AFLPA / AFL Sportsready launches '08 season Next Goal Program

12 Mar 2008 - Jason Murnane

Co-managed by the AFL Players' Association and AFL SportsReady, the Next Goal program ensures players hit the ground running post AFL football by providing vocational based work experience across a diverse range of industries and occupations.  The matching of a player's aptitude and experience with a tailored work placement, which can be undertaken both during or post the players' football career, has resulted in scores of AFL players enjoying a clear post football career path.

Since the programs inception in 2002, over 150 AFL players including Jordan Lewis, Justin Sherman, Shane Wakelin, Rhett Biglands, Cameron Mooney, Mathew Stokes and Justin Koschitzke amongst many others have undertaken the program in areas as diverse as zoo keeping, property development, finance, construction, the law and sport. 
 
Hosted by leading football broadcaster and journalist Tim Lane, and featuring former Test Cricketer Kerry O'Keefe as special guest speaker, attendees discovered more about AFLPA & AFL SportsReady initiatives designed to assist players excel in work, training, education, career and elite sport.  

Other speakers included;

• Ken McGregor - Current Adelaide Crow & Next Goal graduate / Adelaide Advertiser.
• Matthew Lappin - Former Carlton player & Next Goal graduate / Srixon Golf.
• Nick Holland - Former Hawthorn player, Next Goal graduate / Holding Redlich Lawyers
  

AFLPA CEO Brendon Gale, AFL SportsReady CEO Phillip Wallbridge, a number of current and former AFL players & representatives of companies involved in the program were also in attendance

Other notable attendees included; The Hon. Justice Linda Dessau - AFL Commissioner; Bill Kelty - AFL Commissioner; Joel Bowden - AFLPA President & Richmond FC; Matthew Knights - Essendon FC Senior Coach; Nick Maxwell - AFLPA Executive Committee / Collingwood FC; Ian Robson - Hawthorn FC CEO; Neil Balme - Geelong GM Football Operations; Mark Evans - Hawthorn GM Football Operations; James Fantasia - Western Bulldogs GM Football.  

ABOUT THE NEXT GOAL PROGRAM

AFL SportsReady Ltd, in association with the AFL Players' Association (AFLPA), has implemented "The Next Goal" Career Transition Program for current and recently retired AFL players. "The Next Goal" Program aims to provide opportunities and support for mature age AFL players, who are members of the AFLPA, to establish a meaningful and rewarding vocation after football.

The primary objective of the program is to enhance the player's career development and future employment prospects through the provision of work experience and on-the-job training in an industry preferred by the player as an identified career. The program is not to be used as a career exploration tool, rather to 'compensate' for years loss working as a footballer, to gain meaningful experience in their chosen industry.

To achieve this objective "The Next Goal" Program will align AFL players with employers who are willing to provide a meaningful work placement, sponsored by the program, in a field or discipline that matches the qualifications and/or requirements of an identified career path by the player. The number and frequency of hours worked per week and the total period of the work placement will be structured to accommodate the football obligations of the player.

In recent times, there has been a much greater emphasis on providing opportunities and support to help AFL players make a successful transition into their post football working life primarily through the services offered to players by the AFLPA. It is hoped that the implementation of "The Next Goal" Program will further assist in this area.

The program has been borne out of the need that players are gaining qualifications/experience whilst playing professional football; the work placement is to compliment this to gain meaningful and rewarding experience whilst in the twilight of their playing careers.

It is expected that the player should complete the equivalent of between six and eight weeks full time in the workplace. A player currently on an AFL Club List is available up to a maximum of fifteen hours per week for their work placement, while a retired player may be available on a full time basis.  Players may select a thirty or ten day placement.  Thirty day placements are designed for players with an established career in mind (assisted via the AFLPA's in-house Career Counsellors), whilst ten day placements are for players who want to try a new industry without any long term commitment.

Players apply to participate in the program and positions on the program are given to those players who are able to demonstrate an identified career path toward the area or industry for which they have a preference. This will ensure that a work experience placement under the program will compliment any education, training, qualifications or experience previously undertaken by the player.