Our Team

Sarah is passionate about community, collective impact and intentionally creating opportunities for all to thrive.

With over a decade of experience, she’s an accomplished executive leader known for developing evidence-based, outcome-driven, and award-winning community programs. She prides herself by leading with integrity, curiosity and respect.

Passionate about the positive impact of sports on mental health, Sarah spent 18 years with the Geelong Cats and has worked internationally with prominent organizations like Hall and Partners, the International Cricket Council, and the England & Wales Cricket Board. More recently with the City of Greater Geelong and currently with Barwon Health in the People and Culture team. She is an alumni of Deakin University and the Harvard Business School.

Beyond her professional commitments, Sarah enjoys quality time with her husband and three boys, indulging in reading, mountain biking, basketball (playing and coaching) running, and crafting meticulous to-do lists.

Matt is a highly experienced and respected digital marketer. Kicking off his professional career with News Corporation, Matt performed a range of media and marketing roles, specifically with the Herald Sun, The Weekly Times, and Fox Sports where he was responsible for developing digital content strategies.

After a 10 year stint at News Corp, Matt joined Open Universities Australia as head of Partnerships and Lead Generation, working with internal and external stakeholders to find future students via a range of digital marketing endeavours. It was in this role that Matt developed his skills and passion for lead generation which led him to establish the boutique marketing agency, Arthur St.

Arthur St is an open, transparent, results driven digital marketing agency that works with an impressive range of Australian businesses and brands. Arthur St specialises in developing strategy, implementing lead generation campaigns, finding insights from data and training marketing teams.

Matt brings experience as a CEO as well as marketing and communications knowledge to the board.

Nikketa is a lawyer at the legal practice Mast Lawyers, located in North Geelong.

Nikketa practices predominantly in corporate and commercial law, working closely with Geelong business owners in a broad range of transactions.

Before moving to Geelong Nikketa practised commercial law in her hometown, Ballarat. During this time, she was also the Law Institute of Victoria Young Lawyers representative for the region. Nikketa has also mentored for Victorian Women Lawyers.

Kris is the CFO of the Kempe Group. Kris joined the organisation in June 2017 as the Treasurer and has responsibilities which include the financial management, compliance and governance of the organisation. Kris brings a strong experience and knowledge of financial management to the organisation.

Chris is a Senior Manager at Bendigo Bank and has extensive experience and success in senior roles in the banking and finance industry in Regional Victoria.

He specialises in community and stakeholder engagement activities, business development, leadership and coaching. He has a Diploma and Advance Diploma of Management and a post Graduate Certificate of Management from Federation University.

Nicola Wojcik is the Director of Research at WorkSafe Victoria, bringing over 20 years of expertise in communications, stakeholder engagement, project management, and research. Since joining WorkSafe in 2016, she has undertaken pivotal roles, including leading communications for the relocation of WorkSafe’s head office to Geelong and overseeing the Geelong Integration Program. Nicola has managed marketing, stakeholder engagement, and strategic initiatives such as WorkWell and the response to the silicosis crisis affecting stonemasons.

Her extensive career spans private industries in energy, water, and mining, as well as trade and investment roles, with professional experience across Perth, London, Melbourne, and Geelong. Nicola’s commitment to community and sport is evident through her seven years as an AFL Barwon commissioner and her service on the Read the Play board since 2022.

Beyond her professional achievements, Nicola is passionate about staying active, enjoying family time, reading, and traveling.

Teagan moved to Geelong in 2021 after completing her high school education in country Victoria. Teagan is passionate about ensuring that sport can and has a positive impact on a person’s mental health, as her home town was driven by the local football, netball and various other sporting clubs to ensure and foster positive connections. After all, sport is a key to help keep communities alive in a small rural town.

With her academic endeavours leading to currently undertaking a Bachelor of Criminology / Bachelor of Psychological Science at Deakin University. She uses this degree as an immersive opportunity to explore the human mind, and the intricacies and challenges that lay behind it. Teagan is passionate for development and challenging societal norms around mental health concerns, managing mental health concerns as a primary health concern and ensuring that the right treatment is being provided within the local community.

Teagan is driven to make differences and change the outcomes that are associated with poor mental health in our Geelong community. Outside of University and her career, Teagan enjoys Kayaking, travelling and enjoying a good book.

Tayla joins the Read the Play board after working and volunteering for the organisation over the past five years. Tayla is a registered nurse, mental health clinician and researcher, working locally for Barwon Health and Deakin University. Tayla is a passionate mental health advocate and is committed to ensuring young people have access to mental health support, from prevention and health promotion initiatives to early access to treatment and support for mental ill-health.

Tayla’s commitment to improving mental health outcomes has been acknowledged at local and state level. She was the recipient of a Barwon Health Best Care Award in 2021 and a Victorian Public Health Care Award for ‘Excellence in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Victorians’ in 2022.

Tayla draws on her clinical and academic expertise to meaningfully contribute to the governance and strategic growth of Read the Play.

Carly Luke is an accomplished communications professional, educator, and founder of Circus Media, a successful PR agency launched in 2015. She also established The Digital Athlete, a consultancy dedicated to educating and empowering athletes on social media’s opportunities and challenges, particularly its impact on mental health. Carly’s approach emphasizes proactive education over reactive measures like simple codes of conduct, offering workshops and consulting on personal branding, reputation, and crisis management.

Her work aims to equip athletes—from students to professionals—with the skills to navigate social media responsibly, enhance their online profiles, and safeguard their mental well-being. Carly collaborates with psychologists and legal experts to address issues such as cyber safety, privacy, and mental health concerns linked to digital platforms.

An athlete herself, with a background in basketball, netball, lacrosse, and women’s football, Carly integrates her sports experience with her communications expertise to deliver impactful programs. She is also deeply passionate about humanitarian causes, particularly gender-based violence, underscoring her commitment to social impact and education.

Michael is CEO of the Committee for Geelong as CEO in February 2023, bringing over a decade’s experience in senior leadership roles in the Federal Government and sport sectors.

Previously, Michael was Chief Strategy Officer & General Counsel at Hockey Australia, having served as Interim CEO across 2021-22 following the Tokyo Olympics.

Prior to this, Michael spent an extended period with the Australian Sports Commission in a variety of senior roles, having commenced his career with Coulter Legal.

A practising lawyer, Michael completed degrees in Law and Commerce (Economics) at Deakin University, holds a Graduate Certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from the University of Adelaide, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.