An innovative research project into gender equity across the AFL industry has revealed a series of structural and cultural dynamics that are getting in the way of women playing a more meaningful role in Australian Football.

The research project, Gender Equity: What Will It Take To Be The Best, was developed by the Richmond Football Club and delivered in partnership with the Australian Football League (AFL) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).

The research found that although the AFL industry was ‘heading in the right direction’ and at the forefront of Australian sports seeking to change mindsets, there is still much work to be done to achieve genuine equity for females at all levels of the game.

The research – conducted by Dr Pippa Grange and Paul Oliver of Bluestone Edge - saw interviews conducted with almost 60 women and men, from inside and outside the AFL industry who provided valuable insights on the barriers and challenges for women in sport.

The report found the situation today is better than ever but that there was still a significant shift required, coupled with strong, clear and definitive actions, to support women and create attractive and viable career options at the elite-level.

The report findings identified a number of themes such as the equity mindset based on a largely male tradition in Australian sport; the need to redefine the type of support required for women in sport to achieve meaningful change; tackling the way women are often portrayed in football by the media and the industry itself; and the need for more flexible work practices and career paths.

A series of recommendations will be used by the Richmond football Club to inform specific intervention strategies to deliver measurable outcomes over the next two years. Subsequent learnings will then be shared with the AFL industry and elite-level sport across Australia more broadly. The report found that to respond to the industry challenges, the Club would need to address:

  • The physical and symbolic visibility of women in football
  • The way people are recruited into the game and developed in and across roles
  • The way the story of the game, and the women and men within it, is told
  • The flexibility and innovation of organisational structure and practice
  • The way performance is measured and the limited knowledge about how diversity can drive performance
  • The deep unconscious biases about gender roles and capabilities


The resulting recommendations to help embed gender equity and diversity in an organisation fit under four distinct categories:

Structural – the way the organisation operates
Cultural – the way the organisation behaves
Leadership – the way change is driven
Business – the way results are enabled

Recommended intervention strategies under each of these headlines can be found in an abridged version of the report at www.richmondfc.com.au/genderequity

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale said the industry should be excited by the findings and that Richmond looked forward to applying the learnings and creating genuine change.

“This is a unique and robust report that will provide a genuine foundation for Richmond Football Club to more effectively address the issue of gender equity,” Gale said.

“This is a critical issue for the industry that is ultimately about driving improved business outcomes. It will take time but we want our interventions to effect this organisation from the boardroom and staff through to our supporter base.

“Some observations in the report are uncomfortable but real change always requires a level of discomfort. We are committed to developing a business that embraces diversity and delivers a more holistic decision-making process that will ultimately deliver a better football club for our supporters.”

AFL General Manager, People, Customer & Community, Dorothy Hisgrove congratulated Richmond FC for its initiative and welcomed the report, saying it contained lessons for other sports and all sectors of the community.

“Women have always been a significant part of the AFL’s fan base and there are growing numbers of females participating in roles as diverse as trainers, umpires and coaches to management, club directors and AFL Commissioners,” Ms Hisgrove said.

“However, the AFL acknowledged earlier this year the need, and expressed an appetite, to better address gender inequity throughout the game, particularly at the leadership and governance level.

“As the report identifies, if the AFL wants to stay at the forefront of sport in this country there is an immediate and pressing business case for getting better at diversity and attracting the best talent for positions across the industry.”

Ms Hisgrove said the research validated the changes already underway as part of the AFL’s Gender Strategy and provided motivation and learnings to accelerate change and achieve much more.

Australian Sports Commission chief executive Simon Hollingsworth praised the Richmond Football Club for tackling the gender equity issue.

"This research aligns with the Australian Sports Commission's commitment to increasing the representation of women and girls at all levels of sport," Hollingsworth said.

"We are really encouraged by the leadership of Richmond President Peggy O'Neal and CEO Brendon Gale in backing up their words with action.  These issues are often spoken about but are yet to deliver significant material outcomes.  The Tigers are walking the talk and we look forward to continuing that journey with them."

"The ASC will use the lessons of this research across the sport sector to lead to further positive change."