Belinda Duarte was today named the 2012 Football Woman of the Year (FWOTY) at the Grand Final Comedy Debate at Crown Palladium.

Belinda, a senior executive at the Richmond Football Club, is the inaugural director of the Korin Gamadji Institute. She is also integral to the establishment and development of the AFL SportsReady’s National Indigenous Program.

In her role with the Korin Gamadji Institute, Belinda has provided leadership development, education and training to more than 1500 young Indigenous men and women.

Belinda has also been instrumental in the development of the Career Oriented Participation in Sport program for first-year AFL players, which now incorporates specific Indigenous considerations.

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale described Duarte as an outstanding contributor to the Richmond Football Club.

“As a proud Wotjoboluk woman, Belinda has a wonderful understanding of the role football can play in the lives of young Indigenous Australians and she continually advocates for them to stay in the game at all levels,” he said.

“Belinda has played a critical role in the establishment and growth of the AFL’s Sportsready’s Indigenous program and is a role model within the Indigenous community – through her dedication in mentoring young Indigenous players.

“Belinda approaches the issue of reconciliation and closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia with a great sense of fair play,” Gale said.

The Grand Final Comedy Debate is an annual event recognising women who have made a significant contribution to the game of football. This is the 14thyear the prestigious Football Woman of the Year Award has been presented by the Essendon Women's Network, and it is open to any woman involved in football regardless of club or profession. There are seven criteria the recipient must demonstrate (see below).

Judging for the award is undertaken by an independent panel comprising of Andrew Demetriou (Chief Executive Officer, AFL), Caroline Wilson (Chief Football Writer, The Age) and Justice Linda Dessau (AFL Commissioner).

The recipient will have demonstrated:

  • Commitment to the support and advancement of football
  • A passion for the game
  • The ability to make a difference on the football scene
  • A keen knowledge of the game, including its history and its future
  • Club Membership
  • A willingness to publicly advocate the important role women play in football
  • A sense of humour and fair play
The following women were selected as finalists for the FWOTY award:

Cheryl Cates- President of the South Australian Women’s Football League (SAWFL)
Jo Del Prete –Advisory role to the West Australian Football Commission
Belinda Duarte -AFL’s SportsReady Indigenous Program and Director of Korin Gamadji Institute
Peta Searle -Port Melbourne Football Club Assistant Coach
Suki Hobson -Strength Scientist at the Essendon Football Club
Diana Taylor– First woman on the VFL Tribunal and President of the Western Region Football League.

Past winners of the award include; Irene Chatfield (1998), Jill Lindsay (1999), Caroline Wilson (2000), Katrina Pressley (2001), Beverly Knight (2002 – joint winner), Bev O’Connor (2002 – joint winner), Jenny Williams (2003), Edna Daniher (2004), Jennie Loughnan (2005), Barb Cullen (2006), Terry Bracks (2007), Susan Alberti (2008), Debbie Lee (2009), Anna Durante (2010) and Lesley McGrath (2011).