Lead Your Way

ABOUT

Lead Your Way is an annual program that gives women and gender-diverse people volunteering in community football leadership the opportunity to level up their skills and network.

If you're a current committee-level volunteer at a community football club in our Metropolitan Leagues or Country Regions, this program is for you!

If you missed out on applying for 2025, applications for the 2026 program will open at the end of the community football season.

ONLINE AND IN-PERSON EVENTS

Dive into a mix of online and in-person events with expert facilitators and football industry leaders.

From webinars to workshops, and some fantastic networking events including our program celebration – this is your ticket to upping your game, expanding your network, and kicking goals at your club.

Find all the details, including eligibility criteria, program structure, and key dates below!

WHO CAN APPLY

To participate in the program, you must:

  • Identify as a women or gender diverse.
  • Be over the age of 18.
  • Hold a current leadership position as a committee volunteer within a Community Football Club.
  • Reside within the state of Victoria/be associated with an AFL Victoria club.

The program seeks a diverse cohort to ensure an intersectional approach to leadership within club communities, and to support the goals of inclusive and diverse environments as included in the AFL Women and Girls Action plan. This includes but is not limited to people identifying as: 

  • Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
  • Culturally and/or religiously diverse people.
  • LGBTIQA+
  • People from rural and regional communities.
  • People with disabilities.

In your application, you will be asked to provide information on the following subjects: 

  • Tell us about yourself – general information about who you are and how to contact you.
  • Your community football club.
  • Your leadership experience, including current leadership role/s.
  • How you think that this program will support your development and have a positive impact on your club and leadership.
  • Your views on challenges, barriers, and issues for women and gender diverse people in Community Football, and what you would like to gain from this program. 

Your application responses should show: 

  • Your leadership experience in community sport.
  • Why you want to be a part of this program.
  • Your personal leadership goals/what you want to achieve through Lead Your Way.
  • Consideration for how this program can lead to positive impact and change for women in leadership and in community football clubs more broadly.

If you missed out on applying for 2025, applications for the 2026 program will open at the end of the community football season.