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Building our Elite Athlete Program

Empowering emerging athletes to reach their goals

University students often rely on part-time work to make ends meet, but for those who are also elite athletes, juggling their commitments can be particularly challenging.

The additional pressures and uncertainty generated by COVID-19 have tested student athletes like never before.

This is where philanthropy can make all the difference. The substantial financial support provided by the den Hollander Geelong Cats AFLW Scholarship has enabled emerging female leaders at Deakin to concentrate on building a sporting career, without sacrificing their scholastic goals.

For 2021 recipient Georgia Clarke, who commenced and completed three years of her degree in Exercise and Sports Science, before deciding to follow her passion for hand therapy and move into a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, the scholarship provided much-needed 'reassurance and support' after she moved to Geelong to pursue her football career and tertiary studies at Deakin.

'This scholarship lifted a huge weight off my shoulders,' she said at the time, thanking her benefactors – former Deakin Vice-Chancellor Emerita Professor Jane den Hollander AO, Hon Doc Deakin, and her husband Dr Jeroen den Hollander. 'Your kind and generous donation has changed my life.'

Heartfelt testimonials like Georgia’s affirm the den Hollanders’ aim to support the next generation of women who are dedicated to breaking the mould in all areas of achievement, including sport.

Your support means more than you will ever know. The scholarship allowed me to focus on achieving the best results in both my studies and football.

Georgia Clark

den Hollander Geelong Cats AFLW Scholarship, 2021 recipient

Deakin’s bold aim to become Australia’s most progressive and responsive university is already reflected by its top national ranking among public institutions for overall student satisfaction and the highest student satisfaction rating out of all Victorian universities for 11 consecutive years, since 2010.

It has the runs on the board – more than 200 exceptional student-athletes are already supported by the Elite Athlete Program. In terms of teaching and research, Deakin is ranked sixth in the world for sport-related subjects and number one in the world for sport science – its highest-rated study area.

Australia’s team at the recent Winter Olympics in Beijing featured multiple Deakin students and alumni: Belle Brockhoff (snowboarding), Bree Walker (bobsled), Dean Hewitt (curling) and Jakara Anthony, who made history by winning Australia’s first gold medal in the women’s moguls event.

A strong contingent of 14 summer Olympians also came from the University’s ranks last year at the Summer Olympics  and Paralympics in Tokyo, competing in athletics, basketball, water polo, rowing, swimming and para-table tennis.

Deakin continues to be a proud supporter of women’s sport, including the Geelong Cats AFLW and VFLW teams since day one. They train at the Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, which also hosts VFLW matches. Deakin also backs the Deakin Melbourne Boomers in the Women’s National Basketball League and the Melbourne Vixens, via Netball Victoria, who boast four Deakin students in the current starting seven, in Suncorp Super Netball.

World-class sport facilities

World-class sport facilities

Deakin is home to some of Australia’s most advanced sports facilities and technology. At the Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus' Elite Sports Precinct, our facilities include an MCG-sized AFL oval, FIFA-grade soccer pitch, eight-lane 400-metre athletics track, 50-metre long-jump track and sandpits, high-quality baseball diamond and basketball and netball courts. The precinct is used by elite athletes like the Geelong Cats AFL and AFLW teams as well as student-based clubs like the Deakin Ducks Soccer Club.

However, building upon this solid sporting foundation will require significant new investment in scholarships and much-needed infrastructure.

'We’re excited to start progressing Deakin forward, to be in line with a number of universities that have made dedicated scholarships for specific sports a priority,' acknowledges Elite Sport Coordinator Jack Duke.

One powerful way that philanthropy can boost athlete development and performance is through purpose-built facilities. While the University’s ovals and synthetic fields are world-class, Sport and Recreation Manager Andrew Crowley says some facilities require upgrading.

An exciting new Deakin sporting pavilion has been designed featuring improvements to change rooms, coaches’ boxes, spectator seating and scoreboards but the redevelopment will proceed only if the requisite funds can be raised.

Crowley encouraged the Deakin community to engage in a healthy sporting rivalry with other Australian institutions. 'Philanthropic financial support could allow us to sustainably build a whole stadium or set up a scholarship endowment for our athletes. Philanthropy can support ideas that push us further and really put us on the map.'

SportTalks at Deakin

SportTalks provides students the opportunity to hear from industry leaders. Mon Kelly, former Performance Science Coordinator at the Geelong Cats, and Deakin alumni Will Hartnell, Head of Commercial and Growth chat to their experience as students at Deakin and how it has shaped their careers.

SportTalks at Deakin

Interested in finding out more?

Whether it's supporting educational opportunity through scholarships or creating impact through research – your donation can transform lives. If you’re thinking about making a significant contribution to an area that’s meaningful to you, we’d love to hear from you. Learn how you can donate to Deakin.

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