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 Carey, Rhan Hooper, Jack 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.”