Lifestyles of Past Australian
Football League Players:
Comparison with the General
Population.
School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health
Background
Australian Football League (AFL) players
retire for various reasons; some are
voluntary decisions and others are
forced upon players, often with little
warning. The reasons for retirement
can, in different ways, impact heavily
on a player’s transformation from an
elite athlete to a member of the general
population. If retirement is voluntary,
the level of planning towards retirement
will often increase, allowing for a much
smoother integration into the wider
community (1). The level of planning
becomes restricted when reasons for
retirement are sudden and/or forced,
whether it be through injury or de-listing,
and this has been linked with greater
distress of athletes when coping with
the retirement process (2). Much of the
research into this topic has focussed on
the consequences of forced retirement
and the impact planning can have on
an athlete’s ability to successfully move
through the retirement process. However,
there is a lack of research in this regard
in retired AFL players.
Retirement from the AFL does not
necessitate retirement from Australian
Rules Football (ARF). Past AFL players
may continue to pursue their participation
in ARF, such as playing or umpiring in
lower-level competitions, coaching, as
support staff or volunteering at local
clubs within the ARF community. In
addition to active participation, past AFL
players may remain club supporters,
attend AFL games, or work in areas
affiliated with ARF such as the media.
The extent to which this occurs among
past AFL players is relatively unknown.
Retirement from AFL is an inevitable
outcome for players and one way
in which players prepare for this
transition is through the attainment of
academic qualifications and vocational
skills to assist in future employment.
There remains little known about
how AFL players compare with the
general community in their education
qualifications, or vocational skills
following their playing career. There is
also a dearth of information describing
the number and type of employment past
AFL players pursue following their playing
years.
This report presents the findings from
a survey of past AFL players on their
general engagement with ARF, as well as
their educational and vocational training
and longer term employment trends.
Where applicable, this information is
presented in comparison with males from
the general population. We are unaware
of any similar published data on these
trends among past AFL players, or other
elite Australian sports people.
Methodology
A survey, completed by past AFL
players (n=592) with an average age
of 55.1 y (±15.8) and playing career of
7.7 years (±4.1), sought recall on how
past AFL players may have remained
engaged with ARF, their educational
and vocational achievements, as well as
their employment history. Data on past
players career length, games played,
their current age, relationship status and
whether or not they had children were
also collected as part of the survey.
Questions on educational attainment,
vocational training and employment
trends were drawn from ABS national
health surveys.
Past players were able to complete the
survey online, by telephone, or by hard
copy, to maximise the response rate. All
past AFL players who were members
of the AFL Players Association (AFLPA)
were invited to participate in the survey.
Comparable data from national and
state-based health surveys were used as
a relative measure of the current health
status of retired AFL players.
Key Findings
Continued Participation in AFL
ÌÌ The majority of players
reported they continued to
participate in Australian Rules
Football post retirement (84%,
n=497). As shown in Figure
1, playing and coaching
were the two most common
continued activities (73% and
55% respectively).
Retirement Characteristics
ÌÌ Mean age retired 26.4 years
(median age retired 26.0
years).
ÌÌ Almost
half of past players
(46%) reported their reason
for retirement was voluntary,
due to age, injury or personal
reasons, with over one-third
Table 1: Retirement characteristics of past players
Past Players
% (n)
Age Retired
-
<= 25 years
42.1 (244)
26 – 30 years
42.1 (244)
31+ years
15.8 (92)
-
Reason for Retirement
Voluntarily, due to age, injury, personal reasons
45.7 (263)
Forced retirement due to de-listing by club
35.4 (204)
Forced retirement through career ending injury
18.9 (109)
Comfortable returning to club from which retired
Yes
81.7 (474)
No
Regular contact with past team mates and coach
18.3 (106)
Yes
No
68.1 (395)
31.9 (185)
(35%) reporting they were
forced into retirement due to
de-listing by their club (Table
1).
ÌÌ As
also shown in Figure
1, significant differences
were evident by age group
among past players who
reported playing, coaching
and officiating beyond their
retirement from AFL. Older
past players were more likely
to report officiating (p<0.01)
and coaching (p<0.01) than
younger players, whereas a
significantly larger proportion
of younger past players
reported playing compared
with older past players
(p<0.01).
ÌÌ Among
those who continued
playing, almost two in five
(39%) reported they played
for amateur or country
leagues, about one-third
(29%) played in the Victorian
Football League, 14% in the
Western Australian Football
League and 11% in the South
Australian National Football
League. Approximately onequarter of players indicated
they had played for five
seasons or more at this level
(26%).
The majority (84%) of
players reported they
continued to participate
in Australian Rules
Football post retirement
ÌÌ Most
past players indicated
they were comfortable
returning to their club (82%)
and that they kept in contact
with their past team-mates
and coach (68%) (Table 1).
Most past players
indicated they were
comfortable returning to
their club (82%) and that
they kept in contact with
their past team-mates
and coach (68%)
Figure 1: Continued participation in Australian Rules Football after retiring from the
AFL/VFL by age group (n=497)
Education and Study
ÌÌ Approximately two in five
past players reported high
school as their highest level
of education completed
(38%), with most past players
having gained some form of
qualification (tafe certificate
23%, university or higher
degree 37%) (Figure 2).
ÌÌ Figure
2 also shows that
when compared with adult
males from the general
population, past players
reported higher levels of
university degree/higher
degree attainment (22%
vs. 37%) and high school
education attainment (20%
vs. 38%). Past players
reported lower levels of
tafe/diploma certificate
attainment (23% vs. 30%)
and below year 12 education
attainment (2% vs. 28%) than
the general population.
ÌÌ A
significantly higher
proportion of older past
players (6%) compared with
younger past players aged
35-49 years (0.7%; p<0.05)
and 50-64 years (0.6%,
p<0.05) reported below Year
12 as their highest level of
education. High school was
reported as the highest level
of education by a significantly
higher proportion of past
players aged 65+ years
(44%) compared with players
aged 35-49 years (29%,
p<0.01). Significantly fewer
past players aged 65+ years
(24%) reported university/
higher degree as their
highest level of education
compared with past players
aged 50-64 years (38%,
p<0.05), 35-49 years (46%,
p<0.01) and 20-34 years
(40%, p<0.01).
Figure 2: Highest level of education completed among past AFL players (n=563)
and the general adult male population
ÌÌ As
shown in Figure 3, among
past players who had gained
a qualification, almost two
in five indicated they had
studied business, with
almost one in five gaining
a qualification in education
(18%). A significantly higher
proportion of players who
had a trade, building or
construction qualification
studied at tafe (14%)
compared with university
(1%, p<0.05). Past players
who had a medicine,
dentistry and health
sciences qualification were
significantly more likely to
have studied at university
(9%) compared with tafe (1%,
p<0.05).
ÌÌ Significantly
fewer past
players aged 65+ years
(8%) reported studying
business compared with
past players aged 50-64
years (18%, p<0.05), 35-49
years (30%, p<0.01) and
20-34 years (34%, p<0.01).
Older past players aged
65+ years were significantly
more likely to report studying
education (12%) compared
with younger past players
aged 20-34 years (4%,
p<0.05). Engineering was
reported as the area of
study by a significantly
higher proportion of past
players aged 65+ years (8%),
compared with players aged
35-49 years (3%, p<0.05)
and 20-34 years (1%,
p<0.05). Significantly fewer
older past players aged 5064 years (1%) compared with
younger players aged 20-34
years (8%, p<0.01) and
35-49 years (8%, p<0.01)
reported studying the life and
physical sciences. Medicine,
dentistry and health sciences
was reported as the area of
study by a significantly higher
proportion of past players
aged 35-49 years (7%),
compared with players aged
65+ years (2%, p<0.05).
Most past players
gained some form
of qualification (tafe
certificate 23%,
university or higher
degree 38%)
The University of Western Australia
ÌÌ One
in five past players
were retired (20%), with
significantly more older past
players aged 65+ years than
younger past players retired
(p<0.01).
The vast majority of
past players (97%) had
been employed in some
capacity since their
retirement from the AFL
Figure 3: Field of study for qualification by where studied (n=339)
ÌÌ Over
half of past players
(53%, n=297) reported
commencing study to gain
a qualification while playing
AFL.
(65+ years) were significantly
less likely than younger
past players (p<0.01) to be
currently employed.
ÌÌ Figure
ÌÌ Approximately
one in ten
past players (12%, n=66)
indicated they were currently
enrolled in a course, with the
majority indicating they were
studying part-time (91%).
Over half were enrolled in
a university or other higher
education course (52%) and
20% were enrolled in a tafe/
technical course. A further
one in ten past players
(13%) indicated they have
intentions to study but had
not yet started.
4 also shows a lower
proportion of past-players
were unemployed (2%) when
compared with the current
national level for males (5%)
(ABS 2012). Younger past
players (25-34 years) were
significantly more likely to be
unemployed than older past
players (p<0.01).
ÌÌ As
shown in Figure 5,
of those employed, the
majority (88%) indicated they
were currently employed
in full-time work, with
around 12% of past players
employed either part-time
or on a casual basis. This
compares with 85% of
full-time employees among
the general adult male
workforce, and with 15%
employed in part-time or
casual positions (Productivity
Commission 2005).
Employment since retirement
ÌÌ The vast majority of past
players (97%) indicated
they had been employed in
some capacity since their
retirement from the AFL.
ÌÌ The
majority of past players
indicated they were currently
employed (78%) in some
capacity, this is slightly
higher when compared with
the current national level
for males (72%) (ABS 2012)
(Figure 4). Older past players
02 | www.uwa.edu.au
Figure 4: Employment and unemployment levels of past AFL players and the
general adult male population (n=562)
Over half (54%)
of past players
indicated their
AFL career had
assisted them in
obtaining their
employment
Figure 5: Full-time and part-time/casual employment levels among the past AFL
player workforce (n=440) and the general adult male population workforce
Of those employed,
the majority (88%)
indicated they were
currently employed
in full-time work
shown in Figure 6,
approximately two-thirds of
past players reported having
had between one and three
jobs since their retirement
(64%). Younger past players
were more likely to report
having had two jobs since
their retirement from AFL
compared with older players
(p<0.01), and older players
were more likely to report
having had six or more
jobs since retiring from AFL
compared with younger age
groups (p<0.05).
ÌÌ As
ÌÌ Over
half (54%) of past
players indicated their AFL
career had assisted them in
obtaining their employment.
ÌÌ Figure
7 shows
approximately one-third of
past players (29%) were
currently employed in
para-professional roles (e.g.
self-employed, recruitment,
real estate).
ÌÌ Around
one quarter of
past players indicated they
were in CEO, Director or
specialist manager roles
(25%). A significantly higher
proportion of past players
aged 35-49 years (28%)
reported they were in
CEO, Director or specialist
manager roles compared
with older and younger age
groups (65+years 10%,
p<0.01; 25-34 years 14%,
p<0.01).
ÌÌ Around
one in ten past
players reported they were
employed in roles within the
AFL or related to football
(10%). Older past players
were less likely than their
younger counterparts to be
employed in AFL specific
roles (p<0.05).
Figure 6: Number of jobs since AFL retirement by age groups (n=411)
The University of Western Australia | 03
week in their current position
(75%). This was high when
compared with the 42%
of the general population
(males) working over 40
hours per week (full-time
employees only) (Productivity
Commission 2005). Past
players aged 35 to 49 years
were more likely to work
over 40 hours per week than
older adults (p<0.01).
ÌÌ Over
half of past players
reported they had been in
their role for six or more
years (52%), with more older
past players being employed
in the same role for this
length of time compared
with younger past players
(p<0.01).
Figure 7: Past players’ current occupation (n=436)
ÌÌ Over
half of past players
reported they received a
wage (56%), with more
younger past players
receiving this form of
payment compared with
older past players (p<0.01).
Characteristics of Current
Employment
ÌÌ As shown in Table 2, almost
two-thirds of respondents
indicated their current role
was with an employer (63%),
with 37% self-employed.
Younger past players were
more likely to be employed
by employers than older
past players (p<0.01).
ÌÌ Three-quarters
of past
players indicated they work
more than 40 hours per
Around one in ten
past players reported
they were employed in
roles within the AFL or
related to football (10%)
Table 2: Characteristics of current employment
Total
% (n)
Who work for**
Age Group (n=411)
20-34 years
% (n)
35-49 years
% (n)
50-64 years
% (n)
65+ years
% (n)
22.6 (93)
33.1 (136)
36.0 (148)
8.3 (34)
(n=409)
Employer
64.3 (263)
84.8 (78)
58.5 (79)
60.1 (89)
50.0 (17)
Self-employed
35.2 (144)
15.2 (14)
40.7 (55)
39.2 (58)
50.0 (17)
0.5 (2)
0 (0)
0.7 (1)
0.7 (1)
0 (0)
Wage/salary
56.7 (230)
73.1 (68)
51.9 (69)
54.7 (81)
37.5 (12)
Own business/partnership
30.8 (125)
12.9 (12)
35.3 (47)
35.1 (52)
43.8 (14)
Contractor/sub-contractor
6.4 (26)
10.8 (10)
7.5 (10)
3.4 (5)
3.1 (1)
Other
6.2 (25)
3.2 (3)
5.3 (7)
6.8 (10)
15.6 (5)
Other
Payment arrangements**
Number of hours worked per week**
(n=406)
(n=411)
< 40 hours
25.8 (106)
37.6 (35)
13.2 (18)
24.3 (36)
50.0 (17)
> 40 hours
74.2 (305)
62.4 (58)
86.8 (118)
75.7 (112)
50.0 (17)
<2 years
21.3 (87)
58.1 (54)
14.1 (19)
7.4 (11)
9.1 (3)
2 – 4 years
16.9 (69)
30.1 (28)
17.0 (23)
10.1 (15)
9.1 (3)
4 – 6 years
9.0 (37)
6.5 (6)
14.8 (20)
6.1 (9)
6.1 (2)
52.8 (216)
5.4 (5)
54.1 (73)
76.4 (113)
75.8 (25)
Length of time in current role**
6+ years
missing values excluded; *p<0.05; **p<0.01
04 | www.uwa.edu.au
(n=409)
Discussion
Past AFL players in this survey were
found to remain engaged with ARF
following their AFL playing career,
obtain tertiary qualifications, join the
workforce as professionals and were
more likely to be employed than the
general male population. Almost
twice the proportion of past players
had achieved a tertiary qualification
and almost all past players were
employed following their retirement
in a similar full time/part time
capacity compared with the general
population. Overall, the results
suggest that many (84%) past players
contribute to ARF following their
retirement from the AFL competition,
while using their time in the AFL to
gain a tertiary education that appears
associated with gaining long term
employment.
These results also show that about
half of AFL players retired voluntarily,
although this may have been a result
of age, chronic injury or personal
reasons. Among players who did not
voluntarily retire, about one-third were
de-listed, with one in five AFL players
retiring through a career ending injury.
Previous research has suggested
that sudden retirement has a greater
impact upon post-playing outcomes
(2)
, although this was not evident
among survey respondents in this
study for longer term educational and
employment outcomes.
Past AFL players did not completely
retire from ARF; with the large
majority of AFL past players indicating
they had continued to play ARF
following their retirement. Over half
had coached ARF at some level since
their retirement, a contribution that
increased with age. Further evidence
of past player engagement was
found in the 17% who had officiated
in ARF following their retirement,
and the almost one in four past
players over 65 who had contributed
to the administration of the game.
The ongoing engagement with ARF
by past AFL players was further
supported in this study by the two-
thirds of players who had maintained
regular contact with past team mates
and coaches.
Player preparation for post elite
sporting career has been raised
by several researchers as a key
barrier to future employment (3). This
current survey found that virtually
all past players who responded
(98%) had completed at least a
high school education qualification,
compared with 72% of the general
male population. More specifically,
almost twice as many past players
in this survey completed Year 12
and a tertiary qualification compared
with the general population. These
findings are complemented by the
finding that about half of the past
players (53%) commenced their
tertiary education while playing in
the AFL. At the time of completing
the survey, 10% of past players
were currently enrolled in a tertiary
education course. The results may
reflect the AFL past players who
completed the survey and the nature
of the survey data does not allow
for any conclusions to be made on
whether being an AFL player provided
an opportunity for tertiary education,
whether tertiary education allowed for
playing AFL, or whether past players
would have achieved a tertiary degree
in any case. The results do suggest
that past AFL players were ultimately
better educated than their non AFL
playing community members.
The high levels of educational
attainment by past AFL players were
mirrored in the proportion of past
players who had been employed in
some capacity since retiring (97%).
Of note is the very low level of current
unemployment (2%) among past
players who completed this survey
compared with the general population
unemployment rate at the time of the
survey (5%). Many past AFL players
occupied professional management
jobs (45%) or para professional
jobs (33%), a reflection of the most
prevalent educational qualifications
of business studies and education.
The results also suggest that there
are opportunities for past players to
remain employed in organisations
servicing the AFL (10%), as well as
media agencies (10%) reporting on
the AFL. Past player engagement in
media agencies appeared a more
recent option, with 13% of 35-49 year
old past players employed in some
capacity with a media outlet.
Employment level among past
players, although slightly higher, was
not greatly different from the general
population, with 88% employed in a
full time manner, compared with 85%
among the general community. As
might be expected, the number of
jobs since retirement was associated
with age, although 21% had only one
job and 60% had between one and
three jobs since retiring. Similar to
the general population, 57% of past
players were employees and 75%
worked more than 40 hours each
week. About half of the past players
surveyed had been in their current job
for six or more years.
The results of this past players survey
sheds light on the engagement with
ARF, education and employment
patterns of past AFL players. The
results suggest that among past
players in this survey, retirement
from playing in the AFL does not
necessarily result in retirement from
playing ARF and past players appear
to remain engaged in ARF at all levels,
further contributing to the game in
many different ways. Preparing for
life after the AFL does appear to
occur from an educational attainment
perspective, with half of past
players studying during their playing
time resulting in an overall greater
achievement of tertiary qualifications
than in the general population. The
education achievements seem to
translate into employment, where
a high proportion of past players
are employed as professionals.
Opportunities for employment in
organisations servicing the AFL and
media outlets may provide unique
The University of Western Australia | 05
opportunities for past AFL players
to gain employment that is not
available to the general public and
this may be reflected in the very low
unemployment rate.
These results are the first to
explore past player’s longer term
engagement, education and
employment and they provide a
positive insight into the integration
of AFL past players into the regular
community. Further research
is required to explore these
relationships and whether the
patterns are representative across the
greater past player cohort.
References
1. Stambulova, N., Stephan, Y., Japhag, U. Athletic
Retirement : A cross-national comparison of elite
French and Swedish athletes. Psychol Sport Exerc
2007; 8(1):101-118.
2. Fortunato V., Marchant, D. Forced retirement from
elite football in Australia. J Pers Interpers Loss 1999;
4(3):269-280.
3. Coakley, J.J. Leaving competitive sport:
Retirement or Rebirth? Quest 1983; 35: 1-11.
School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health
The University of Western Australia
M408, 35 Stirling Highway
Crawley WA 6009
Tel: +61 8 6488 4654
Fax: +61 8 6488 1039
Email: [email protected]
www.uwa.edu.au
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The University of Western Australia | 07
School of Sport Science, Exercise and
Health
The University of Western Australia
M408, 35 Stirling Highway
Crawley WA 6009
Tel: +61 8 6488 4654
Fax: +61 8 6488 1039
Email: [email protected]
www.uwa.edu.au
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