AS THE AFL and Movember celebrate Ahead of the Game marking its one-year anniversary in community football, the program has officially launched in Western Australia to complete the final stage of its national rollout.

Proudly presented by Coles, the free youth mental health program teaches players, parents, coaches, umpires and volunteers to understand mental health, build mental fitness and strengthen resilience.

With players and umpires learning how to deal with challenges in both sport and life, the program aims to positively contribute to youth mental health throughout the Australian football community and sits within the AFL’s Mental Fitness Charter.

Since its inception in June last year the program has delivered 900 workshops at more than 150 local clubs across Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory – ultimately having a positive impact on more than 17,000 participants including parents and coaches.

With the program now operating at scale, Movember’s Ahead of the Game is one of the largest rollouts of a mental fitness program in sport globally, with workshops facilitated by familiar and trusted local delivery partners at clubs’ facilities before, during or after training.

In Western Australia, Youth Focus, along with headspace Armadale and headspace Mandurah, have signed on to be delivery partners of the program, and will be on the ground facilitating the workshops at clubs in the community.

AFL Head of Mental Health and Wellbeing Dr Kate Hall said she was thrilled to celebrate the program’s milestone and the completion of the national rollout.

“We’re incredibly proud to launch Ahead of the Game in Western Australia – it not only coincides with the program’s one-year anniversary, but also signifies the final stage of the national rollout, which is a big milestone we’ve been working towards,” Hall said.

“Local clubs across Western Australia can now nominate to have Ahead of the Game sessions delivered at their home ground, which will positively impact everyone at the club by giving them the tools to recognise mental health challenges, identify when and where to get help, and build resilience to deal with challenges in sport and life.

“Since launching the joint youth mental health initiative with Movember last year, the AFL have engaged 24 organisations to deliver the program in their local communities, officially training more than 220 program facilitators.

“To have reached 150 community clubs and delivered more than 900 workshops in the program’s first year has been a great achievement, but this is only the beginning of what might be possible for Ahead of the Game.

“Ahead of the Game is our flagship program in the AFL’s Mental Fitness Charter and we’re looking forward to impacting as many clubs as possible as the program moves into its second year and beyond.”

Movember’s Director, Young Men's Health Australasia and Psychologist, Tom Mulvaney said:

“Movember’s incredibly proud to have reached the final stage of the Ahead of the Game rollout across Western Australia in collaboration with the AFL.

“It comes at a significant time as we celebrate our one-year anniversary and reflect on the 150 communities we’ve reached, the 900 workshops we’ve delivered and many young Australians we’ve impacted by showing up and meeting young people where they’re at and at the places they gather.

“We’ve seen the positive effect Movember Ahead of the Game has had on grassroots AFL across the country and are committed to actively taking a preventative approach to affect real mental health outcomes for individuals, their families and their communities for future generations.”

West Australian Football Commission CEO, Michael Roberts, said by combining the efforts of various organisations and programs, initiatives such as Ahead of the Game aims to positively impact the mental health of everyone involved in our football community.

“Ahead of the Game ensures footballers, volunteers, umpires and parents have access to information and programs to better support our community,” Roberts said.

“This partnership provides our clubs with a valuable opportunity to benefit from the free workshops offered by the AFL, in collaboration with Youth Focus and headspace Armadale.

“By partnering with the AFL and Movember, the WAFC continues to provide essential support services and education to our football community.”

Angela Konstantopoulos, General Manager Health Safety and Wellbeing at Coles said:

“Community sporting clubs play a crucial role in supporting mental health and they provide a sanctuary for fostering positive mental well-being. Clubs of all shapes and sizes offer a sense of belonging, connections, promoting well-being, and supporting mental health. Participating in sports also teaches important life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and resilience – qualities that are not only beneficial on the field but also in everyday life.

“Coles is proud to support Movember’s Ahead of the Game program because we know that sporting clubs, and workplaces like our Coles stores, can serve as a gateway to accessing mental health resources, support, and training. They can provide a platform for promoting mental health awareness and breaking down stigma surrounding mental illness. So many of our team are members, or volunteers at their local footy clubs, and programs like this are a fantastic way to help communities lean into having open conversations and show genuine care for each other.

“It’s exciting to think of the impact we can have, and Coles is extremely proud to be partnering with the AFL and to be part of this program that has already achieved so much in the first 12 months since it launched.”

Mark Barrett-Lennard, Youth Focus Regional Manager of the Peel South West said:

“Around 40% of young people have experienced mental ill-health in the past 12 months alone, and programs like Ahead of the Game are so important to equip players, parents and coaches with the skills to recognise, value, and look after their mental health.”

“Youth Focus is proud to be a delivery partner for Ahead of the Game in Western Australia, working alongside the AFL, WAFC and clubs to build capacity in young players and their supporters to live mentally health lives.” 

“Footy clubs play such an important role in supporting young people as players and club members, creating connection and developing skills, which gives this program a great platform to build mental fitness and resilience, helping them to navigate life challenges.”

• For more information on Ahead of the Game, click here.

• To register your interest in hosting a workshop at your club, click here.

• To read the AFL Mental Fitness Charter, click here

About Ahead of the Game

Ahead of the Game uses sport to teach young players, parents, coaches, umpires and volunteers how to talk about mental health. The program reviews how to recognise mental health challenges facing young players, what to do and when to get help. Players learn how to build resilience and overcome challenges in sport and life.

This program is designed to engage the whole local community sport ecosystem. It includes interactive workshops and materials for community teams and their support network of parents, coaches and volunteers.

About Youth Focus

Youth Focus is the leading youth-specialist non-government mental health service provider in WA, supporting thousands of young people each year with services such as counselling and education programs like Ahead of the Game.