Inclusion and Diversity videos

Jo Fernandes has worked in football administration for more than 20 years. On graduating from the University of Canberra, she commenced her professional career at the ACT Women’s Soccer Association, before becoming the Team Manager for the Westfield Matildas. She was then General Manager Westfield W-League within the FFA, before moving to her current role at Football NSW. Jo was the first female to be appointed to manage a Final at a Men’s Football Tournament - the 2017 FIFA Under 17 World Cup in India – and only a few months ago she worked as a General Coordinator at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia - the first time a female had been appointed to this role.

Emma Staples is the Diversity & Community Engagement Manager at Cricket Victoria. With Post Graduate studies in Public Health and an equality and equity advocate, her work involves driving cultural change across the business and the broader cricket community to embrace diversity. Previously she has worked as a senior advisor in community sport and recreation for the Victorian Minister for Sport and Recreation and as a Health Promotion project lead using sport for social change in India, Fiji and remote Australian Indigenous communities.

A former elite Australian rules footballer, television and radio sports commentator, Chyloe Kurdas has spent a decade building the catalyst for Australia’s first ever national women’s professional competition, AFLW, as AFL Victoria’s Female Football Development Manager. In doing so, Chyloe combined her studies and work in health promotion, psychology and education to build award winning high performance sporting programs for adolescent girls that focus on the whole athlete.

Dr Jeff Walkley is the National Disability & Diversity Manager with Belgravia Leisure, and CEO of the Belgravia Foundation. Over four decades, Jeff has made exemplary contributions in sport, inclusion, physical activity, physical education, and disability. He has created sustained improvements in sport, physical education and inclusion in Australia. His achievements have led to his advice being sought by government departments and national and state sport organisations. He has provided expert advice in legal proceedings related to inclusion, culminating in improved access to sport for girls and women.

Julia Symons has worked in sports administration, community engagement, communications and philanthropy across the corporate, not-for-profit and sports sectors in Australia, Hong Kong and Fiji. She currently works in the Strategic Partnerships and Projects team at Australia Post. Julia was a recipient of a 2017 Churchill Fellowship, investigating cultural diversity in elite women’s sport.

Lisa Laing has worked in the AFL Industry for 14 years, 9 years in the AFL leading a team responsible for membership services across the AFL Industry and 5 years St Kilda FC initially leading the Consumer Business and currently the Saints Community Engagement and Football programs. Lisa is an alumni of the Leadership Victoria FOLIO Community Leadership Program and is passionate about bringing social issues to the fore through the powerful voice of elite sports people and clubs.

Tavale Ilalio is the Creative Director of Mahana Culture. He works to support people and organisations to harness the power of Culture and Diversity in their professional lives. Tavale brings a passion for what truly harnessing and celebrating diversity in the sport and community looks like, and the endless possibilities it can bring if done well and with cultural dignity.

Megan Mitchell is Australia’s first National Children’s Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission, appointed in 2013. Megan has previous experience in both government and non-government roles in child protection, out-of-home care, youth justice, disability, and early childhood services. In her role as Commissioner, Megan focuses solely on the rights and interests of children, and the laws, policies and programs that impact on them.

Dr Sean Gorman has worked in the Indigenous studies programs at Murdoch University, Edith Cowan University, the University of Melbourne and Curtin University. Gorman’s PhD was published by Allen and Unwin in 2005. Brotherboys: The Story of Jim and Phillip Krakouer was adapted for theatre and commenced a national tour in 2011.

Wayne Herbert is a prominent, in-demand, and outspoken public speaker, presenter, advocate, and writer promoting the rights of and opportunities for people with disability and people in the LGBTIQ community. As a leader, Wayne has a unique, humorous, thought-provoking, and challenging insight into why diversity and inclusion matters.

Morgan's passion for protecting the vulnerable is second to none. Morgan worked in disability, aged care and children's residential facilities including Stewart House and Royal Far West Children's Hospital on Sydney's northern beaches. He has assisted the Australian Sports Commission in risk management, complaint handling and member protection since 2011 and is considered to be one of the leading practitioners in this field.

 

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Nick Hatzoglou is the Manager of Club Cricket with Cricket Australia. He is Australian-born with Greek heritage and has a passion for cultural diversity and sport. He combines experience gained within the multicultural sector, local government, Australian Football League and Football Federation Victoria with his appreciation of the positive role sport plays in a vibrant multicultural Australia.

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Kellie has extensive public health experience developed through policy and practice-focused roles over 15 years in the community sector, local and state government, and non-government organisations.

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Irena has a deep passion for projects that promote healthier lifestyles, particularly access to sports for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.Irena has been involved with Deaf Sports Australia for 8 years where she established the Active Deaf Kids and Active Deaf Sports Club programs.

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Danielle Warby is an advocate for women in sport and has been working to promote women’s sport since 2006. Working with elite athletes, sports organisations and the media, she’s built up the largest women’s sport network in the country.

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John has been the Chief Executive Officer of Inclusive Sport SA for the last 5 years and has a strong passion for inclusion in sport and recreation. He is driven to build cultures in sport and recreation that welcome all individuals, regardless of difference, so that we can all feel part of a larger community. 

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Ryan Storr is a PhD researcher in the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Active Living at Victoria University. His thesis explores how volunteers in community sport clubs engage in diversity work. He is currently chief investigator of a research project with Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria which explores LGBT inclusion in Australian cricket.

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Tim is the Acting Director of Community Sport and Recreation at Sport and Recreation Victoria. Tim is responsible for community and high performance strategy, programs and initiatives, including the recently released Active Victoria strategy, implementation of the nine ‘Game Plan’ Inquiry recommendations that have led to the Change Our Game initiatives and the Supporting Victorian Sport and Recreation program that focuses on sector sustainability and inclusion.

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Emma Sherry is an Associate Professor within the La Trobe University Centre for Sport and Social Impact, specialising in the area of sport development. Emma's PhD studies investigated conflict of interest in the Australian Football League. Emma’s current research interests include community development through sport activities, undertaking a broad range of research projects with national and regional sport organisations in Australia and Oceania. 

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Kate McLoughlin was the Chef de Mission for the 2016 Paralympic team. Kate know exactly what is needed to create an inclusive team culture - one that leads to team success on and off the field. 

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With over 20 years’ experience in the community sector, CEO and founder of CMY, Carmel Guerra has contributed to a range of research reports relating to multicultural youth including: Ethnic Youth Gangs in Australia: Do they exist? and Wealth of all Nations, the first comprehensive study undertaken into the needs of refugee young people in Australia.

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Jenny Frowd is Community Engagement Manager with Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association. She has worked with a wide range of people with disabilities and their diverse support networks, as well as sport deliverers, administrators and educators to facilitate inclusion within their organisations.. 

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Kate Palmer is a leading Australian sport administrator. She was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Sports Commission in December 2016. Previous to this appointment, she was Chief Executive Officer of Netball Australia.

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Professor Ramon Spaaij (ISEAL, Victoria University) and Dr Ruth Jeanes (Monash University) recently completed a three-year Australian Research Council project on diversity and inclusion in community sport. 

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