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Author: Peter Oxenham

QAFLW Women’s Sustainability Subcommittee

Yeronga South Brisbane AFL Club delivers on our commitments to our girls and Women to create a QAFLW Women’s Sustainability Subcommittee (Seniors) to rebuild the program and drive growth into excellence.

Yeronga South Brisbane and Yeronga Junior AFL Club are pleased to announce the formation of a dedicated QAFLW Women’s Sustainability Subcommittee to oversee, implement and guide of soon to be appointed Director of Football re our QAFLW program which includes team development, player recruitment, coaching support and overall sustainable growth back to being competitive.

The committee comprises four highly respected sporting leaders — Adam CareyRhan HooperJack Hurst and Craig Fletcher — each bringing extensive expertise to guide the continued growth and success of the QAFLW program.

Adam Carey brings a strong focus on governance and program development. A former professional tennis player, Adam holds a Master’s degree in Coaching and has had an extensive career both in Australia and internationally. He spent over a decade in the United States working as a coach, USTA program leader, Division I collegiate head coach, and program director for the Andre Agassi Foundation. Since returning to Australia, Adam has held key roles within Tennis Australia’s performance department, including National Head Coach and National Women’s Coach. In his current role as Director of Coaching at Tennis Australia, he leads national high-performance strategy, player development frameworks, and coach education programs, working with elite athletes and coaches across the country.

Rhan Hooper is a former AFL player, having represented the Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn Football Clubs. A proud Kooma and Kunja man, Rhan is now a cultural educator, artist, and coach, with a strong focus on developing Indigenous players through coaching. He is also deeply committed to the growth and advancement of women’s football, working to strengthen the QAFLW program and provide meaningful opportunities for female players to reach their potential. His focus with Yeronga will be on program development and recruitment, drawing on his professional playing and coaching experience to strengthen the QAFLW program and support players transitioning into higher levels of competition.

Jack Hurst is a true contributor to club sport, dedicating near full-time hours each week to both AFL and cricket. In AFL, Jack is a Level 3 AFL Coach and long-standing member of Yeronga South Brisbane AFL Club, currently coaching girls’ football where his daughter is a current player. He has previously served as colts coach and senior coach, with a strong record in developing players and supporting their transition from youth to senior football. In cricket, Jack is the current Head Coach at Souths Cricket, where he leads the First Grade program. Jack has also held roles as Chair of Selectors and has enjoyed premiership success as a senior coach. His extensive involvement in both sports reflects his deep commitment to athlete development and creating strong pathways for young players.

Craig Fletcher is well placed to play a tactical role to position the Club for the future due to his long experience in AFL in Victoria and Queensland – and the fact that he is a Father of an up and coming youth girls player who aspires, one day, to pull on a senior QAFLW jersey and play for our great Yeronga Women’s Team. Craig’s footy journey started in Gisbourne and rose to him being selected to wear the “Big V” whilst representing Victoria. Craig combined love for his daughter and love for AFL has driven him forward to dedicate countless hours and effort to see this all through to ultimate success – a competitive QAFLW Yeronga Team, winning more games than we lose in the next short to medium term.

Together, this subcommittee will provide structure, strategic direction, tactical positioning and mentoring for the coaching team and the incoming Director of Football, ensuring the QAFLW program rebuilds in the short to medium term, then becomes competitive in the medium to long term.

Presidents Peter Oxenham (Junior Club) and John Robinson (Senior Club) said:

“This is a very important milestone for our club. Adam, Rhan, Jack and Craig bring not only exceptional credentials, but also a shared passion for developing players, supporting coaches, and strengthening pathways for women in our great game. We are now excited about the future of our QAFLW program under their guidance, have learnt from the past, and ready to grow quicky for the future.”

Largest Girls AFL Club in Queensland

We’re thrilled to announce that we’re now the largest junior & youth girls football club in QLD!

You can read more about our program here.

Our thanks to our 2021 working group

  • Necole Wolf- Age Group Coordinator, Parent, Social Worker
  • Kim Bridle- Club Secretary, Youth Parent, Age Group Coordinator  
  • Belinda Scarth-Johnson- Team Manager, Youth Parent
  • Helena McNaught- Coach, Youth Parent, AFLQ

In consultation with 

  • YJAFC Committee
  • Emily Bates- Lifetime Devil & AFLW Player
  • Lexia Edwards- 2021/22 Yeronga QAWFL Head Coach & Representative AFL Player
  • Megan Green -GM People & Organisational Development Gold Coast Suns & Former Multi Sport Representative Athlete
  • Ben Blythe- Youth Parent and Coach 
  • David Hodge- Youth Parent, Director Athletes Agency International, Former Head Coach Tennis Australia, RISE Sport Director
  • Joel Archbald- Level III Coach, club parent

Inspire Strength & Conditioning Program

Strength & Conditioning Program – Injury Prevention & Performance 🏋️

We’re excited to introduce a new Strength & Conditioning Program in partnership with Inspire Health Services to help our U13-U17 players stay strong, fit, and injury-free throughout the season.

Why is this important?
Injury prevention is key to keeping our players on the field and performing at their best. This program is designed to identify injury risks, improve strength, and teach best-practice warm-ups to enhance performance and reduce setbacks.

What’s included?

Team & Individual Assessments

  • Team testing at multiple points in the season (pre-season, mid-season, end-of-season) to track development.
  • Individual assessments at Inspire’s West End or Albion clinics, with personalised feedback from a qualified expert.
  • Girls Monday March 24th @ 6:30 – 7:30 
  • Boys Monday March 17th @ 6:30 – 7:30 

Warm-Up Protocol Training

  • Inspire will run two training sessions at Yeronga for each age group to introduce a structured warm-up routine.

Personalised Strength & Conditioning Sessions

  • Weekly small-group training at Inspire’s West End clinic (6-10 players per session)
  • Block of approx. 10 sessions per school term
  • Cost $125 for the 10 sessions (the club are subsidising 50% of the total cost of $25 per session)

This is a fantastic opportunity for our players to develop strength, prevent injuries, and take their game to the next level. We encourage all players to get involved, especially in the team assessments and warm-up training sessions.

For more details, speak with your coach or contact the club. Let’s keep our players strong and ready for a big season ahead! 💪🔴⚫

2025 Training times

Footy is almost back.

Here are the training times for this year.

Note that there may be some changes during the season due to scheduling challenges.

See our Register page for more details.

Coaching EOI 2025

Yeronga Juniors AFL Club is seeking passionate and dedicated coaches for the upcoming 2025 season. If you have a love for footy, enjoy working with young athletes, and want to help shape the future of our club, we’d love to hear from you! Positions are available across all age groups.

To express your interest, please submit this form.

Help us continue to develop the next generation of Yeronga footy stars!

Kubb’s on St Pats Day

Our first social event for the year, Kubb with some Irish flare, is being held on Sunday, 17 March. Its a great opportunity for families new and old to catch up and celebrate the season ahead.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • It’s a knock-out competition, with teams of 2-3 (each team member must be aged 8+).
  • Each team gets a minimum of three games.
  • $50 per team – register your team here.
  • Great cash prizes to be won for 1st, 2nd and 3rd (60% of game fees will go into prize money – cha-ching!)
  • Prize for best-dressed team – St Patricks Day is the theme!
  • Comp is capped at 30 teams so register ASAP.
  • No Kubb experience? No problem!

There will be a great space for the kids, with a dedicated (non-competitive) Kubb field for the little ones, outdoor activities and more!

The canteen will be open for food and refreshments.

Auskick 2024 – Register NOW

NAB AFL Auskick is back at our club! Registrations are open and we can’t wait to see you at the Mighty Yeronga Devils Auskick!

Starting Saturday 24th February @ 8:30am at Yeronga for 8 weeks! Only $90 and you get an amazing benefits pack.

Click here to register and become a Yeronga Auskicker! Register Here

2024 Youth Coaching Expressions of Interest now open!

We are seeking expressions of interest to join our existing youth boys and girls coaching team.

All levels of experience are encouraged to reach out.

Our coaches benefit from external strength and conditioning for their teams and opportunities to develop their own skills through coaching courses.

Roles include assisting our current coaches as well as head coaching opportunities. You’ll have the support of the entire club as well as strong parent involvement to help in the role.

Reach out via yerongajuniorafc@gmail.com