Essendon Football Club

This week, we celebrated the opening night of the EFC Academy (EFCA) in partnership with Essendon Football Club at the NEC Hangar. The evening began with introductions from Essendon Football Club liaisons Kristen Bull (she/her) and Mark Bolton, followed by a warm welcome speech from our College Principal, Dr Michael Davies. The highlight of the night was an engaging Q&A session with AFL player Xavier Duursma, and former St Bernard’s old collegians and current Essendon Football Club staff, James Polkinghorne and Chris Byrne. It was wonderful to hear our old collegians speak fondly of their time at the College and remind students how fortunate they are to have the facilities and opportunities available at St Bernard’s. They shared valuable insights into life behind the scenes at the AFL, offering great advice on stepping out of comfort zones and making introductions, as these small actions can open doors in the future. Their anecdotes added a touch of humour to the evening. This exciting new opportunity at St Bernard’s College promises to open doors, providing our students with invaluable experiences and connections. The event offered a fascinating look into the diverse roles and responsibilities within the AFL, showcasing the extensive work behind the scenes by both players and support staff. We are immensely grateful to offer this new opportunity to our students. Thank you to the Essendon Football Club for making this night possible and for this new partnership. We eagerly anticipate the growth of our students and the EFCA program throughout 2025 and beyond. We are excited to see our students embark on this journey and can’t wait to witness the amazing things they will achieve. #EFCA #EssendonFC #AFL #StudentOpportunities #StBernardsCollege #AchievingExcellencebyLearningandDoing #LeadersInBoysEducation #TheManHeWillBecome

We extend our congratulations to Neale Daniher on being named the 2025 Australian of the Year. This prestigious award is a testament to Neale's unwavering courage, his tireless advocacy, and his profound impact on the fight against Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

We're proud to share some of the key highlights from the EEA over the years, showcasing the incredible growth of the EEA program and the positive impact we've made together. From our students' achievements to the placement initiatives that continue to drive our mission forward, these milestones are a testament to what’s possible when education, leadership, and community come together. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey – staff, students, partners, and supporters. Here's to building an even brighter future! RMIT University Essendon Football Club Calder Cannons Apogee Sports

2024 was another fantastic year for the club off the field, as we continue to strengthen our connection with the community. We're proud to share some of the key highlights from the year, showing the impact, we've made together. 

We’re excited to launch our 2025 EFC Network program!    Find out how you can unlock your business potential by getting in touch with Carli Cook or Caroline Lowe today or hit the link below to learn more.   Find out more: https://lnkd.in/gdYSzh3p

The final results are in for our 2024 Election of Directors. Read below.

A memorable day for around 170 of our staff and players (both AFL & Wheelchair) who took part in our International Day of People with Disability celebration. Drawing on this year’s theme of “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future”, our aim was to be inspired and educated by the amazing people within our own community. This included Chris Henderson, Jessica Gallagher, our Wheelchair team captain, James Leonard and Kyle Langford Hugely grateful for the passion that our brilliant working group put into the day. We left every meeting feeling so energised and excited by the vision we built for the event, which was for the day to be informative, experiential and fun! 🤩 Kristen Bull (she/her) Tim Nield Uriah Matenga Amelia New James Leonard Shane Abdilla Brendan Hitchens 🤩 We packed a lot into the 90 minutes, including Auslan lessons, Blind Football and Wheelchair Football, to name a few, plus a wonderful football clinic with participants from What Ability. https://lnkd.in/g_m3jrGJ

A special all-of-club event today as EFC celebrated International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD). With activities ranging from blind and wheelchair football to Auslan teachings, new perspectives were offered for over 170 players + staff involved. Read more about the afternoon below.

“Our partnership will continue to explore opportunities to generate a competitive advantage across both the men’s and women’s football programs, by tapping into our innovative technology and high-performance data and analytics.” - NEC Australia CEO, Jason Price.

Experience all the best moments of the 2025 AFL season in style with our match day packages. Whether you’re looking to entertain clients, reward staff, or celebrate a special occasion, our wide range of premium hospitality offerings can suit any occasion. View all 2025 packages now. https://lnkd.in/gBB4xi7t