Essendon Women’s Network has announced the 7 finalists for the 2014 Football Woman of the Year award and the 3 finalists for the inaugural Emerging Leader Award to be revealed at the Grand Final Comedy Debate on Thursday 25th September.
In 2014, nominations for Football Woman of the Year were submitted as entries under the Professional or Honorary category. This allows for greater recognition of women that are pursuing professional career paths or those who contribute to the industry in an honorary capacity.
To recognise and encourage the positive achievements of young women in the industry an Emerging Leader Award has also been established. This new award will be open to women aged 25 years and under. It will showcase the significant contribution being made by the emerging generation of women to the code of Australian Rules football.
See below a full list of nominees.
Football Woman of the Year Award
Professional Category
Danielle Bleazby
Events and Special Projects Manager, AFL
Danielle Bleazby is currently in her ninth season as Events and Special Projects Manager at the Australian Football League. She is an integral member of the AFL strategy team and works across a range of projects that bring new challenges each year. Danielle demonstrates a keen logistical understanding to ensure a positive reception from the wider AFL audience.
Danielle has also been involved in larger projects, including the redevelopment of the Great Southern Stand at the MCG. This project saw her sit on a committee with the MCC and the Victorian Government to ensure the best possible outcomes for fans, members and sponsors in delivering better facilities throughout.
Danielle has always gone over and above the call of duty to ensure that football is represented in the best possible light and ensure that she always works on ways to continually move the sport forward.
Peta Searle
St Kilda Football Club - Development coach
Peta Searle has made an outstanding contribution to Australian Rules Football which this year has culminated in her being appointed Assistant Coach of the St Kilda Football Club.
With many firsts under her belt including being the first female coach in the TAC Under 18s competition, the first head coach of the AFL Victoria VWFL Academy and the first female to coach in the VFL, Peta also played a role in coaching the Western Bulldogs female AFL team in 2013 when they played the curtain raiser on the MCG against the Melbourne Football Club
With a clear and uncompromising philosophy towards coaching and development Peta is a great role model for women in football and for women more broadly, that nothing is out of reach in our great country.
Tanya Gallina
Hawthorn Football Club - General Manager – Consumer services and Tasmania
Tanya has been employed in the Australian Rules Football Industry for over 14 years. Commencing her professional career at the Carlton Football Club in March 2000, Tanya now holds the position of General Manager – Consumer Services and Tasmania at Hawthorn Football Club.
After spending seven years at the Carlton Football Club to eventually become Membership Manager, Tanya was employed at Hawthorn as Membership Manager in February 2008 after a brief stint at Melbourne Victory. Tanya quickly made an impact at Hawthorn by achieving significant growth in membership and implementing a revolutionised approach to Fan Development and Engagement. After three years and continued success in membership, Tanya became the Club’s first female General Manager.
With minor re-structuring of the business since, Tanya has since overseen multiple portfolios and departments as General Manager including Community, Membership, Marketing, Merchandise, Digital Media and Tasmanian Operations. She has a strong knowledge of the game and is extremely motivated to achieve and sustain continued growth across the industry. She also plays a significant role as an official mentor to younger female staff outside Hawthorn, inclusion in AFL-generated working groups and strong input at all industry meetings run by the AFL.
Book your tickets to this year's event today!
Honourary Category
Barbara Datson
President, The Angels of St Kilda Football Club
Barbara has been involved with The Angels of the St Kilda Football Club since 1995 and President since 2006. The Angels are an honarary female volunteer fundraising group of the St Kilda Football Club that has been in existence since the early 1980s.
The Angels principle goal is to support the community and in turn the football club by providing memberships for underprivileged families as well as sponsoring up to 3 players each year through their fundraising efforts. The Angels also assist the football department by preparing and serving meals for the players 3-4 times a week during the season. Barbara organises all the functions that they hold and coordinates the Angels roster and serves the players after training meals.
Anissa Groves
Head Trainer, Western Bulldogs Football Club
Anissa has been a committed Western Bulldogs' trainer for 18 years, commencing in the late 1990s in that honorary role and, by her ability and reliability, progressing to become the the first woman head trainer in the AFL at the Western Bulldogs in 2008.
This places her in a unique position as a woman, taking her own invaluable place on the field in the male dominated game of AFL football, in a position of great responsibility every week.
Anissa does her job with assurance and confidence and is an asset to the club. The Western Bulldogs have recognised her valuable contribution over the years.
Colleen Rogers
Chairperson, Loddon Valley Football Netball League
Colleen was elected President of the Marong Football Netball Club in 2008. As the first female president of Loddon Valley, Colleen played a pivotal role in instigating the amalgamation of the Loddon Valley Football League and the Loddon Valley Netball Association.
Colleen was elected the LVFNL Board of Management Chairman in November 2012. She has demonstrated quality leadership, commitment and worked tirelessly to ensure the relatively smooth transition to a united body in the first year.
Colleen’s concern with the state of junior football, in not only the LVFNL but the wider central Victorian area, saw her initiate discussions with the AFL Central Victorian Commission and representatives of other Leagues to address the issues.
Colleen has responded quickly to issues and concerns, considered possible options and utilising a consultative approach, made fair decisions for all parties in the best interests of all. She is often ‘one step ahead’ in investigting an issue or implementing an initiative to improve LVFNL operations.
Narelle Smith
President of SAWFL
Narelle Smith is the Chairman of the South Australian Women’s Football League. She has played over 120 games, has qualified as a Level 2 coach, is a current SA State Coach and recently appointed Line Coach with Melbourne Football Club Womens.
She has played a significant role in the partnership between the SAWFL and South Australian Amateur Football Leauge, establishing greater resources for Women’s Football. Narelle was the first South Australian to coach in an AFL Women’s match as Assistant Coach for Melbourne Football Club.
She became a coach to give back to Women's Football, provide a positive role model for females and encourage the involvement of females in football. She has been integral in the development of rules that support the growth of SA Women's Football, particularly at the junior level. Under her leadership in 2014, the SAWFL now sees it's first Under 16 Girls competition, a strong Under 18 Girls competition and a two division Open Women's.
Book your tickets to this year's event today!
Emerging Leader Award
Alicia Eva
23 years old
Coach, AFL Vic Youth Girls
Alicia is an exemplary leader, role model and contributor to the game. Alicia’s love of coaching and natural ability to inspire and teach footballers landed her the position of assistant coach of the Victorian Youth Girls representative team. Alicia has strived for excellence on the football field too, recently participating in the AFL- sanctioned women’s match playing for her beloved Demons.
Alicia is the first female to complete the entire female football pathway from Auskick at age five and is now sharing her knowledge as a coach, player and role model in male and female high performance programs.
Chelsea Randall
23 years old
Development Officer , West Australian Football Commission
Chelsea is the main ambassador for female football in WA. Not only does Chelsea participate at the highest level but also gives back to the game via her career as the full time development officer for AFL in the Swan Districts.
Chelsea captained the WA Women's State Team in the 2013 AFL Women's National. She was drafted at pick 3 in the AFL’s first Women’s National Draft and was picked to play for the Melbourne Football Club in the first women's AFL-sanctioned match against the Western Bulldogs in 2013. Chelsea captained the Swan Districts Women's League team to their first premiership in 2013 and was recently announced as WA's AFL Female Football Ambassador by the AFL. Chelsea also gives her time as a volunteer coaching the youth girls team at Swan Districts.
Nadine Rabah
20 years old
Multicultural Community Ambassador, AFL Victoria
As a Lebanese Muslim, Nadine Rabah has long been a trail blazer in Australian Rules football. Keen to give something back to the game, Nadine was equally indebted to the Essendon District Football League (EDFL) and the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL), so rather than choose a single league to serve, she officiates in both.
Nadine has selflessly given much of her time to volunteer roles, including as an Assistant Coach in a four-week football program delivered to the River Nile Learning Centre for women of African heritage.
A keen writer, Nadine has worked as a freelance journalist for Eureka Street magazine. Here writing attracted the attention of a publisher who approached her during her year 12 studies by asking if she could write a novel. Nadine jumped at the opportunity and the resulting book Jayana: Best and Fairest, the story of a young Muslim girl who plays football, was published in 2014.
Nadine’s commitment, passion and knowledge of AFL are hard to surpass. She is making a difference in football and more importantly, using football as a vehicle to connect with community and change lives.
