The AFL Players’ Association and AFL SportsReady kicked off the 2009 season Next Goal program at a gala breakfast function at the iconic MCC Member’s Dining Room, MCG.
 
Attendees were entertained by special guest speaker and seven time world surfing champion Layne Beachley whose inspiring story of commitment to her sporting goals left the room in no doubt why she has achieved so much in her sporting and non-sporting endeavours.
 
Fellow speakers Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell and Geelong key defender Matt Egan also spoke, with Maxwell enthusiastic about his work with Rio Marketing & Promotions. 
 
Maxwell, who completed a 30 day Next Goal placement with the firm, said that the ability to spend time in non-football areas, helped ensure he made the most of his opportunities, off the field.
 
Egan, who is undertaking the innovative Sporting Skills Apprenticeship program, which allows AFL players to undertake trade apprenticeships, something AFL players could previously not undertake, was full of praise for the business he works with, Torquay Homes.
 
The morning was hosted by football broadcasting doyen Tim Lane, and was attended by a number of current and past AFL players and employer representatives of business' involved in the program.
 
Co-managed by the AFL Players’ Association and AFL SportsReady, the Next Goal program ensures AFL players hit the ground running post football by providing vocational based work experience across a diverse range of industries and occupations.  The matching of a player’s aptitude and experience with a tailored work placement, which can be undertaken both during or post the players’ football career, has resulted in scores of AFL players enjoying a clear post football career path.
 
Since the programs inception in 2002, over 250 AFL players including Nick Holland, Cameron Bruce, Shane Wakelin, Luke Hodge, Chris Newman, Mathew Stokes and Graham Johncock amongst many others have undertaken the program in areas as diverse as zoo keeping, property development, finance, construction, the law and sport.
 
To learn more about the Next Goal program, click here.
 
ABOUT THE NEXT GOAL PROGRAM
 
AFL SportsReady Ltd, in association with the AFL Players' Association (AFLPA), has implemented "The Next Goal" Career Transition Program for current and recently retired AFL players.
 
"The Next Goal" Program aims to provide opportunities and support for mature age AFL players, who are members of the AFLPA, to establish a meaningful and rewarding vocation after football.
 
The primary objective of the program is to enhance the player’s career development and future employment prospects through the provision of work experience and on-the-job training in an industry preferred by the player as an identified career.
 
The program is not to be used as a career exploration tool, rather to ‘compensate’ for years loss working as a footballer, to gain meaningful experience in their chosen industry.  To achieve this objective “The Next Goal” Program will align AFL players with employers who are willing to provide a meaningful work placement, sponsored by the program, in a field or discipline that matches the qualifications and/or requirements of an identified career path by the player.
 
The number and frequency of hours worked per week and the total period of the work placement will be structured to accommodate the football obligations of the player.  In recent times, there has been a much greater emphasis on providing opportunities and support to help AFL players make a successful transition into their post football working life primarily through the services offered to players by the AFLPA.
 
It is hoped that the implementation of “The Next Goal” Program will further assist in this area.  The program has been borne out of the need that players are gaining qualifications/experience whilst playing professional football; the work placement is to compliment this to gain meaningful and rewarding experience whilst in the twilight of their playing careers.
 
It is expected that the player should complete the equivalent of between six and eight weeks full time in the workplace.  A player currently on an AFL Club List is available up to a maximum of fifteen hours per week for their work placement, while a retired player may be available on a full time basis.
 
Players may select a thirty or ten day placement. Thirty day placements are designed for players with an established career in mind (assisted via the AFLPA’s in-house Career Counsellors), whilst ten day placements are for players who want to try a new industry without any long term commitment.
 
Players apply to participate in the program and positions on the program are given to those players who are able to demonstrate an identified career path toward the area or industry for which they have a preference.  This will ensure that a work experience placement under the program will compliment any education, training, qualifications or experience previously undertaken by the player.
 
For more images taken from the Next Goal breakfast, go to the AFLPA's Flickr page - http://www.flickr.com/photos/aflpa