Next Goal
AFL SportsReady Ltd, in association with the 
AFL Players' Association (AFLPA), has implemented "The Next Goal"
Career Transition Program for current and recently retired AFL players. "The Next Goal" Program aims to provide opportunities and support for mature age AFL players, who are members of the AFLPA, to establish a meaningful and rewarding vocation after football.
The primary objective of the program is to enhance the
player’s career development and future employment prospects
through the provision of work 
experience and
on-the-job training in an industry preferred by the player as an identified career. The program is not to be used as a career exploration tool, rather to ‘compensate’ for years loss working as a footballer, to gain meaningful experience in their chosen industry.
To achieve this objective “The Next Goal” Program will align AFL players with employers who are willing to provide a meaningful work placement, sponsored by the program, in a field or discipline that matches the qualifications and/or requirements of an identified career path by the player. The number and frequency of hours worked per week and the total period of the work placement will be structured to accommodate the football obligations of the player.
In recent times, there has been a much greater emphasis on providing opportunities and support to help AFL players make a successful transition into their post football working life primarily through the services offered to players by the AFLPA. It is hoped that the implementation of “The Next Goal” Program will further assist in this area.
The program has been borne out of the need that players are gaining qualifications/experience whilst playing professional football; the work placement is to compliment this to gain meaningful and rewarding experience whilst in the twilight of their playing careers.
It is expected that the player should complete the equivalent of between six (6) and eight (8) weeks full time in the workplace. A player currently on an AFL Club List is available up to a maximum of fifteen (15) hours per week for their work placement, while a retired player may be available on a full time basis.
Players apply to participate in the program and positions on the program are given to those players who are able to demonstrate an identified career path toward the area or industry for which they have a preference. This will ensure that a work experience placement under the program will compliment any education, training, qualifications or experience previously undertaken by the player.