The AFL Queensland Diversity Team is now complete with the appointment of Eddie Sansbury to the role of Diversity Coordinator – Talent.
The portfolio, managed by Luke Jeffery, takes in the female, Indigenous, disability and multicultural sectors.
“As an Indigenous man it is inspiring to see commitment from the AFL to embrace and celebrate diversity by continuing to hire the best available talent into our workforce,” said Jeffery.
“Our team has two females, two Indigenous Australians and a South African and they will help us to progress and become better represented off the field, as we are so richly diverse on the field.”
Jeffery said the goal of the team was to promote Australian football as the sport of choice for all members of the community.
“It is our responsibility to champion the push for inclusion and create opportunities for all members of the diverse community to play and become fans of Australian Football,” he said.
“Australian Football is uniquely inclusive and we will play fair, play as a team, play with passion and play to win, to continue creating opportunities for all.”
Jeffery said key initiatives for 2015 include the creation of an Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners and Welcome to Country protocol document; to ensure that Australian Football in Queensland operates in a culturally appropriate manner.
The National Inclusion Diversity Championship will help the push to get people with disabilities, a top priority, involved in footy.
Another key event will be the National Diversity Championships, which will see Queensland’s U15 Kickstart Indigenous and Multicultural sides compete against other states.
Mark Ensor, State Development Manager said AFL Queensland is committed to growing female football as well.
“Over the past 12 months we have worked with community clubs to provide inclusive environments for females,” said Ensor.
“The #girlsplaytoo campaign is really important for younger girls and this, along with a range of other initiatives is helping females start playing our game.”
