AFL Northern Territory is thrilled to announce Eastside Football Club premiership-winning player and NTFL Representative player Crystal Browne as the Northern Territory’s 2023 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador.
Community football is driven by great people and seven representatives from local clubs across the country who have made outstanding contributions to the women’s game have been recognised as 2023 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassadors.
Established in 2021, the AFLW Community Ambassador program recognises members from the football community who have been instrumental in facilitating and nurturing the remarkable growth of women's and girls’ football.
Crystal Browne has been a massive push behind the Senior Women’s competition in the Big Rivers Football League. She pushed for the competition to expand to allow women to play Australian football competitively in the region. She organised games throughout the years between Katherine-based players to play off as an opener to the men’s before the expansion and organised a one-off game between a Katherine representative team to play against Kununurra.
She was the first women’s coach of Eastside Football Club, winning them their first premiership and captaining another premiership. She’s a big advocate for the development and inclusion of junior players within the squads.
Known as the first one to training and the last to leave, always willing to help develop players' skills and knowledge. She’s put her hand up to help the club in a new committee role as president after the club was on the brink of folding. It's well known Eastside FC wouldn’t be where we are today without her.
Participants selected for the 2023 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador program are Crystal Browne (Eastside FC, NT), Vanessa Creeley (Sarina Demons AFC, Bakers Creek AFC, and Wilston Grange AFC, QLD), Kathryn Lee (Lockleys JFC, SA), Taneil Bloomfield (Deloraine FC, TAS), Annette Maloney (Port Melbourne Colts JFC, VIC) and Eshe Christie (Kalgoorlie City FC and Goldfields Football League, WA) who were selected by the AFL for their significant service to women’s football.
Each Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador receives a $1,000 grant from the Women’s Football Fund to donate to the club of their choice and the opportunity to be involved in the 2023 NAB AFLW Finals Series.
AFL General Manager of Women’s Football, Nicole Livingstone, said that the growth in popularity of women and girls football has been driven by the incredible contributions of so many, which is what the 2023 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador program sets out to recognise.
“The Chemist Warehouse AFL Community Ambassador program provides a great opportunity to thank and acknowledge the tireless and important contributions of those who give so much to women and girls football.
“On behalf of the AFL, I want to thank the individuals who have been recognised as well as all the wonderful people who are the lifeblood of community football across the country. Without you all, our game would not thrive as it does.
“A heartfelt acknowledgment of the family and friends of Nadene McBride, as well as all those from the Singleton Roosters and the Hunter Central Coast region who knew Nadene. Her contribution to the game and community was clearly profound and we know the community would be doing it tough. Our thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved Nadene.
“I also thank Chemist Warehouse for their support of the community ambassador program and for continuing to back women and girls football, including the AFLW competition.”
Chemist Warehouse Director, Mario Tascone said the powerhouse pharmacy retailer is proud to be supporting the second year of the program.
“Chemist Warehouse is thrilled to be supporting the 2023 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassador program and acknowledge the tremendous work of this year’s community football representatives.
“Chemist Warehouse has supported the AFLW competition since its inception and we look forward to continuing to champion women’s football throughout the community and at an elite level.”
See here for more information on each of the 2023 Chemist Warehouse AFLW Community Ambassadors.