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The AFL Players’ Association is proud to release the first edition of the Insights and Impact Report.

The report, split into two sections, identifies the issues that impact players (insights) and the AFLPA’s work to positively address them (impact). The Association has also developed a list of recommendations to discuss with the industry to improve these areas.

This edition of the report covers the trends from the 2021 AFL season and Season 6 of AFLW, with the insights being captured through surveying the playing cohort and other relevant research.

Key areas included in the Insights and Impact Report include the AFL and AFLW football programs, player transition, concussion, societal issues, player agents and the AFLPA’s programs and services.

AFLPA CEO, Paul Marsh, said the report came about due to the PA’s unique standing in the industry and ability to influence outcomes for players.

“From an AFLPA perspective, it is a privilege to be trusted by players and clubs to solicit and share insights of the collective AFL and AFLW playing groups on a broad range of industry matters,” Marsh said.

“As part of a growing and diverse industry, the AFLPA is dedicated to capturing and amplifying the experiences of current and past players as we strive to find ways to continuously improve all facets of the game relating to players.

“The data provided in this report not only highlights the experiences players are having, but the successes we are having as an industry – stimulating ongoing conversations as to how we can become better.”

Due to the nature of the AFLPA’s work, the association operates on a confidential basis relating to its work with members, meaning it cannot reveal the specific support services provided to individuals. However, the Insights and Impact report collates aggregated data relating to the PA’s programs and services to help the industry and broader community understand the extent to which it helps players in all facets of their lives pre-and-post their football careers.

The report is publicly available and will be released annually.