2025 AFLW Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award | Finalists unveiled

The AFL is delighted to announce the three finalists for the 2025 AFLW Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award: Amelie Borg (Port Adelaide Power), Kate Darby (Geelong Cats) and Dr. Lulu Pullar (Sydney Swans).

This prestigious honour celebrates the AFLW player who best embodies the values of the late Jim Stynes – Melbourne champion and former Demons President.

Recognising an outstanding commitment to community service and leadership; the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award represents the very best of the game, built on a legacy of giving back and leading by example, both on and oP the field.

The 2025 AFLW Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award will be announced during the broadcast of the W Awards on Monday 24 November.

It will be the second time that two Jim Stynes Community Leadership Awards have been presented in the same year to an AFL and AFLW player, with Brisbane Lions co-captain Harris Andrews recognised earlier this year for his work with Beyond DV.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the league is proud to continue honouring Jim Stynes through this award, celebrating players who use their platform to create positive change in their communities.

“I’d like to acknowledge all the 2025 AFLW Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award nominees for the work they do in the community and congratulate Amelie, Kate and Lulu for being recognised as this year’s finalists,” Dillon said.

“Jim Stynes continues to inspire our game every day, and his belief in the power of football to create a positive change remains as strong as ever.

“Our 2025 AFLW finalists embody that same spirit of generosity and purpose, using their platforms to make a diPerence in their communities, and that’s something we’re incredibly proud to acknowledge.

“We are very lucky to have our finalists as role models both within the AFLW and wider community and thank the Jim Stynes Foundation for their ongoing support to recognise their contributions.” Dillon said.

Jim Stynes Foundation Chair, Russel Howcroft said: “On behalf of the Jim Stynes Foundation, I’d like to congratulate Amelie, Kate and Lulu for their outstanding leadership and contribution to their community,” said Howcroft.

“Each player is deserving of this recognition and it’s thrilling to be able to formally recognise players who harness the power of football to create a lasting and positive change.”

Fremantle’s Madi Scanlon was the recipient of the 2024 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award and was commended for her work at Melaleuca Women’s Prison and Ocean Heroes.

Nominations for the award are submitted from AFL Clubs and the AFL Players' Association before the judging panel selects the finalists.

Chaired by Trisha Squires, Head of AFL QLD & International, the 11-person panel is comprised of respected leaders from the AFL, media and community sectors, including representatives from the AFL, AFLPA and the Stynes family.

In collaboration with the Jim Stynes Foundation, the winner will receive $40,000 to be donated to the charity or community program of their choice.

Please see below for the 2025 AFLW Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award Finalists

Amelie Borg (Port Adelaide Power)

Amelie Borg is driving change for young women across South Australia through her leadership of Power Community Limited’s Empowered program, which challenges gender stereotypes and builds future leaders through sport.

As co-vice-captain, Borg has been instrumental in expanding Empowered’s reach, with more than 1,000 students engaged in 2025 across metropolitan and regional schools, including Mount Gambier. She has trained teammates as facilitators to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability and championed equal access for regional communities.

Borg’s authenticity and advocacy have strengthened club and community support, securing resources to include Empowered as a cornerstone of Port Adelaide’s engagement strategy.

Through storytelling, mentorship and peer leadership, she has inspired others to take action, both within the club and in the broader community.

A powerful voice for equality and education, Borg exemplifies how athletes can drive social

change and create lasting impact far beyond the field.

Kate Darby (Geelong Cats)

Kate Darby has been recognised for her outstanding leadership and commitment to building connection, inclusion and participation across the Geelong community.

Through the Geelong Cats’ community programs, she has volunteered hundreds of hours with local schools, hospitals and grassroots clubs, supporting initiatives such as Cats Wishes, BioCATS, Healthy Heroes, and the club’s Pride and Inclusion programs.

Darby’s work spans hospital visits with Barwon Health and the Peace of Mind Foundation, mentoring through Ocean Mind’s surf-based mental health programs, and advocacy for women and girls in football.

She volunteers with local clubs including Surf Coast Suns, Torquay Tigers, Bell Park Dragons (All-Abilities) and the Geelong Falcons, while championing family-friendly environments and supporting mothers in sport.

In 2024, she became a Coach Your Way Ambassador and was awarded the 2025 AFL Coaches Association Women’s Coaching Pathway Scholarship, recognising her leadership in inclusive coaching.

Her ongoing work with the Fight Cancer Foundation, Friend in Me and as a registered GoodSAM responder further highlights her community impact.

Darby’s authentic commitment to use her platform to uplift others, makes football a more inclusive and welcoming space for all.

Dr. Lulu Pullar (Sydney Swans)

Dr. Lulu Pullar combines her careers as an AFLW player and emergency doctor to empower young women in remote Australia through her self-founded Dreamtime Academy.

Launched in 2025, the program delivers football, leadership and health education to girls in Central Australia, reaching over 200 participants across Alice Springs and remote communities.

To make the program accessible and sustainable, Pullar has mobilised AFLW volunteers, raised funds, and built partnerships with local organisations.

Through Dreamtime Academy, participants are gaining skills, confidence and inspiration to pursue their goals. Pullar’s vision is to create long-term impact through mentorship, development and cultural connection, with plans to establish annual high-performance and community camps.

Pullar has built a model of empowerment that unites sport, health and community with Dreamtime Academy.

About the Jim Stynes Foundation

The Jim Stynes Foundation was founded in 2015 and exists to carry on the legacy of Jim Stynes by enhancing the lives of young people and utilising the power of the AFL industry to create positive impacts on the community.

Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award Committee

Andrew Dillon - AFL CEO
Luke Darcy – Western Bulldogs Board Member, media personality and former Western Bulldogs AFL captain
Sarah Fair – AFL Executive General Manager People
Jude Donnelly – AFL Executive Manager Government and Stakeholder Relations
Don McLardy – CEO of McLardy McShane Insurance and Financial Services, and former President of the Melbourne Football Club
Narelle Long –Board Member of Jim Stynes Foundation, and AFL Diversity Talent Programs Manager
Neil Mitchell – Media personality
Ben Smith - AFLPA representative
Sam Stynes – Co- Founder of Jim Stynes Foundation
Trisha Squires (Chair and non-voting member) – Head of AFL QLD & International
Kim Williams – Chair of the ABC, and former AFL Commissioner