Many Stories, One Goal. Supporting Indigenous Footballers

Abstract

The Australian Football League's Players Association produced their best practice guidelines in mid 2013. The guidelines with the endorsement of the AFLPA's Indigenous Advisory Board were sent to every AFL club in Australia to be used as part of the recruitment and maintenance of Indigenous Players in the AFL. The Advisory board is headed by 2014 Australian of the Year Adam Goodes. Every AFL clubs CEO, President, Coaching and welfare staff received a copy of these guidelines which has now become embedded best practice in the elite football code in Australia. Through my ECR fellowship "Expectations, Experiences and Reflections of Indigenous footballers: Transitioning in and out of the AFL I was able to provide significant content and advice to the drafting and rolling out of the AFLPA's best practice guidelines. This has come about through having strong working relationships with the AFLPA as they are a PO in my ARC Linkage project looking at the AFL's vilification Policies and also having been invited to the AFLPA's All stars camp since 2009. From these excellent working relationships the Best Practice Guidelines are now embedded into the recruitment and maintenance and transitioning out of the AFL for Indigenous Players.