McCartney, 35, played a total of 182 games across a 13-season career with Collingwood, Adelaide and North Melbourne, and had been the AFL’s Youth and High Performance Co-Ordinator. McCartney commenced with the AFL in 2004, heading up AFL Youth Leadership Seminars that have reached more than 70,000 students across Australia.
AFL General Manager of Development David Matthews said McCartney had forged a strong playing career, but it is his time since he left the game that has marked him as a leader of the highest quality. “He has been instrumental in developing our youth plans including the Indigenous youth leadership programs, the Qantas AFL KickStart Camp and the Flying Boomerangs, and his transition into the talent area was a natural progression in 2006,” Matthews said.
The Director of the AIS, Professor Peter Fricker welcomed the appointment of McCartney.
‘Jason is a person of tremendous character who will greatly enhance the AIS/AFL Academy in helping build Australia’s future in the Australian Football arena through the development of talented young players,’ Professor Fricker said.
‘He has an intimate knowledge of the program having worked under Alan McConnell as an assistant coach for the past four years and having played 182 AFL games across a 13-season career is perfectly placed to guide Australia’s talented young athletes in their quest for excellence.’
AFL Talent Manager, Kevin Sheehan said McCartney’s extensive experience in recent years as a key member of the AFL’s elite talent programs had made him the perfect replacement for McConnell.
“Jason has the capacity to inspire people to get the best from themselves and is a tremendous mentor to young people,” Sheehan said.
“This role has a focus on two vital areas -- talent development and coach education and Jason is extremely well prepared to make a significant contribution in both areas at all levels of Australian football," he said.
McCartney will be responsible for the elite AIS-AFL Academy program, which draws its players from the NAB AFL Under 16 and Under 18 Championships, and then prepares them for the drafting process and senior AFL football.
“It is a great privilege to be appointed to this position. I am very passionate about developing young men to be better players and better people and having worked in the program for more than three years and I am now really looking forward to the challenge of leading it” McCartney said.
