Susan Alberti donates $1m to Victorian women’s sports headquarters

Melbourne will become home to Australia’s first women in sport research post, bankrolled by Victorian of the Year Susan Alberti, in a push for greater female participation and leadership pathways.

MELBOURNE will become home to Australia’s first women in sport research post in a push for greater female participation and leadership pathways.

Victoria University will on Wednesday announce a game-changing Women in Sport Chair position, bankrolled by Victorian of the Year Susan Alberti to get more females active and employed in the industry.

The businesswoman, philanthropist and former Western Bulldogs deputy president has donated

$1 million to establish the Susan Alberti Women in Sport Chair.

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She told the Herald Sun she wanted to get girls more active, create the same opportunities for females in sport as males and pave the way for equal pay for athletes regardless of sex.

“Sport plays a big part in keeping people healthy and well and on the straight and narrow and this is what we will be doing at Victoria University,’’ she said.

“Too many women don’t get the opportunity to participate in sport, whether that’s in administration or physically playing the game.”

Ms Alberti hoped research conducted by the groundbreaking school, to be chaired by Prof Clare Hanlon, would encourage teenage girls to stay competitive and comfortable with body image.

“What really concerns me more than anything, having been involved in diabetes research, is the community getting fatter and fatter and children becoming more unfit by the day,’’ she said.

Susan Alberti (right) with Professor Clare Hanlon. Picture: David Caird

Susan Alberti and Kate Brennan celebrate their AFLW Grand Final win. Picture: Mark Stewart

Susan Alberti with Samuel Johnson.

“I just want to see children more active than they have been- get them out off the couch and into the open playing active team based sport.

“So it’s more than just helping women — it’s about getting our community much more healthy than it is now.’’

The new chair will conduct industry based research, tapping into health, education, sporting clubs and government policy in a bid to boost female participation.

It coincides with a new Victoria University “From Grassroots to Elite’’ sports strategy which includes a focus on “championing women in sport’’ and ensuring males and females have equal opportunities.

“The opportunities are just not there right now … and that is what VU will be doing, investigating all of that,’’ Ms Alberti said.

“Quite frankly, this will be the first time in the history of university’s in Australia there has been a chair for women in sport.’’

Prof Hanlon said the investment would “create change in the industry,’

“We need to step on it and move forward,’’ she said.

“Basically it will accelerate opportunities for girls and women in sport.

“It will focus on building relationships sector wide, nationally, internationally and locally to drive opportunities for women and girls in sport.’’

She said getting more females active would also lead to significant health benefits.

“It isn’t just about encouraging girls and women because it’s the right thing to do, it’s also about creating economic benefits for the community,’’ she said.

Ms Alberti hoped the program could help solve mental health issues as well as boost female participation in sport.

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