Future AFL Leaders in the Making

Over the school holiday period, 180 youth aged players from across New South Wales and the ACT completed the AFL Future Leaders Community Program, organised by AFL NSWACT.

The program was broken into two groups, aspiring leaders (13-15 years old) and emerging leaders (16-18 years old), with both groups completing an online module before participating in three zoom conferences. The topics covered included:

– Leadership Style
– Personal Brand
– Leading through Communication

The AFL Future Leaders Program was conducted by the Institute of Sport, who AFL NSWACT engaged as a specialist in this field.

ACT Game Development Manager, Luke Martin, was thrilled with the program.

“At the AFL, we not only want our players to become better players, but we want them to become better people. The AFL Future Leaders Program has enabled us to further develop local role models, who will then go back to their clubs and share this knowledge with their teammates.”

Brodie Ruitenberg, Belconnen Magpies star and Giants Development Squad Member, decided to participate in the program to develop his leadership skills.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity and wanted to learn how to become a better leader”, Brodie said.

Brodie found the program invaluable, learning “That I have a personal brand and anyone can be a leader. Also that I have strengths that come naturally to me and also I have areas I need to work on to become a better leader.”

Brodie thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the AFL Future Leaders Community Program. “I really enjoyed getting to meet new people from all over NSW and the ACT that like me really enjoy their footy but also enjoyed that the content could be applied not only to footy but everyday life. It was fun and interactive.”

AFL NSWACT facilitated this program as an opportunity to further develop the leadership skills of youth footballers, whilst the football void left by COVID-19 has delayed the start of the 2020 Season.