Diversity is vital for developing the AFL, but the league needs to consider the structural and cultural barriers to attracting this diverse talent in the first place.
A sports law expert and ex-Victorian WorkCover Authority general counsel explains why Australia’s professional players aren’t covered by the same injury rules as other workers – unlike in New Zealand.
For years, we’ve taken major sporting events, a public holiday, added alcohol and gambling, then watched domestic violence rates rise. It’s time we did something different.
The AFL is searching for a new CEO amid ongoing reports of systemic racism, a lack of meaningful support for the AFLW and insufficient action on head injuries.
While membership of the major political parties has plummeted, footy club membership has soared. So what can the major parties learn from footy clubs about how to grow community support?
In a country that has largely avoided political and cultural hyper-partisanship, the Barassi Line is perhaps our strongest sociographic dividing characteristic, and certainly novel globally.
Critics say rule changes have made one-sided games more likely in the NRL. But statistics suggest it’s no more predictable than other major Australian competitions such as the AFL.
Discovery of AFL founder Tom Wills’ involvement in the mass murder of Aboriginal people has made it clear truth telling about Australia’s history is needed before any reconciliation can happen.
Rocked by recent events on the dangers of concussion at the elite level, the AFL has a perfect opportunity to adopt a wider lens and mobilise its network to keep footy safe, especially for the kids.
Australian rules football was actually played before rugby union in Queensland — and it was only a quirk of history that caused Queenslanders to switch allegiances.
Crowds, albeit smaller ones, will again watch the AFL and NRL grand finals. Crowds can bring people together but, since the time of the Roman republic, they have also expressed political dissent.
Professional sport has enormous power to influence positive change. So ahead of this weekend’s grand finals, let’s examine the carbon emissions of our major men’s football leagues.
Despite case after case of systemic racism against Indigenous people, the AFL has not been able to rid itself of a problem that has caused so much grief to so many.
Research Fellow, Institute for Health & Sport, member of the Community, Identity and Displacement Research Network, and Co-convenor of the Olympic Research Network, Victoria University