SUNS AFLW star Jamie Stanton is honing her craft in a different way this AFLW off-season, as she explores her interests in pursuing a media career post-football.
Last week, Stanton was one of 18 AFLW players who participated in the AFL’s inaugural Workplay development program, aimed at supporting AFLW and VFLW athletes and umpires transitioning from elite football systems to the workforce.
Over the two-day intensive Media and Broadcast Career Pathways Program, athletes undertook a variety of training sessions, gained valuable insights from industry experts and developed their sports media career strategies.
“It was really good to learn about the different departments and what they all do in their different media roles and broadcasting roles, whether that be learning how to interview,learning how to call commentary or learning what the social media team does,” Stanton told SUNS Media.
“I learned about some departments that I didn't think I would be interested in, but definitely piqued some interest.”
Crowned the SUNS’ first-ever AFLW Club Champion in 2020 and recognised as one of the most consistent and fierce competitors in the league, Stanton, is looking to expand her talent horizons beyond football.
“I do a little bit for the ABC already in terms of the special comments. So, I was looking to get better in that department so that I can perform better,” she said.
“I was also looking at what options there are post playing and seeing what doors [may] open up.
“Personally, I learned a lot about commentary and how to do play-by-play. So, trying to expand that skill set is probably the next stage for me.”
AFL Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial, Bec Haagsma highlighted how the Media and Broadcast Career Pathways Program will support the growth of women’s representation and voices in sports media.
“The inaugural Media and Broadcast Careers Program is a fabulous Workplay initiative, and I’m proud our team at the AFL have conceived, initiated and brought this to life,” Ms Haagsma said.
“We saw an amazing athlete uptake for the program and I’m excited to see the development of this talented cohort and the influence they’ll have on our fans and audiences – they’re importantly driving an increase in women contributing to our sports media landscape.
Stanton said she gained valuable insights from the program which would help her in her future media career.
“I think it would definitely be worth attending for anyone,” Stanton encouraged.
“Meeting the particular people that are in the door of those places and how open they were to providing help and guidance [at the workshop and beyond] was a highlight.”
