ARLIC Members /

Consisting of 6 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) community members, along with one representative each from the CRL, NSWRL and QRL, the Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council (ARLIC) is governed by a Charter of Operations and represents the views and ideas of Indigenous peoples and acts as a sounding board for the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), and the Game more broadly, in the development and revision of policies, procedures and programs.

The ARLIC also provides strategic advice as required from time to time to all key stakeholders within the Game, in line with the ARLC’s strategic plan. The ARLIC also provides strategic advice on the implementation of the RAP in its capacity as a member of the Game’s Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group.

Current ARLIC Members

• Katrina Fanning - Chair
• Leann Wilson
• Toby Adams
• Edward Monaei
• Phil Gyemore
• John Anderson

Katrina Fanning - Chair

Katrina is a Wiradjuri woman from Junee in NSW. Katrina played 24 tests for the Australian Jillaroo’s including the inaugural women’s test match against NZ in 1995 and world cups in 2000 and 2003.  She also held executive positions on the Australian Women’s Rugby League and Canberra Women’s Rugby League.  This included assisting in the preparations for the first ever Australian Indigenous Women’s representative team who played the Maori.  As a member of the ARL Indigenous Council Katrina has assisted in the development and implementation of the Reconciliation Action Plan, supporting grass roots participation and developing pathways for women’s participation in the game.

Leann Wilson

Leann was born, raised and spent a great deal of her life in Barcaldine a small rural town in Central Western Queensland where she continues to have an association and passion for all things rural. Her first job was a jillaroo and kangaroo shooter which she did for several years before pursuing a career in government and the NGO sector. Leann has had several decades in government at both state and federal levels as well as the Australian Red Cross. She has built a solid reputation and is known for her high level analytical and conceptual skills, with experience and expertise in strength-based innovation, developing and implementing placed-based strategies and initiatives. In the past 6 ½ years as the Executive Director of Regional Economic Solutions (RES) she has designed a successful bespoke business model built upon the philosophy of impartiality and benefit sharing. Leann currently supports a multimillion-dollar joint venture copper and gold project in South Australia where her company shares responsibility for community engagement, local content including the employment of local people and the procurement of local goods and services into the supply chain. Leann sits on several state and national boards and in recognition of her influence, she has received the Premiers Reconciliation Award Queensland and was selected as a non-government delegate to join the Australian government to the 61st Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61) held in New York. In recent times Leann is looking at diversifying the business and considering international markets with companies looking to collaborate and partner for mutual benefit.

Toby Adams

Toby Adams is a proud Kullilli man from Queensland and Director of Leading with Strength. Toby has extensive experience as an accomplished facilitator, public speaker and consultant specialising in developing leadership, community development and cultural competency programs using strength-based approaches and First Nations knowledges and processes.

He has a strong reputation and a proven track record of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, not-for-profit organisations, business and governments and fostering relationships across the country from remote communities, regional towns to urban and corporate settings.

With a passion for supporting young people, Toby has designed and delivered a number of local and national youth programs, including the inaugural Learn Earn Legend NRL All Stars Indigenous Youth Summit, as well as suicide prevention and wellbeing programs that focus on strengthening the social and emotional skills and resilience in Indigenous young people and communities.

As a member of the ARL Indigenous Council, Toby is committed to supporting and exploring pathways from grassroots to the National Rugby League where players can learn, understand and share their identity and culture; as well as creating spaces where Indigenous communities and families are acknowledged for nurturing players, teams and supporting rugby league clubs, as they have done since the beginning of the game.

Edward Monaei - QRL Representative

Edward Monaei is an Aboriginal descendant of the Kaurareg Nations from the Torres Strait Islands, and a Meriam descendent from the Comet tribe of Mer Island, Far Eastern Torres Straits. Edward has held the position of Chairman Queensland Rugby League Indigenous Advisory Committee for the past three years and has played an integral role developing sustainable working partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, key stakeholders and the Queensland Government, to further advance the strategic capabilities of Murri Rugby League throughout Queensland. Edward has been instrumental writing the first Queensland Rugby League Reconciliation Action Plan and has championed cultural capability inclusion processes to improve our games business operations throughout the urban, regional and remote Indigenous communities of Queensland.

Edward has 10 years of State Government experiences working within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander portfolio, a recent Graduate in Public Sector Management through the University of Queensland, Edward’s extensive experience add value to the Australian Rugby League Indigenous Advisory Council objective to drive the NRL’s whole of game Reconciliation Action Plan, and the establishment of culturally safe platforms for government agencies to work towards imbedding cultural appropriate practices into their business operations moving forward.

Phil Gyemore - TFA Representative

Phil is a Waki Waki and Wangan Jagalingou person. His family is based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland where both he and his wife work as teachers at Chancellor State College. He spends most of his time at school working within the Touch Football Academy where the program is committed to providing students with the opportunity to pursue their interest, knowledge and skills in the area of Touch Football.

He has 82 tests playing and coaching for Australia in Touch Football. This includes playing for the Australian Men’s Open team in the 2003 World Cup in Japan and the 2007 World Cup in South Africa. Phil played for the Australian Men’s 30’s team in the 2011 World Cup in Edinburgh, Scotland. Throughout his successful playing career he started coaching various representative teams which included regional and state school sport representative teams along with Australian Youth teams. Since hanging up his boots he has coached the Queensland Cowboys to 4 Elite 8 National Titles and worked with the Australian Women’s team for the 2015 World Cup in Coffs Harbour and recently with the Australian Men’s Open team for the World Cup victory in Malaysia. Phil has recently been named as the Australian Men’s Open Coach for the next 4 year cycle leading up to the 2023 World Cup.

John Anderson - NSWRL/CRL Representative

Boasting an extensive knowledge of Rugby League, John is currently the Chair of the Country Rugby League.