth Broncos American Football Club and Registrar for Gridiron West. We do not appear to have any communications from Gridiron West enquiring if the Perth Broncos were looking to re-enter the competition. Seems a significant oversight for a State Sporting Organisation to not bother to reach out to prospective clubs. We did not have ANY communications from Gridiron West once we withdrew from last season regarding the Perth Broncos and our future. This is even more significant when we had one of our members acting as registrar for Gridiron West and our Chair (Jesse Radovic) had communicated with the GW Chair over ground marking.
3. Perth Broncos, as a non-ordinary member, did not apply for membership 4 month prior to the season.
Unfortunately there was no communications or notification that the Perth Broncos were no longer an ordinary member. As we had not broken any of the By-laws or Rules of Association, we had no idea that was a requirement. We still maintain there is no valid reason of why our ordinary membership was removed. The rules do state that Gridiron West Committee could simply accept payment, and enable our ordinary membership from that date. That offer was declined.

During the email exchage, Gridiron West have stated that their “responsibility is to uphold the By-Laws and Rules of Association consistently and transparently across all members and applicants.” Yet in this matter, once we showed that we were not in breach of any of the Rules of Association or By-Laws that would facilitate the removal of the ordinary membership for the Perth Broncos, The Perth Broncos were simple told “The By-Laws and Rules do not exist in a vacuum and must be interpreted in the context of operational participation and transparent intent.” From our understanding, Gridiron West will follow the By-laws and Rules of Association, except when it doesn’t suit them. There appears to have been no documentation or notification of this interpretation of why a club can be removed from Gridiron West.
Gridiron West also stated in each email that they would like “The Perth Broncos are encouraged to use the 2025/2026 season to re-establish operational structures, re-engage with the league, and plan for a fully compliant return in 2026, with alignment to Gridiron West’s goals for club development and league sustainability.” However, with the strategic plan that was emailed to all clubs again very shortly after we requested to have a team in the competion, it clearly states:
“New club/ teams to be only allowed in once all existing clubs have full compliment of teams or new club can field all teams and location does not impinge on existing catchment areas”
We do not believe that any future club, including the Perth Broncos will be able to start 3 or 4 teams in the same season. Season 2026 requires a Senior Men’s, Women's and Junior team, and Season 2027 will require a Senior Men’s, Women’s and two junior teams.
The Gridiron West Committee has shown is lack of willingness to work with the Perth Broncos as an existing club, and we fully expect that any attempt to re-enter the competition will be met with the same stone-wall response that we have had in this current effort.
The Perth Broncos would like to thank the Vincent City Ducks and the Rockingham Vipers for their full support for the Perth Broncos remaining a member of Gridiron West and entering a team this season. The Vincent City Ducks did so knowing that they would lose a few significant players back to the Broncos that would impact their team. The Perth Broncos did reach out to other teams in Gridiron West in regards to this matter however we have not had feedback on their positions and we unfortunately are out of time.
We are looking at what the future holds for the Perth Broncos American Football Club. If Gridiron West Committee maintain their current stance, we cannot see any way for the Perth Broncos (or any new club), to re-enter the competition. We are discussing options, which include a full disbandment of the incorporated body, or a hiatus for 2-3 years for when the Gridiron West Committee is interested in supporting clubs entering into the competition.
We would like to make sure the clubs are fully informed about this matter and the treatment of the Perth Broncos American Football club. We would also like you to consider what may happen should you not meet the four teams by 2027 or struggle to field a team or disagree with the Gridiron West Committee.
Should anyone want to discuss this further, please reach out.

Jason Cull
Chair of Perth Broncos American Football Club.
0407002150

Timeline:
09 May 2025 – PB notified Interim Chair GW (Kevin Wilson) of intention of fielding a Senior Mens team in the 2025/2026 Competition.
11 May 2025 – GW responded with a request to meet as the future strategic plan of GW did not include a club with a single team.
11 May 2025 – PB offered to setup a meeting however due to the PB needed to run their AGM first to have the right people and continuity, this was delayed until after the PB AGM.
Early June – Discussion between many members and ex-members of the Perth Broncos to get the Broncos back to a strong club in Gridiron West. People who have offered to help the club get back to competition are:
Bige “Moose” Jones, founder of Gridiron West and one of the founders of PB
Spencer Skett,
Sean Taylor
Steve “Doggy” Donovan
Dan Jolley
Justin Rogers
Andrew Don
Andrew Smith
Jesse Radovic
Jason Cull
20 June 2025 – PB held AGM, with Jason Cull, Sean Taylor, Jesse Radovic, Spencer Skett at Perth Bronco Board Members, with everyone else offering to assist with sole purpose of getting the Broncos back playing.
26 June 2025 – Official request from PB to enter a Senior Men’s team in the 2025/2026 season.
28 June 2025 - Acknoledgement of email received from GW
07 July- 11 July – First response from GW and then emails between GW and PB discussing merits of Perth Broncos being part of the league and ultimately ending with GW rejecting and reaffirming Perth Broncos are not a member of Gridiron West due to lack of contribution to the league, and lack of financial contribution to Gridiron West in 12+ months.

Today we’d like to recognise and sincerely thank some of our Board members who have resigned from the GW Board in 2026.

Firstly, Chris Parkhouse for his incredible service on the Gridiron West Board over the past six years. Chris has dedicated countless hours, energy, and passion to helping grow and support the game, and his contributions have made a lasting impact on the Gridiron West community. His commitment behind the scenes has helped shape the organisation and strengthen the sport for players, coaches, and fans alike.

Kevin Wilson, took on role of Chairman over the past 2 years and has helped drive change and growth within our game. Kevin has a passion for this game many don’t and this was evident through what he brought to the board. We thank you for driving the game, and helping make the tough decisions.

Layke Rossiello, was new to the board for the 2025 season, he brought great dedication, drive and passion for our game. Layke was instrumental in ensuring our financials as treasurer were clear and identified clear opportunities.

On behalf of everyone involved, thank you, Chris, Kevin and Layke for your leadership, dedication, and service. Wishing you all the best in what’s ahead—you’ll always be a valued part of the Gridiron West family.

03/04/2026

Happy Easter and hope everyone is having a great break.

To celebrate the club, please add a comment or two of your memories at the Broncos. Tag people. Add names , add the good and bad. Let’s remember the times we had at the Bronco’s and why this club was so good.

Perth Broncos American Football Club


And any other tags that might bring people in 🙂.

29/03/2026

Seems we have a plethora of trophy’s that were never given out. Anyone know any of these people or, if it’s you, do you want the trophy?

Please Let us know, one way or the other.

James Bull
Ethan Glossop
Victor Solomon
Przemyslaw Rostkowski
Allan Pese
Mitchell Stringer-Skilton
Jordan Kearney
Lennon Swalski
Jonathan Morris
Cam Butters
Scott Sladden
Carolina Serrat Mora
Jacob Jones
Kally Baxter
Claudia Nguyen
Samuel Kimamura

And a plug for the Vincent City Ducks should anyone be considering getting back into the game or looking for a club change.

19/03/2026

19/03/2026

“Get S**t Done”

What the Perth Broncos American Football Club was all about.

This trophy was created as part of the ethos of the Bronco players. This is about doing whatever it took for the team to be successful. Often it was playing out of position or playing injured or just doing whatever it took to help the team on the field.
Past Winners -

Spencer Skett, Joel Stirling, Ricky Pearce, Phoenix O’Neil, Andrew Mark Campbell-Smith, the entire 2018/2019 women’s team, Daniel Markham, Emily Weldon, Andrew Smith (again) Jak Cullen and lastly Jesse Radovic.

16/03/2026

Watch this space - we will be announcing a final party to celebrate (and commiserate) the end of the Perth Broncos American Football Club.

While I am sure most of the Broncos board believed they were doing the right thing, when they supported the alienation of the supporters several years ago it was the start of the downfall, and then finally with the opposition to the Broncos having a mens team last season by Gridiron West, the end was inevitable. As soon as GW allowed the Titans to move 7 minutes down the road, we knew there was no way we could get the playing group needed.

I'd like to thank all those involved who tried to resurrect the Broncos against all odds. And an additional thank you to Jesse Radovic, Sean Tails Taylor and Andrew Mark Campbell-Smith for helping yesterday with the last clean out of the storage room.

I'd also like to thank the Noranda Sporting Association for all their assurance during this difficult time.

29/09/2025

Let’s have a fantastic send off and catch up with old friends. An opportunity to catch up if you know Moose.

Perth Broncos American Football Club

See you there.