Sport is enjoyed all over the world and brings people together to compete, learn, and ultimately better themselves. The beauty of sport is that there are so many competitions and games to be a part of, meaning there is something for everyone. In this series, we are going to look at countries' most popular sports and some of the jobs available in them. In this article, we are going to look at Australia and Australian rules football.

Aussie football is a sort of modified rugby that consists of two teams of 18 players trying to score the ball between several posts. The sport is full contact and is extremely fast-paced, requiring its top athletes to be in peak physical shape.

The game has been around for over 150 years and in Australia, regularly draws crowds of over 35,000 fans. The game has also progressed into other areas of the world. The rules are slightly modified to make up for the lack of facilities in other countries e.g., playing with 9 players instead of 18 due to different pitch sizes.

As is the case with all popular sports, Aussie rules football has a variety of jobs to be filled. Here is a look at a few.

AFL Social Media Producer

Like any brand or organisation, Aussie rules and more specifically the AFL need to ensure they have a strong social media presence to reach their fans. Therefore, they require social media specialists that have excellent knowledge of both the men's and women's leagues.

To be successful in getting the role, applicants must be able to demonstrate their knowledge and ability on the various social media platforms; Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube. As is also common these days, being able to use TikTok is highly valuable. Applicants must be able to understand the social media environment and be able to give accurate and correct responses to various situations.

It's worth noting that to work in this industry, employees are required to be flexible with when they work and tailor their schedules to fit with AFL events and games. This may mean working antisocial hours such as late nights and weekends.

Perhaps one of the harder jobs to get at the top level but also one of the most important jobs is that of the coach. Whether it be inspiring the next generation of young players or trying to lead one of the established teams to a title, a coach plays a huge role in the development and upkeep of a team.

Coaches need to have an excellent understanding of the game (usually through previous playing experience) and an eye to spot talented players. They will need to not only teach players basic skills and tactics but ensure that they make use of the whole team's skills to have the best chance of success.

They will need to act as a mentor and relate well to players as competing can be extremely stressful. Especially when working with young people, coaches need to demonstrate role model characteristics and give appropriate constructive criticism to players in their care.

Press officer

Press officers are vital to maintaining a good image to the press, fans, and general public. Especially when working for a high-profile AFL team, the press officer is the first line of defence for any potential media issues surrounding players or the team. They will be responsible for putting out content or statements to provide exposure for the club.

To be successful, they will need to have an excellent understanding of both Aussie rules and the various social media platforms. They will also be responsible for the distribution of content in areas like marketing and promoting. This means working with content creators and creating timelines of when content needs to be published.

For those looking to work in the AFL, there are currently a number of job opportunities.