The AFLW List and Recruitment Manager is responsible for identifying, assessing, and acquiring top talent through the AFLW Draft, free agency, and trades. This role involves managing player contract negotiations, ensuring compliance with AFLW regulations, and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders such as player managers, AFLW clubs, and other industry figures. You’ll lead recruitment efforts, develop player profiles, and collaborate with coaching, medical, and welfare staff to ensure the integration and ongoing development of new talent.
The opportunity to lead our AFLW recruitment strategy offers you a chance to leave a lasting impact on the future of our team and the club. Your decisions will play a critical role in shaping the team’s success, not just for the season ahead, but for years to come. At St Kilda, we are committed to growth, innovation, and continuous improvement, and we believe that through bringing in top talent, you will help us build a legacy. Join us in this pivotal role and be part of a journey that will define the next era of our AFLW program.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Key Responsibilities:
- Talent Identification & Recruitment Strategy: Identify and rank prospective players, attend games across Australia, and lead recruitment efforts aligned with St Kilda’s long-term vision.
- Player Acquisition: Work closely with coaching, medical, and welfare teams to secure and integrate talent, ensuring continuous evaluation and feedback.
- Stakeholder Management & Industry Relations: Build relationships with player managers, AFLW clubs, and other key industry figures. Represent St Kilda at key events and meetings.
- Player Contracts and Compliance: Lead contract negotiations, ensuring alignment with budget and AFLW regulations. Oversee Total Player Payments (TPP) to maintain salary cap compliance.
- Reporting, Analysis & Recruitment Planning: Maintain detailed player profiles, provide regular analysis, and support the development of short- and long-term list management strategies.
ABOUT YOU
We are looking for someone who can bring either direct experience or transferable skills to this role, with a strong ability to adapt and apply their capability in a recruitment or high-performance environment.
While experience in AFLW regulations, the Draft process, and player contracts is advantageous, we highly value your ability to manage complex processes, negotiate effectively, and lead teams in fast-paced settings. Strong analytical skills are crucial—being able to assess and interpret data to make informed decisions is essential. Equally important is your ability to identify and respond to strategic needs, ensuring that recruitment decisions align with the program's mid to long-term goals. Your capacity to work under pressure, make strategic decisions, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders will make you an invaluable asset to our team.
Desirable experience:
- Deep understanding of AFLW regulations, the Draft process, trade negotiations and player contract structures.
- High proficiency in using sports analysis tools (e.g., SportsCode, Champion Data).
Key Profile Strengths for Success in this Role:
To excel as the AFLW List & Recruiting Manager, you’ll need the following strengths:
- Strategic Vision – The ability to think long-term, identify emerging trends, and anticipate the evolving needs of a program or team.
- Analytical Skills – Proficiency in assessing data, evaluating performance metrics, and identifying key patterns.
- Negotiation & Communication – Expertise in negotiating favorable terms and managing complex discussions with multiple parties.
- Thriving Under Pressure – Maintaining focus, making critical decisions, and staying calm in high-pressure, time-sensitive situations.
- Results-Oriented – A results-driven mindset focused on achieving set goals and continuously improving performance.
- Stakeholder Management – The ability to build, maintain, and leverage relationships with key individuals or groups.
Please keep reading...
Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalised folks tend to only apply when they check every box. So if you think you have what it takes, but don't necessarily meet every single point above, please still get in touch. We'd love to have a chat and see if you could be a great fit.
If you are passionate about building a strong AFLW team and shaping the future of St Kilda Football Club, we’d love to hear from you!
The St Kilda Football Club is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds to apply. This includes, but is not limited to, those from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and LGBTIQ communities.
