Fran Jones receives honorary life membership of the Hume Football Netball League

Jones is stepping down as president of the Hume League Trainers Association after 13 years in the role, during which time she oversaw huge progress in the field of player safety.

In recent years, her work around concussion protocols has been particularly significant and Jones received her life membership at the Hume League AGM this week.

"I'm pretty chuffed about it," she said.

"When I heard they were going to nominate me, I was very excited and thinking of all the other people that have received life memberships, thinking they're holding me in that sort of esteem.

"It's pretty humbling and it means everything in terms of recognising the Hume League Trainers Association.

"I'm always very passionate about the league but I'm extremely passionate about the trainers association. I think what we've done there over the years has been amazing but we've been so ably supported by the league. They've been amazing.

"Merv Wegener (the league's general manager), when I first started in the job, he said 'anything you need, Fran, we'll give you whatever support we can.' He was equally as passionate about the trainers association."

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Jones, who will continue as Osborne's trainer, was praised by outgoing league president Brendan I'Anson.

"Fran has taken the Hume trainers association to the next level," he said. "We've now got one to two qualified sports trainers at every game in the Hume Football League from under-14s right through to the seniors.

"Fran has taken the Hume league to an enviable position among other leagues around us like the Tallangatta league and even the Ovens and Murray. We've paid for more 200 people to be trained in sports training in the last 10 years and that's been Fran's doing."

Jones qualified as a sports trainer after her eldest son was knocked unconscious during a football game aged 13.

"You start for selfish reasons but you see the bigger picture once you're involved," she said. "There wasn't a need just at my club but at all the clubs, to have people there for every game.

"We got proper spinal stretchers, we decided we needed training in spinal care and advanced resuscitation so we had all our members trained in that.

"The great thing about it was that everybody embraced it. It made such a difference and we've led the way in that area.

"Kids in the Hume league are really well cared for in that area and I'm proud to have played a part in that."

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