Our Directors

With almost three decades’ experience in local business (the past 20 as Principal of Raine & Horne Real Estate Ashfield), over 30 years’ membership of Wests Ashfield and a lifelong passion for rugby league, Tony Andreacchio is a true local.

For more than a decade, Tony has been an executive of the Ashfield Chamber of Commerce; Area Chairman of the Ashfield Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal and in recent times, was appointed to the Vincentian Fathers Advisory Board Oceania.

His many and varied social and community interests include financial support of the Reverend Bill Crews’ Exodus Foundation, Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off the Streets, APIA Leichhardt Tigers Soccer Club and inner west sport.

Tony is a long-time member of the Pratten Park Magpies and was appointed to the Board of Western Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club in 2014. Tony is committed to the integration of the Wests family, while maintaining the Magpie heritage and identity.

He has been a Board member of the NRL Wests Tigers since 2012.

Raised in Summer Hill, Tony has lived in the Inner West his whole life and has passionately followed rugby league, supporting the Western Suburbs Magpies since their days at Pratten Park and now the Wests Tigers.

With his hands-on local business knowledge and active membership of more than a dozen social and sporting clubs and organisations, Tony brings to Wests Ashfield real-world financial acumen, competitive insight and enthusiasm. Tony is also a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Julie Romero is the first female director in the Club’s history. Wests has been a part of Julie’s life for as long as she can remember. She is a lifelong Wests Magpies supporter who started attending games when she was three years old.

In 1987 when Wests Magpies relocated to Campbelltown, Julie volunteered her time as a founding Secretary of the official Western Suburbs Magpies Supporters Club. The Supporters Club raised valuable funds for the football club every year.

Julie became a Debenture Holder in January 2009 and held the role of Secretary from February 2010 to December 2012. In February 2014, Julie was elected Debenture Holder Chairperson and held that role until February 2020, when she was nominated for election to the Board of Directors. Being a Director of Wests Ashfield Leagues has been an ambition of Julie’s and the driving force behind her application for a Debenture. She has previously been the Wests Ashfield nominee on the Board of the Western Suburbs Magpies, serving a 3-year term.

Aside from Wests, Julie is passionate about her family and her career and has many other varied interests. She has a 30+ year career in the insurance industry and has worked for Australia’s largest insurer, as well as one of the largest global brokerages. She has held leadership and managerial roles and worked extensively in business development, sales and marketing, corporate governance, relationship and account management. Julie has strong business acumen and skills, including experience managing organisational P&L as well as enforcing risk management and minimisation strategies.

The ethics and values held by Julie include honesty, respect, courage and open-mindedness. Julie greatly values the work Wests does in the community and has a keen interest in diversification of income streams and sound governance to protect the Club’s future and preserve its rich history and tradition.

Dennis is a professional musician and Managing Director of Burgess Ventures, which encompasses Regal Records, A Red Letter Day (Event Management), UBERfest Festivals, Burgess Bookings, Above All Secretarial, ‘BurgessBurgess (The Band)’ ‘Burgess British Blues Boys’ ‘Good Times’ and ‘Dead Singer Band Lost Legends Showcase’.

Through Denny Burgess Management, he looks after the affairs of Australian Idol performers Rebekah LaVauney and Peter Ryan.

He has been a Debenture Holder of ‘Western Suburbs Leagues Club Ltd’ since 1996 and a Director for the past twenty years.

Dennis has also served time as Director of Western Suburbs Magpies and is the songwriter/performer of one of Wests Magpies Club Songs – ‘Glory Boys’.

Other business involvements include being Chairman of the ‘Australian Songwriters Association’ (ASA), Director of ‘Association of Artists Managers’ (AAM), Director of the ‘Australian Songwriters Official National Group’ (ASONG), and an active member of both the ‘Association of Independent Record Labels’ (AIR) and ‘Support Act Limited’ (SAL).

Born and raised in Wests territory, Dennis was educated at Christian Brothers College, Burwood. He is married to Clare and father to twenty year old son Cole. Dennis is passionate about Wests; its past, its present and its future.

As Chairman of Wests Magpies Events Committee and a member of the Finance Committee, he was pleased to play a part in the Magpies Centenary Celebrations in 2008 and has been actively involved in Wests Ashfield League’s recent carpark development and exciting new restaurant, ‘The Garden’.

Dennis is currently Director of Wests Tigers and Board representative on the Community Engagement Committee, Judiciary Committee and Heritage Committee.

Raised in Lidcombe and currently residing in Croydon, Rick has followed the fortunes of the Western Suburbs Rugby League team (Wests Magpies) and witnessed the evolution of Wests Ashfield Leagues Club since his earliest days.

He initially became a Football Club Official in 1981 and was appointed as the Magpies’ first fulltime General Manager in 1983. Subsequently, Rick has served on a variety of Wests Boards, initially elected as a Director of Wests Ashfield Leagues Club in 1984.

Rick has been employed in a variety of other roles with sporting and business bodies, including being appointed as South Sydney Rugby League Club’s inaugural Marketing Director. Along with a long-term involvement in broadcasting, including stints at several prominent Sydney radio stations, Rick also served as National Advertising Manager for Festival Records for eight years, until 1983.

The continued development of Wests Ashfield Leagues Club as a first-class amenity for its members and guests remains a priority for Rick. His Club activities include organising and compering, on occasion, fundraising initiatives for both the Wests Magpies (e.g. ‘Magpie Heritage Night’) and the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club, where Rick is currently Club Secretary. As Director of Wests Tigers, he is an active member of the Football Committee. Rick is also responsible for coordinating the activities of Wests Archives and chairs the Wests Tigers Heritage Committee.

Appointed to the Board of Directors in July 2020, Vince Tropiano has been a member of the Club since the late 1980s and a Debenture Holder since February 1996.

Vince has recently retired from the motor vehicle industry after serving 48 successful years in senior leadership positions within the Australian Ford Motor Company.

During this period, Vince served as the President for the Service Managers Association and also as the Delegate for the NSW Service Managers Association.

He has been awarded and decorated with honours such as the prestigious Ford Motor Company Presidents’ Award on 16 occasions and has won Platinum and Gold Awards for Highest Growth Achiever in Sales and Excellence in Customer Service.

His management abilities have seen him train and lead 500 apprentices and 400 technicians. He has an obsession for customers service and the ability to lead by example, whist delivering immediate and sustainable results.

Vince’s professional qualifications include – Diploma in Sales & Marketing, ClubsNSW Certificate in Finance for Club Boards and ClubsNSW Certificate in Director Foundation and Management Collaboration.

Vince’s success comes from his devotion to family, friends and the Western Suburbs Football Club.

David has over 25 years’ sports administration experience in Australia & the UK, which includes 12 years as the Chief Executive Officer of Cricket NSW (2001-2013). He has served as a Board Director for the Bradman Foundation, NSW Business Chamber & the Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust during this period. He was the President of the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club between 2014-2018.

His connection with Wests Ashfield Leagues Club stretches back to the 1980s when he played cricket for Western Suburbs at Pratten Park. He enjoyed a decade-long playing career at State level for NSW & Tasmania and represented Australia in nine Test matches & 14 One-day Internationals before retiring in 1992. He is a lifelong sports fan, with a particular passion for golf & is a Member of Concord Golf Club.

A WAL Member since 2014, David became a Debenture Holder in 2019 and was appointed to the Board in August 2021 to fill the casual vacancy caused by the passing of former Club Chairman, Mike Bailey. He also serves on the Club’s Building Committee.

A father of two adult daughters, David is currently employed by Cricket Australia as a Match Referee for their male and female National competitions.

Steve has had an association with the Club since the 1990s and was appointed to the Board of Directors in March 2023.

Originally from rural NSW, Steve went to school in Wests heartland of Campbelltown and now resides in the Inner West. His formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Science Degree (Agriculture), Diploma in Education, Diploma in Legal Practice and an Honours Degree in Law.

A lawyer by profession, he was admitted as a barrister in 1991 and has held a solicitor’s practicing certificate for about 30 years. Steve has conducted his own law practice for about 25 years after serving in several senior public service positions, where his expertise was rewarded with a premier’s public sector management award.

Steve was also previously a schoolteacher and a farmer. For much of the last 20 years, Steve has held a range of Judicial and quasi-judicial positions, where his speciality is administrative law; he is currently a Senior Member of the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Away from work, Steve has a passion for music and is a keen rugby league follower. Steve’s many and varied roles in his working life means he brings to the Board many different skills such as strategic planning, analytical thinking, evidence-based decision-making and as with most folk reared in rural areas, a healthy dose of common sense.

The future growth and development of the Holman Barnes Group is Steve’s priority in his role as a Director.