Bond partnership to develop next generation of female stars

AFL Queensland Chief Executive Officer, Dean Warren joined Bond University Executive Director of Sport, Garry Nucifora today (Tuesday, 28 March) to announce a new partnership to support talented young female AFL players in Queensland.

The two-year deal will see Bond University sponsor the Female High Performance Program including the AFL Queensland Youth Girls Championships and Youth Girls Talent Academy.

Held each October, the Youth Girls Championships sees Under 18 representative sides from across Queensland and the Northern Rivers compete for state title honours over three divisions.

The AFL Queensland Youth Girls Talent Academy provides an elite training and development program for Queensland’s most promising female players.

Bond University will also be the official naming rights sponsor of the Queensland Women’s Australian Football League (QWAFL), which will see the Bond University logo included on venue signage, player’s apparel and the competition balls.

Bond has a strong association with AFL. Its men’s senior team has won two of its last three premierships and Bond’s women’s team, now in its third year, has shown remarkable growth and progress over its short history.

The university is also the Official Coaches Partner of the Brisbane Lions Women’s team.

Bond’s vision is to be Australia’s leading destination for Sports Education and the university is already home to Olympic and world champion elite athletes across multiple sports.

AFL Queensland CEO Dean Warren said the new partnership would play a key role in developing the next generation of female AFL stars.

“We look forward to working in partnership with Bond University to provide an aspirational pathway for female players, coaches, umpires and administrators with strong linkages between our Female High Performance Program, the QWAFL competition and the AFL Women’s League,” said Mr Warren.

“The Bond philosophy that ‘the future belongs to those that are making history now, the quick thinkers acting on their feet, and the innovators blazing new trails’ fits perfectly with the evolution of Female football in Queensland.  

“The AFL is making history now through a spirit of innovation and the courage to blaze a new trail with the introduction of the AFL Women’s League and the strengthening of underpinning second tier competitions and female high performance programs.”

Bond Executive Director of Sport Garry Nucifora said the University was very proud to partner with AFL Queensland in the support and development of young female talent.

“Bond is a staunch champion of women’s sport at all levels, from grassroots through to elite, and we are renowned internationally for our high-performance programs for athletes,” he said.

“So for us, this partnership with AFL Queensland is a great fit and natural extension of what we do here at Bond which is help young athletes to realise their ambitions and maximise their full potential,” he said.

“As we witnessed here on the Gold Coast at Saturday’s women’s grand final - there has never been a more exciting time to get behind women’s AFL, and we are proud to be part of the story of its development into the future.”

The Bond University QWAFL Competition kicks off this Saturday, April 1.