Player Development and Wellbeing Lead - Talent
Date: 8 Oct 2026
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, AU
Company: Australian Football League
Join the team shaping the future of Australia’s game.
This is your chance to do work that has real impact, in an organisation that moves fast, aims high and plays a meaningful role in the lives of millions across the country through football. Every role at the AFL helps progress the game, so more people can love it, connect with it and see what is possible through it.
The opportunity
The Player Development and Wellbeing Lead plays an important role in supporting young athletes to navigate the demands of high-performance football and prepare for opportunities within AFL and AFLW program.
As part of the AFL’s Mental Health and Wellbeing team, you will lead player development, wellbeing and transition-readiness initiatives across State and National Academy programs within the AFL and AFLW Talent Pathways.
Working closely with players, coaches, talent leaders, medical and performance staff, you will help embed development and wellbeing into the football program. You will also guide a seasonal workforce of Wellbeing Officers and Coordinators to deliver consistent, safe and impactful support across Talent Pathway regions.
What you’ll own
You will lead an integrated approach to player development and wellbeing that builds the capability, confidence and readiness of young athletes throughout their Talent Pathway experience.
You’ll add value through:
- Designing and delivering player development, wellbeing and education programs for State and National Talent Pathway players
- Overseeing individual development plans that identify players’ strengths, pressures, goals and emerging support needs
- Building player capability across education, career, cultural, personal development and transition readiness
- Leading and supporting Wellbeing Officers and Coordinators to deliver consistent, accountable and high-quality programs
- Developing workforce capability by identifying strengths, gaps and targeted development opportunities
- Coordinating individual support and case responses with wellbeing staff and regional teams
- Managing complex situations involving risk to young people, including incident escalation, case management and mental health crises
- Building effective relationships with talent leaders, coaches, administrators, families, recruiters and high-performance staff
- Translating wellbeing and player development priorities into practical plans within a high-performance sporting environment
- Supporting program evaluation and continuous improvement
- Championing safeguarding practices that create safe, inclusive environments for children and young people
- Attending State and National camps and undertaking regional visits to support program delivery
What you’ll bring
- A postgraduate qualification in education, psychology, health or a related field
- At least six years’ experience within AFL or AFLW football programs and/or high-performance sporting systems
- Demonstrated experience delivering player development, career, education and wellbeing programs
- Contemporary knowledge of adolescent development and experience working with young people and their support networks
- Strong knowledge of wellbeing science and its developmentally appropriate application for adolescents
- Experience working effectively within multidisciplinary teams
- Demonstrated capability leading and developing people within a distributed or seasonal workforce
- Sound judgement and experience managing escalation, referral and support processes relating to youth mental health
- Knowledge and practical experience of safeguarding children processes and practices
- The ability to engage young people and establish trust while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries
- Strong written, verbal, facilitation and presentation skills, including the ability to make content engaging and accessible for young people
- The flexibility, integrity and care required to respond appropriately to the individual needs of youth athletes
Why you’ll love being on our team
At the AFL, you will be part of a values-led team that aims high, backs each other and brings energy, care and integrity to work that matters. This is a place where people play to win, play as one team and play with passion, while always staying grounded in fairness, inclusion and respect. We work hard, support each other and create the conditions for our people to grow, perform and thrive.
What you can look forward to:
- Play The Day Your Way, our flexible approach to working life, built to support you on game day and every day
- My Development, with coaching, mentoring, on-the-job learning and formal development to help you keep building your game
- Play Well, our health and wellbeing program designed to support a healthy body, healthy mind and healthy workplace
- My Benefits, giving you access to a range of partner offers and discounts through our AFL Corporate Partners
- AFL Silver Memberships for permanent team members, so you can enjoy the action at Marvel Stadium and the MCG with family and friends
- 6 months paid primary parental leave with no qualification period for permanent team members
Everyone has a place here
Our game brings people together, and we want our workplace to do the same.
We are committed to building a culture of belonging and an environment where people feel respected, included and able to thrive, and where diversity of background, experience and perspective makes us stronger.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.
Whether you’re a footy fan or new to our game, we welcome everyone to apply. We know great candidates don’t always tick every box. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience doesn’t perfectly match the job description.
The AFL is committed to promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our care. Please note, we undertake several screening processes to ensure this commitment is upheld, this includes ensuring the successful candidate to this position holds a valid employee Working with Children/Vulnerable People check and a satisfactory criminal history record check.
Ready to play your part?
Applications close 20 October 2026.