Leading the way: 2025 Lead Your Way Program kicks off

^{Participants at the 2024 Lead Your Way Celebration Day.}

AFL Victoria is pleased to announce that 61 community football club leaders who are women or gender diverse have accepted their offer to join the 2025 Lead Your Way Program. These community football club leaders have been selected after a highly competitive application process, with over 150 high-quality applications received, resulting in 62 offers being made. Selection for the 2025 intake proved very challenging and each of the successful leaders have been selected based on the strength of their applications.

Among the chosen leaders are 24 club presidents (on par with the 2024 intake), and there has been a significant increase in representation of Vice Presidents - from only one in 2024 to 15 this year. Other roles represented include club secretaries, treasurers, women’s and girls’ football managers, and several inclusion managers.

Pleasingly, this year will see an increase in representation regional and rural clubs, with half of this year’s offers made to leaders from country Victoria. The 2025 cohort come from every corner of the state, with every AFL Victoria country region, and each of the 10 metropolitan leagues, represented amongst those selected.

The Lead Your Way program offers education and development opportunities for women and gender-diverse leaders at club committee, board, or executive level. The program seeks to increase the retention of women in leadership positions by enhancing participants skills, confidence, and knowledge, while opening doors for those leaders to continue to progress in their leadership positions

Those selected will also join the growing network of Lead Your Way (LYW) alumni, connecting with the 52 participants from 2024 who will continue to access education, support and development this year.

Participants also benefit the broader community football landscape, by bringing back valuable resources to improve the experiences of players, coaches, and volunteers at the 61 clubs represented.

On March 8th, the 2025 cohort will meet for the first time alongside alumni from the inaugural 2024 program for the LYW25 launch and networking event, before embarking on their year of education and events. The highlight of the year is set to be the LYW Development Conference held mid-year, where the leaders will take part in a full day of education and development.

Congratulations to all those participating in the program in 2025. AFL Victoria looks forward to seeing the positive impact this program will have on each individual, their clubs, and the broader football landscape in Victoria.

Prospective applicants for the 2026 Lead Your Way Program can find out more HERE, with applications for next year opening in the later months of 2025.

2025 LEAD YOUR WAY PARTICIPANTS

^{*2024 Deferred Acceptance}