Coles

A new partnership between Essendon Football Club and Coles is set to help Tiwi female football players to realise their dreams of becoming AFLW players.

The five-year partnership aims to unearth the newest stars of the AFLW by providing new opportunities for talented female footballers to make their way through Essendons Tiwi Pathway Program to the VFLW.

Talented footballers from the Tiwi Islands will live, train and play in Melbourne for Essendons VFLW team and receive mentoring and support from Coles, the largest private-sector employer of Indigenous Australians with more than 4,400 team members working across the country.

The young female talent will have a full immersive experience at the Club, focused on professional and personal development, elite training and preparation.

Coles becomes the official partner of the Bombers Tiwi Womens Pathway Program, the official supermarket partner of the Essendon Football Club and the official shorts partner of the clubs VFL Womens Team. The partnership is in addition to Coles support of the AFLW and AFL competitions which will see a focus on important issues such as health, nutrition, inclusion and community support.

Coles Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Ronson said Coles is excited to partner with the Essendon Football Club to inspire and support young Indigenous female footballers from the Tiwi Islands.

Supporting Indigenous communities is something we are passionate about at Coles. We are so inspired by the stories of these incredibly talented women and are delighted to be supporting them on their journey from the Tiwi Islands to Melbourne and hopefully help them realise their dreams of playing in the AFLW, she said.

Essendon Chief Commercial Officer Justin Rodski said it was a truly immersive partnership that would strengthen the Clubs female football pathways.

We are so proud to align with a national brand like Coles, who like our organisation, are genuine and committed to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities right across Australia, he said.

This partnership also reflects both organisations investment into providing mentoring and professional development opportunities for young female football talent in remote communities like the Tiwi Islands, while also providing a worthwhile immersion experience in Melbourne to support their footballing dreams.

Coles fresh ambassador and award-winning chef Curtis Stone, who has spent time exploring the culinary delights of the Tiwi Islands in his program Surfing the Menu, gave the players a warm Melbourne welcome by sharing some tips and tricks in the kitchen, while the girls showed off their skills on the football field.

The way womens football has progressed is just unbelievable. To meet these three incredible women from the Tiwi Islands which is this beautiful little remote part of Australia right up just off the coast is such an honour. To see them come down and chase their dreams, its amazing because I bet these girls one day will be heroes for the next generation, Curtis said.

VIDEO: Essendon and Coles team up

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Coles and Essendon team up to unearth more Tiwi talent - Mirage News