Are you an innovative and passionate communications professional with a keen interest in AFL? Essendon Football Club is looking for a skilled Media Manager who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is ready to help elevate our brand and build meaningful connections with fans, partners, and the media. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to one of Australia’s most iconic sporting clubs, working across high-profile events, renowned teams, and community initiatives to drive Essendon’s presence in the media and deepen engagement with our audiences.
About us
The Essendon Football Club - “The Bombers” - are a professional sporting organisation in the Australian Football League, home to several teams, including AFL, AFLW, VFL, VFLW and Wheelchair Football programs. But we’re more than the game. At Essendon, unity binds us. We firmly believe that our strength comes from standing together as One Club, embracing our rich diversity, and uniting around a shared purpose. Our passion fuels every kick, every play, and every decision.
The essence of the Essendon legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of the Australian sporting calendar, through significant events such as the ANZAC Day and Dreamtime clashes, underscoring our commemoration and connection to national identity. Our heritage sets us apart, shaping our ethos and inspiring our journey. We strive to be better every day, pushing the boundaries and relentlessly pursuing excellence. But amidst the intensity of competition, respect remains paramount. We care about our impact on others, whether it's our teammates, opponents, or our community. When we ‘Don the Sash’, we do so with unity, passion, excellence, and respect guiding our every move, Always Striving toward our next triumph on the premiership stage.
About the role
The Media Manager will play a crucial role in leading media relations, public relations, and content strategy for the AFLW and AFL programs. Reporting to the General Manager – Communications, you’ll work on enhancing Essendon’s brand by generating positive PR opportunities, creating engaging storylines, broadcast execution and coordinating impactful media coverage for our diverse range of teams and initiatives.
Your responsibilities will include leading communications planning and executing media activities for our AFLW and AFL team including Coaches, Players, and Football Staff, as well as coordinating PR efforts for the club, community outreach programs, and our sponsorship activations. On game days, you’ll facilitate media and broadcast requests for the AFLW and AFL teams, ensuring seamless collaboration with players, coaches, and media personnel.
You’ll also develop and maintain key relationships with local, national, and online media outlets, maximizing positive promotion across Essendon’s activities. Your role will include monitoring media activity, preparing timely reports for stakeholders, and managing media events such as press conferences and photo shoots. With a collaborative spirit, you’ll work closely with our digital team to deliver effective content, boost audience engagement, and execute targeted strategies that capture the essence of Essendon’s brand.
About you
You are an enthusiastic and experienced media or PR professional with a strong background in sports media. With a natural flair for storytelling and a keen news sense, you thrive in a fast-moving environment where you can apply your strong communication and relationship-building skills. You are comfortable navigating the AFL and AFLW landscape and bring a deep understanding of the game and its community, knowing what resonates with fans and stakeholders alike. Proficient in media relations, you’re known for your ability to generate impactful story ideas and manage multiple projects with attention to detail. With a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset, you remain adaptable under pressure and approach your work with professionalism, reliability, and an eagerness to make a difference.
The Perks
Our work doesn’t always fit the 9 to 5. Your life doesn’t always fit the hours around it. We offer flexibility with hybrid office / home working arrangements and hours.
More leave? Sure! EFC People are gifted up to 10 additional leave days per year taken to coincide with Footy Department mini breaks or at the discretion of the Executive Team.
Parent friendly - We put family at the centre of our work. We know they are the centre of yours. We offer paid parental leave to both the primary and non-primary carers.
Access to our Fitness & Wellbeing Benefits - including our partnership with Converge supporting a Healthy Mind, Healthy Body and Healthy Workplace; as well as heavily discounted access to our Windy Hill Fitness Centre for you and your partner.
Continuous professional development - to compete at our best we have to keep learning. It’s an expectation and a commitment we make to everyone at EFC. All EFC people will have access to the Essendon Leadership Academy which consists of face-to-face and online learning to support you in achieving your career goals.
But wait there’s more - You will have access to great benefits and discounts through our Commercial Partners. Along with two x Flexi Home & Away memberships* giving you access to our Home & Away games at Marvel Stadium and the MCG. Free onsite parking at our premium workspace, The Hangar, and more.
Please keep reading...
Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalised folks tend to only apply when they check every box. So, if you think you have what it takes, but don't necessarily meet every single point above, please still get in touch. We'd love to have a chat and see if you could be a great fit.
We pride ourselves on creating an environment of shared spirit of passion, innovation, and inclusivity. As an Equal Opportunity employer, we firmly believe that diversity and inclusion is fundamental to our success. We are united in upholding our Club-wide values and are consistently setting the benchmark both on and off the field as we strive to win our next premierships. And we wouldn’t be an elite footy club if we didn’t celebrate. All our wins matter, on and off the field, we love to reward and recognise our people from monthly barbecues to tickets to the Crichton Medal and Brownlow.
Please submit your application as soon as possible as shortlisting will commence immediately. Please include in your cover letter why you are a great fit for this role, and why you want to work with Essendon Football Club. Cover letters should be no more than two pages and outline what you can bring to this position.
With our commitment to promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our care, we undertake several screening processes to ensure this commitment is upheld. This includes ensuring all our people hold a valid employee Working with Children/Vulnerable People check and a satisfactory criminal history record check.
All applications will be treated with respect and confidentiality, including timely responses.
We politely ask not to be approached by recruitment agencies at this time.
