AFL Players Reach Their Next Goal

The AFL Players’ Association and AFL SportsReady today held an industry breakfast to promote the extensive range of career and personal development programs available to players post their football careers.

The Next Goal breakfast celebrates the achievements of past and present participants of the programs, which are run jointly by the AFL Players’ Association and AFL SportsReady to assist their transition and prepare for life after football.

Working in partnership with employers around the country to ensure young Australians can access quality education and job opportunities, SportsReady is a national, independent not-for-profit employment and education company that is passionate about helping young Australians achieve their dream career opportunities.

“Through the conditions negotiated in the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement AFL players have never been in a better position to achieve work life balance, set themselves up for life after football and transition out of the game effectively,” General Manager – Player Development, Brett Johnson said.

“The partnership between the AFL Players’ Association and AFL SportsReady is a powerful one and allows us to be able to offer players a suite of programs to explore what they would like to do post football and then put the things in place to get those goals,” he said.

Current Melbourne footballer, Aaron Davey and former Melbourne Brad Green have been active participants of the Next Goal Program. Having played 158 AFL games and a winner of the Demons’ best and fairest in 2010, Davey recently completed SportsReady’s Next Goal program, in which he helped develop the executive certificate in player welfare and development to recognise the role of senior Indigenous players at AFL Clubs.

Brad Green is a former captain of the Melbourne Football Club where he played 254 AFL games. In 2012 he completed the Next Coach program and transitioned straight from a playing career into an assistant coaching role at the Carlton Football Club under Mick Malthouse.

AFL SportsReady CEO James Montgomery said the Next Goal suite of programs was a central part of the partnership between AFL SportsReady and the AFL Players’ Association, which aimed to support elite level players at the beginning, throughout and the end of their playing careers.

“Essentially, our Next Goal programs help new players manage the transition to become a full time professional player, while also ensuring they gain the experience and skills during their playing time so that when they leave the game they can smoothly move into their post football career,” Mr Montgomery said.

“AFL SportsReady began its journey with the AFL in 1994 and today we are proud to continue to be the largest education provider for AFL players, delivering the Next Goal program and other key programs designed to assist players in the transition to a post-football career.”

DATE: Thursday 21 March, 2013
IMAGE: James Montgomery, AFL SportsReady CEO, addresses the Next Goal Breakfast.