WHEN Jennifer Watt was appointed North Melbourne CEO, it wasn't a surprise when her phone blew up.

But what caused Watt to pause and reflect was the reaction of women from outside her personal circle.

In the first episode of the new season of League Leaders podcast, AFL general manager of women's football Nicole Livingstone sits down with Watt after a few months in the job.

"When I got the job, I was inundated with text messages and emails of support and congratulations, which was so beautiful. It absolutely overwhelmed me," Watt said.

"But what I was really taken aback by was people sending me screenshots of group chats of young women who I'd never even met, talking about how this was a great day in the industry, and 'I'm going to do this too'.

"I feel a great sense of responsibility to do a good job for all of those people who would like to do this in the future as well. There's absolutely no reason why there won't and shouldn't be more, and I hope this does open the door, and I hope I don't muck it up, so doors keep opening."

41:44

League Leaders: Jen Watt on her path to North CEO

Nicole Livingstone is joined by Jen Watt to discuss how she became the CEO of North Melbourne, the advice she received along the way and when she knew she could take on one of the toughest jobs in football.

Watt, who has formed the first all-female AFL CEO-President combination with Sonja Hood, is just the second woman to have been appointed a club CEO after Hawthorn's Tracey Gaudry (May-October 2017).

"But there's pathway issues, there's bias issues, there's fear – you have to remember boards are making these decisions to appoint these people, and they love their clubs and they want to make good decisions, and it hasn't happened much before, and we haven't seen things happen, it's the unknown, isn't it?" Watt said.

"But it's definitely changing, there are some great female executives in the industry, at every level there's some super talent coming through, so it will change.

"But it's frustrating it's taken some time. People outside our industry think, 'what?' And it's hard to explain, but I think when you're in it, you see how it's happened, and now hopefully the tide's turning."

League Leaders is a vodcast hosted by AFL General Manager Women’s Football Nicole Livingstone. It will tell the stories of the women in the AFL in ways you’ve never heard before. 

The League Leaders podcast series will be released fortnightly beginning Wednesday March 8.

Missed season one of League Leaders? Click here to catch up