Tackle Ready 

Team: Tom Gastin (Football Operations), Jess Wethered (Game Development) and Richard Quail (Legal & Regulatory)  

Tackle Ready tackled one of the game's most important challenges: reducing concussion risk through better tackling education. The team identified that traditional tackle bags can reinforce techniques that are now considered dangerous, particularly for junior players, and proposed the development of AFL-specific training equipment designed to teach safe tackling from the grassroots level. 

Their idea combined bespoke training equipment with coach and player education, aiming to build safer habits, increase parent confidence, and demonstrate the AFL's commitment to player welfare. Funding was proposed to support research, prototyping and pilot programs through Auskick, with the long-term ambition of rolling the solution out nationally.  

Impact: A grassroots-first innovation focused on making football safer by teaching the next generation correct tackling technique before dangerous habits are formed. 
 

Willy Wagtales 

Team: Clare Dale (Game Development Brand & Experience), Ali Rados (Licensing), Beth Wallis (AFL Studios) and Marty Cook (AFL Studios). 

Willy Wagtails was a bold audience growth idea designed to connect the AFL with the next generation of fans through children's entertainment. The team proposed creating an AFL-owned universe of characters centred around a group of Australian birds who learn teamwork, resilience, creativity and friendship through footy-inspired adventures. Rather than relying solely on participation programs, the concept aimed to reach children where they already seek entertainment and use storytelling to build a lifelong connection to the game. 

The vision extended beyond a single product, with a roadmap spanning books, animated content, participation experiences, merchandise and commercial partnerships. The team sought seed funding to launch the first children's books, prove demand and create a foundation for a larger entertainment ecosystem designed to drive future participation and fandom among Generation Alpha.  

Impact: A long-term growth play that reimagined the AFL as a children's entertainment brand, using storytelling to create new fans before they ever set foot on a football field.