Community Football Manager departs AFL NSW/ACT

AFL NSW/ACT wishes to advise that its Community Football Manager, Emma Highwood, has accepted a role with Hockey NSW as its Chief Executive Officer and will depart the AFL on Friday, 11 March 2022 to take up her new appointment.

AFL NSW/ACT would like to take this opportunity to thank Emma for her significant contribution to our team and the code across the state and territory during her tenure.

Emma skilfully led the community football portfolio through an unprecedented time for our game post the initial effects of the global pandemic and industry restructure. She has established a strong and talented team empowered to grow, develop and execute our community football competitions and priorities working in meaningful collaboration with leagues, clubs, coaches, umpires, and players.

Importantly, under Emma’s leadership the NSW/ACT Pathway Project has progressed significantly. Our Project working group has established a program of work to be completed in 2022 to advance the strategic recommendations from the research phase and will socialise this with the relevant parties in the weeks ahead. AFL NSW/ACT values this extremely important Project and looks forward to continuing to work closely with our key stakeholders to achieve our collective aspirations of the Project.

AFL NSW/ACT acknowledges and appreciates the amount of effort that goes into the busy pre-season period for our community football leagues, clubs, coaches, umpires and players readying for the season. I’d like to take this opportunity to reinforce to our network that we are well advanced in our planning and ready to embark on a great season together as we bounce back strongly from a disruptive pandemic period. AFL NSW/ACT will put the appropriate measures in place to support our capable community football team through this transition period.

AFL NSW/ACT will begin the Community Football Manager NSW ACT recruitment process immediately, with the job to be advised on the AFL Careers page from Wednesday 23 February until Wednesday 16 March.