Investing in Talent, Growing Teams
Riley Brettell, Senior Partnerships Account Manager – AFL Victoria and State Leagues at the AFL, supervised AFL SportsReady’s 2025 Trainee of the Year, Carla Gardiner. Reflecting on the experience, he says hosting a trainee is as much about investing in your team as it is in the individual.
Hosting a trainee is a real opportunity to shape someone’s growth. In a fast-paced environment like the AFL, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day chaos.
But investing time early, showing them how things work, guiding them through the basics and helping them build confidence, makes a huge difference.
That investment comes back to you in ways you don’t always expect.
Carla brought enthusiasm, professionalism and a willingness to take on responsibility from the very start.
She approached every challenge with a positive mindset. If something seemed difficult, she didn’t see it as a problem, she saw it as an opportunity to learn. That attitude makes a huge difference in a team environment.
Her contributions were wide-ranging. She managed a $600,000 community football grants program, supported major AFL events, including TAC Road Safety Round and Gather Round and built meaningful relationships with commercial partners.
At the TAC Safety Round, Carla was the one keeping everything on track, making sure all partners were in the right place at the right time. She owned that day and it’s the kind of responsibility that not many young people get the chance to handle so early in their career.
Riley says mentoring a trainee isn’t just about the work they do; it’s about how they grow and the impact they have on the team.
Once you invest the time to help them build the foundations,
from understanding day-to-day processes to gaining confidence in their role, they start to contribute in meaningful ways. That contribution benefits the whole team.
Beyond operational impact, trainees also influence workplace culture.
Carla’s energy and positivity lifted everyone around her. She made other team members feel comfortable, brought fresh ideas and reminded us all why we love working in sport. That perspective is invaluable, especially in busy periods when you can easily get caught up in routine.
Riley also notes the personal reward of mentoring a trainee.
It’s incredibly satisfying to watch someone grow and develop into a confident professional. You see them take ownership, lead conversations with partners and handle complex tasks that, at the start, might have seemed overwhelming. That growth is a credit to the trainee and to the time you invest in supporting them.
His advice to other organisations considering taking on a trainee is clear: invest time and trust from the start.
Don’t focus only on immediate results. If you guide them, make them feel supported and give them opportunities to learn and take responsibility, they’ll exceed expectations. They will bring energy, ideas and capability, making a real difference to your team.
Carla’s journey illustrates exactly what’s possible when organisations invest in young talent.
She flourished professionally and personally,. And that’s the real reward of hosting a trainee, you are helping to shape the next generation, while gaining someone who genuinely contributes to your team.
A Winning Start at the AFL
Carla Gardiner had no idea what was coming when her supervisor told her they had a quick admin meeting down at the AFL House café.
I didn’t suspect a thing. Then I saw the AFL SportsReady marketing team sitting there…
All AFL SportsReady graduates are welcome to become members of our exclusive alumni.
TELL US YOUR STORY
If you’d like to reflect on your experience as a Trainee, please complete the questionnaire at this link.
