PORT ADELAIDE is delighted to announce Juliet Haslam has been appointed as the Club’s inaugural Head of AFLW.
Haslam, who enjoyed a stellar career representing Australia in hockey before building an impressive corporate and consultancy career, becomes Port Adelaide’s first official AFLW appointment.
Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson said today was an important day for the Port Adelaide Football Club.
“Today is a special day for the Club as it marks our first appointment in our AFLW program, and in the context of building the Port Adelaide Football Club of the future, where men and women will represent the heritage and traditions of Port Adelaide from next season onwards, it is a significant moment,” Mr Richardson said.
“We are thrilled to announce Juliet Haslam as our first Head of AFLW. Great women have always been at the forefront of our Club and Juliet continues this legacy.
“She brings a wealth of knowledge and personal experiences in elite women’s sport, both as a player and administrator.
“Juliet is one of South Australia’s most decorated athletes. She enjoyed an extraordinary playing career in hockey representing her country for 12 years, winning two Olympic Gold Medals for Australia, a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal, two World Cup Gold Medals and five Champions Trophy Gold Medals. Along with those remarkable achievements, Juliet was named in the Australian Women’s ‘Team of the Century’.
“Upon retiring as a player, Juliet has built an impressive corporate, marketing and consultancy career working for a range of organisations including Coca-Cola and Sarah Homes.
“She has also served on the Boards of Hockey SA and Hockey Australia, as well as the SA Sports Institute and the Board of Governors for the SA Hall of Fame. Most recently, Juliet has been working with the Australian Institute of Sport’s Gold Medal Ready program helping to prepare Australia’s Olympic athletes for the Tokyo Games, which was one of Australia’s most successful ever Olympic performances.
“Juliet’s experience in dealing with elite athletes at international level across a wide variety of sports enables her to bring a unique perspective and understanding to our AFLW program.
“She also has an excellent understanding of the business of sport which is invaluable as we set out to not only build a successful program on-field but ensure the integration across the various commercial areas of our Club is successful.
“Juliet is an outstanding person, with great leadership qualities and values which align with our Club. I could not think of a better person to lead the AFLW program here at Port Adelaide.”
Haslam, whose remit will include AFLW football operations, culture, coaching appointments, list management and high performance, said it was a privilege to be appointed to the role.
“To be the first official appointment within the Club's AFLW program is an honour and an opportunity I am very much looking forward to,” Haslam said.
“I’ve watched closely the development of the AFLW competition over the last five years, and to now have this opportunity to be involved and help build a successful program at my Club is incredibly exciting.
“I am excited by the Club’s bold vision, including the transformation of the Alberton Oval precinct and the important role that AFLW will play in shaping the Port Adelaide Football Club of the future.
“Our female athletes will enjoy world class training facilities and Alberton will transform into a national broadcast venue for AFLW. To provide future generations of young girls and women a pathway to represent Port Adelaide on the national stage is inspiring.
“Whilst my history with the Club brings fond memories, it’s the future of the Club that has me most excited with AFLW being an important part of that.
“Most importantly, Port Adelaide is inclusive, progressive and professional. I can’t wait to start and build an AFLW program that will give us our best opportunity for success.”
Haslam will officially commence in her role in mid-December.
Mr Richardson also confirmed Port Adelaide had secured four foundation partners for the Club’s AFLW program.
“In more great news we are delighted to announce that MG Motor, Santos, GFG and KFC are all committed as foundation partners of our AFLW program,” he said.
“We are proud to confirm that MG Motor will be our AFLW front of guernsey partner for our inaugural season. We thank the team at MG Motor, along with Santos, GFG and KFC for their commitment and support.”
“I would like to congratulate Juliet, and we all wish her and the team the greatest of fortune,” said Peter Ciao, the CEO of MG Motor Australia and New Zealand.
“At MG Motor, we understand that the journey to success is grounded in the earliest steps, and we are very honoured to accompany the Port Adelaide AFLW team in its first season.”
