To celebrate International Women’s Day, essendonfc.com.au is profiling some of Essendon’s many inspiring female staff.
Up next is Georgia Harvey, who is the Bombers' recruiting and list administrator.
Spending the past four years at the Bombers, Georgia is playing a key role alongside Adrian Dodoro (general manager of list and recruiting) and his team in building teams to win premierships.
Georgia, how did you get into working in football and why did you want to work at the club?
Before my time at Essendon, I spent a lot of time at various football clubs and elite sporting organisations in a mixture of volunteer and paid roles including Richmond Football Club, Williamstown Football Club, Victorian Institute of Sport, Swimming Victoria and Hockey Victoria. I also worked at Champion Data for a couple of years as a data collector or ‘keyboarder’.
What is your favourite thing about working at the Bombers?
The people in this organisation are great and I love how passionate everyone is about this football club. I have a really close bond with the team I work in, including Rob Forster-Knight, Glenn Knight, Heath Hocking and my boss Adrian Dodoro, and it makes going to work extremely enjoyable every day. We are all here for the same reason - that is team success and ultimately building teams to win premierships.
What kind of opportunities has the club provided you?
I’ve worked at the national and rookie drafts, trade period and draft combine for a number of years now. This falls within my role but every year I continue to grow and develop through experiences like these.
What are some of the misconceptions about your role?
That I’m a scout for the club. My role is primarily split between recruiting administration/analysis and list management compliance such as player contracts and the Total Player Payments (TPP). I also manage the operations of our James Hird Academy (father-son/NGA), but some people mistaken that for my full-time role.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day is a day to acknowledge strong, game-changing women who have forged the path for younger generations to follow. I’m lucky that I have had some fantastic role models like my mum and nanna, who have helped shape me to be the woman that I am today.
How do you interpret the official hashtag for IWD this year - #EachforEqual?
It is a campaign that aims to change the perception of social norms through each individual – both male and female - to ensure that moving forward we recognise the impact our words and actions can have on others. It is about creating an equal world between men and women both in the workforce, but also in the community and everyday life.
I think people who can recognise history but encourage growth and change in the modern world can only benefit society.
What excites you most about your future with the Bombers?
Continuous growth, both as an individual and a club. The ultimate goal is for the club to have sustained success and to win premierships, and that hasn’t changed and won’t change. Success comes from all areas of the business, and continuing to build the culture is paramount. The idea of being able to achieve this with this club is what motivates me to come to work every day.
WOMEN OF ESSENDON: CHARLOTTE MILLER
WOMEN OF ESSENDON: RACHEL MITRIONE
