THE AFL, in partnership with AAMI, has announced a new scholarship program which will support young Indigenous and Multicultural footballers in their journey through the AFL Talent Pathway.
The AAMI Indigenous and Multicultural Scholarship Program will provide financial assistance to 50 young Indigenous and Multicultural footballers from across Australia. All recipients are members of AFL national or state-based talent programs.
Players will share in $100,000 of funding which will assist with covering football and travel expenses, and support development opportunities for the game’s future stars.
Nominations for the AAMI Indigenous and Multicultural Scholarship Program were submitted earlier this year, with successful applicants confirmed this week following an extensive selection process.
The successful applicants include 25 male and 25 females footballers aged between 16 to 19 years of age.
The scholarship program features three categories:
Tools of the Trade: Providing support for essential items that enable participation in football talent programs (eg: registration fees, private health, wellbeing support, uniforms)
Transport and Logistics: Support for travel costs that make it difficult to attend training or program commitments (eg: regional travel, taxi vouchers, family-related transport expenses)
Relocation: Supporting players who relocate to access additional structured football development
AFL General Manager Game Development, Rob Auld said: “The AAMI Indigenous and Multicultural Scholarship Program has been introduced to empower, progress and inspire our game’s next generation of Indigenous and Multicultural talent.
“The 50 players selected for the program have all shown great dedication to pursuing excellence on and off the field. The scholarship will assist them to reach their full potential by helping to remove hurdles as they progress through their football journey.
“The scholarship also supports the AFL’s First Nations Strategy, which has set a clear goal to grow First Nations representation at the elite level by 2030.”
AFL Diversity Talent Programs Manager, Narelle Long, said: “By improving access to Talent Pathways programs, the AAMI Indigenous and Multicultural Scholarship Program will empower recipients as they chase their AFL and AFLW dreams.
“The scholarship reinforces our commitment to nurturing and inspiring talented young footballers from diverse backgrounds and providing an environment which enables them to thrive as athletes and leaders and represent their community with pride.”
Suncorp Executive General Manager Brand and Customer Experience, Mim Haysom said:“Announcing the AAMI Indigenous and Multicultural Scholarship Program during the 2026 Sir Doug Nicholls Round is especially meaningful for AAMI, as it’s a time when the AFL celebrates the contribution of First Nations people to the game.
“Through AAMI’s long standing partnership with the AFL, we’re proud to invest in programs that create real opportunity.
“By helping cover practical costs such as equipment, travel and relocation, AAMI is supporting young Indigenous and Multicultural players to stay connected to their communities while progressing through the AFL talent pathway.”
The announcement of the AAMI Indigenous and Multicultural Scholarship Program coincides with the 2026 Sir Doug Nicholls Round, where the AFL industry celebrates the excellence and the contribution of First Nations people to the game.
Thanks to AAMI, a host of AAMI Indigenous and Multicultural Scholarship Program recipients will take part in a match-day experience during Friday’s Dreamtime at the ‘G clash between Richmond and Essendon.
AAMI is again supporting the Dreamtime at the ‘G Community Ticketing Scheme this year, providing thousands of tickets to First Nations individual and community groups to be able to experience the match.
