AFL's Carlton FC secures new five-year partnership with La Trobe University

La Trobe University has signed a five-year contract extension with the Carlton Football Club, bringing their commitment to the AFL club to 12 years by the end of 2027.

The extension was unveiled on Friday morning at a lecture theatre in the Carlton College of Sport (CCoS), with Carlton Chief Executive Brian Cook; Professor John Dewar, Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University; AFLW captain and CCoS Football Development Assistant Coach and Growth Lead, Kerryn Peterson and AFL defender Zac Williams.

The announcement strengthens La Trobe and Carlton’s education partnership, with a further commitment to growing the Carlton College of Sport education offering at the undergraduate level, through new and expanded coursework and programs.

Carlton will also continue to offer four graduate positions within the Club to CCoS students every year, in addition to facilitating a minimum of 20 La Trobe University interns each year.

Originally starting out as a research-based partnership, focusing on collaborative research in sport science, the partnership shifted its focus to education with the establishment of the Carlton College of Sport in 2018.

Since launching in 2019, CCoS has seen an increase of 124% in student intake, with record enrolments this year totalling 112 students across two diplomas - Diploma of Sport Coaching and Development and the Diploma of Elite Sport Business - with IKON Park now considered a campus of La Trobe University.

Keeping the Carlton community at the heart of the partnership, La Trobe have increased their community investment, signing on as a supporting partner of the Adam Saad Pathway with an annual $50,000 investment. They will also continue to support the annual La Trobe Iftar dinner and collaborations on the Islamic Youth Council.

The long-standing partnership has also evolved into the business sector, with a significant relationship established between Carlton IN Business (CIB) and the La Trobe Business School. Along with being a platinum partner of CIB, every Carlton IN Business member organisation has the incredible opportunity for professional development by nominating an employee to study one unit of a Master of Business Administration at La Trobe.

Carlton and La Trobe will also maintain their ties to research, giving three PhD students the chance to complete their research at the Club across the next five years, whilst also allowing four undergraduate honours or masters students to undertake their projects in relevant areas of the Club.

Explaining that the extension with La Trobe is exciting, especially given all the avenues the partnership presents within the education sector, Cook advised “we look forward to the next five years with La Trobe's continued involvement with the Club. The extended partnership truly shows the Club's commitment to education, in particular the alignment with the Carlton College of Sport, and the commitment to providing high-calibre education.

"It goes without saying that the Carlton College of Sport, powered by La Trobe University, has become an extremely respected space to learn, with continued growth within the program. 2023 has seen the largest cohort ever enrolled since the College was first established at IKON Park in 2019.”

Image (back from left); Carlton’s Brian Cook, Professor John Dewar of La Trobe University, Kerryn Peterson and Zac Williams and (front from left) CCoS students: John Rosales, Carla Podolczak, Brody Plant, Penelope Hendy.