Contact Us

Doren James, doren.james@usafl.com

Doren, a native of Milwaukee, WI, originally discovered footy in 2001 while on a study abroad semester in New South Wales. His roommate took him down to training at the local footy club and he has been hooked ever since. He played in 8 games during that semester, twice winning BOG honors. 

Upon returning to the US he had a strong desire to introduce the game to America. Unaware of the existence of the USAFL, he missed out on the opportunity to continue to play for 5 years before discovering the Milwaukee Bombers. Those missed opportunities are what drive and motivate Doren today as he looks to increase the awareness and develop the game here in the US. 

In preparation for his role with the USAFL Doren spent 2009 – 2010 in Melbourne working at the AFL in Game Development. This opportunity afforded him experience in working with national programs including Auskick, Coaching, Umpiring, Schools, International and talent managers, giving him a solid insight into the objectives of each portfolio. He now looks to apply that knowledge and foster those relationships in his role with the USAFL.

During his tenure with the league Doren has been Director of 13 Nationals, launched the annual regionals series in 2015, managed AFL Combines from 2013 – 2017, secured ESPN broadcast rights for Nationals, brought in over 30 sponsors, helped launch the USAFL Foundation and continues to seek new opportunities to grow the league.

At the USAFL’s 25th Anniversary Gala dinner Doren was recognized for his contributions to the league with the Mr Footy USA award.  

He currently resides in Memphis, TN with his wife Antonia, their son AJ and daughter Maya.

Brian Barrish, brian.barrish@usafl.com

Brian Barrish discovered Australian Football as a teenager in 1995, when he found an AFL highlights show while channel surfing. Though has followed the game religiously though the internet since then, it wasn’t until 2008 that he got involved with his local USAFL club, the Philadelphia Hawks. 

He played a total of 61 games over seven seasons with the Hawks before retiring as a player in 2014. He has served as secretary and media manager with Philadelphia since 2009, and helped grow the club’s online footprint with game reports and social media involvement. 

In addition to his duties with the USAFL, Brian also provides commentary and analysis for Stateside Footy TV, Girls Play Footy, and The Footy Gospel Podcast. 

Previously, he was an editor, writer, and podcaster for The Soccer Desk, where he covered soccer and rugby. Brian and his wife Chelsea live in suburban Philadelphia with their dog and some cats.

You can find Brian on Twitter at @BarrishUSAFL.

Jerry Long, jerry.long@usafl.com

Since 2015 I have been traveling the United States while working in the rodeo arena. I worked as a producer/cameraperson for the Professional Bull Riders on both the “up and comers” Velocity Tour and the “Premiere” Unleash the Beast Tour. Those shows show up on the PlutoTV’s Ridepass and CBS Sports Network and CBS Network channels.

All that work takes place on the weekends, so during the weekdays I travel like a high plains drifter, looking for beautiful vistas and undiscovered, backroads scenery.

In 2015 I attended my first USAFL Nationals and have been hooked ever since. I always wanted to shoot action sports so my stumbling up footy was the perfect match.

April Munn, april.munn@usafl.com

April Munn (Lewis) stumbled into the USAFL by way of the Seattle Grizzlies in early 2017. April was one of the original women to the club, and by October 2017, incredibly proud to represent their first full D1 side at Nationals. In 2024, April was the first woman from Seattle to record 100 games donning the green and black. As a player, April has represented across the USA, Canada, and Australia for a variety of clubs spanning from local level in the USAFL, BCAFL, and VAFA, to state-league and high performance in the VFLW and NTFL.

In an effort to strengthen herself as a player, April has previously received accreditation in both field umpiring and coaching and believes in order to be better at the game she has to see the game from multiple angles. At the local level, April has served the Grizzlies on-field as a captain, and off-field assists in everything from game-day logistics to social media content, and recruiting. At the National level, April has had the privilege to represent the Freedom and to served the Revolution team on game days. At the administration level, April has served as the Member At Large for the British Columbia Australian Football League (BCAFL), spent two years as President of the Women’s Association, and currently serving a second year as USAFL President. 2025 will bring personal change and opportunity with a career relocation, however, April is excited to debut as an Iron Maiden.

In her personal life, Aussie Rules has provided a second, chosen family in the United States and abroad. This spans from having multiple host families overseas and meeting her husband through the Seattle Grizzlies, to the desire to raise their prospective juniors in the USAFL community. Aussie Rules and the people that love this sport have impacted her life in an inexplicable way; the only way to acknowledge seems to be by reflecting on life before football and now loving living with football.

In the role of USAFL President, her goal is to give as much back to football as she has already received from football.

Makenzie Adamo, makenzie.adamo@usafl.com

Makenzie aka “Mak” was introduced to the USAFL by Sun’s veteran, Helen Mondia-Harvey, one of the early female USAFL footballers.  She originally recruited Mak for the co-ed tag league, but once she had a taste of tackling, she was hooked!

Mak quickly found her spot in defense and has played for the USA Liberty at the 2015 Parallel Cup (Florida) & the 2017 International Cup (Australia). She played for the USA Women’s team at the first International match against the Bogota Bulldogs in Colombia (2019). While in Colombia, she served alongside USAFL UA Laurie Rupe on a panel discussion with the Australian Ambassador. 

A major highlight for her is to have played footy for the USA on 3 continents!

As a club administrator, Mak has served on the Sacramento Suns Australian Football Club board since 2015 with various roles including Member-at- Large 2015-2016, Director of Events 2017, Director of Operations 2018 and was elected President in 2019. Mak served as Sacaramento’s club President for four years (2019-2022) and stepped down from the club administrative board in 2023. 

Mak consecutively served as USAFL West Region Vice President from 2021-2023, and after taking a one year hiatus, has reprised her role for 2025. 

Mak purchased a Geelong jumper while in Australia, so now considers herself a proud Cat.

In her return to the Executive Board, Mak hopes to bring some guidance and direction as the senior* RVP and is most interested in aligning communication across the regions; however is eager to help wherever needed.

Ben Marcum, ben.marcum@usafl.com

Ben Marcum has been playing Australian Football since 2012. He played for six years with the Columbus Jackaroos, five years with the Denver Bulldogs, and the past two years with the Des Moines Roosters. He has served in various roles at the clubs in his tenure, from member at large, to vice-president, equipment manager, and coach. 

In his professional life Ben is an Attorney and has worked for several large financial institutions mostly in the regulatory compliance and governance. 

Ben has been an amateur sportsman most of his life playing gaelic football, ultimate frisbee, rugby but most consistently, Aussie Rules. He is a level 1 umpire and level 1 coach and outside of sports enjoys camping and hunting with his English Setters.

Ben is most passionate about preserving and growing the league as it has been his community for much of his adult life.

Keith Phillips, keith.phillips@usafl.com

A Raleigh native, Keith Phillips discovered Australian rules football while studying Economics and Business at Hampden-Sydney College in Farmville, Virginia as a long snapper on the football team and defenseman on the lacrosse team. Keith returned home to Raleigh after graduating in May 2021 and joined the North Carolina Tigers.  He became president of the club in 2022. Keith has made multiple appearances as a player for the USA Revolution in the 49th Parallel Cup against Canada in 2022 and 2023 and the TransAtlantic Cup in 2024.

Jim Martin, jim.martin@usafl.com

Jim Martin joined the footy family in 1999 with the St Louis Blues. Jim was an instrumental member of building the St. Louis Blues during the early years. This skill was noticed by the League when Jim joined the Board in 2002 as VP for the Central Region. He stayed in this role for 10 years, serving under 4 Presidents. Jim rejoined the USAFL board as Secretary in 2023, and continues to actively serve the USAFL community.

Richard Hordern-Gibbings, richard.hordern-gibbins@usafl.com

Hailing from South Australia, Richard is a diehard Adelaide Crows fan. He is currently based in New York where he works in what can loosely be described as ‘sales’. He looks forward to returning to competitive football during the 2025 season.

Darren Green, darren.green@usafl.com

Born in Brisbane, Australia, Darren is an AUS and US passport-carrying dual citizen since 2020. He has been a permanent US resident since 2008. 

Darren played his first actual games of Aussie Rules in the USA in 2019 at the 1st USAFL Mid Atlantic Cup as a 48yo. Darren was the founder of the Virginia Lions, previously RVA. He has now surpassed the 50 game milestone.

The USAFL International Program is composed of our two National Teams, the USA Revolution and the USA Freedom! This is the pinnacle, the summit, the absolute top of the USAFL’s development pyramid. Being part of Team USA, means representing our country at the most elite level of competition.

Coaches play a pivotal role in the electrifying world of Aussie Rules here in the U.S. The influence of a top-notch coach is absolutely irreplaceable. Coaches aren’t just there to blow the whistle and dish out drills; they’re stalwarts of our community, the ones who inspire, guide, and shape the future stars of the USAFL.

The USAFL proudly supports the USAFL Umpires Association (UA), which is the lifeblood of our umpire community. These legends manage everything from recruitment to training and development, making sure every umpire out there knows the game inside out. Whether you’re a seasoned vet or a fresh face, the UA has got your back with top-notch resources, coaching, and training to ensure you’re ready to blow that whistle with confidence.