Backing Herself, Building a Career
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When AFL SportsReady alumni Jodie O’Donohue started her traineeship, she was 19, fresh out of high school and unsure of what her future career would hold. Fast forward more than a decade and she’s now the Head of Membership at the Richmond Football Club. Leading a high-performing team with empathy, experience and a deep appreciation for the Career pathway that got her here.
I’d just finished Year 12 and had actually been accepted into a Sports Management degree. But I decided to take a gap year and look for work in the AFL industry. I knew that’s where I wanted to be.
That decision led her to AFL SportsReady and her first traineeship as a State Player Participation Administrator at Football Victoria. It was her first full-time job and the steep learning curve. Teaching her the kind of soft skills that have stayed with her ever since. Time management, communication, building relationships and learning how to back herself.
I didn’t really know what to expect going in. But I was excited and I learnt so much, both professionally and personally.
After finishing her first traineeship, Jodie took on a second one. This time, in the heart of an AFL club, working in Membership Sales at North Melbourne Football Club. With a year of experience already under her belt, she approached her second paid placement with more confidence and clarity.
I remember doing mock interviews and preparing questions for my interview. Starting that second traineeship felt like a fresh start but with all the tools I had already learnt. When I finished, I was offered a full-time role at North Melbourne as a Membership Services Officer.
That full-time role marked the beginning of a steady climb. Over the years, Jodie worked her way up, eventually becoming the Membership Team Lead at North Melbourne. Later, holding leadership roles at both Collingwood Football Club and the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) before landing at Richmond.
Her leadership style, rooted in empathy, patience and personal accountability, was shaped by her time at North Melbourne, with lessons learned from being part of a smaller club with big ambitions.
At a smaller club, you have to fight a lot harder for members. That taught me resilience and patience.
I learnt that leading by example matters.
In memberships, you have to approach everything with empathy and an open mind. Trying to understand someone’s needs and then working out how to solve the problem.
That mindset is summed up in a phrase Jodie often uses with her team at Richmond: “It might not be my fault, but it is my problem.”
It reflects her strong sense of ownership, something she attributes to the foundation AFL SportsReady helped her build early on.
AFL SportsReady gave me the confidence to back myself and believe I could make it in the AFL industry.
I worked hard during both of my traineeships and made the most of every opportunity and that really paid off.
She also credits the many strong mentors and colleagues who shaped her along the way, especially the women in her corner.
I’ve been really lucky to work with some incredible women. Emily Buysen at North Melbourne supported me right from the beginning. Hayley Workman at Collingwood was a fantastic leader. Joshua Jenshel another colleague of mine, was also a big support he really encouraged me to go for a management position at MCC and my manager there, Lauren Castles, taught me the fundamentals of how to lead a team.
Now six months into her role at Richmond, Jodie continues to learn and grow, this time under the guidance of Bethany Rynne, the former Head of Membership.
Bethany is just an amazing leader she leads with kindness and authenticity and I’ve already learnt so much from her.
Jodie’s story is one of steady, intentional growth, building on every experience. Learning from every person she’s worked with and using every opportunity to improve at what she does.
And it all started with a traineeship.
My advice to young people wanting a career in professional sport is simple be authentic, work hard and back yourself. You never know where it might lead.
Her first traineeship at Football Victoria sparked her love of customer service. She worked to encourage more kids to play soccer, particularly in areas dominated by AFL. It was there she saw the joy grassroots sport can bring and recognised that her competitive edge was an asset in driving participation.
We had a strong focus on increasing women’s participation in soccer and it’s great to see that’s now a huge focus in footy too!
Jodie O’Donohue’s journey is proof that with hard work, the proper support and the courage to take that first step, there’s no limit to how far a traineeship can take you.
All AFL SportsReady graduates are welcome to become members of our exclusive alumni.
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