Upper Murray league support officer Chandan Kulkarni enjoying new role

BEAU GREENWAY: Growing up in cricket-centric India, how did you discover a passion for Australian rules football?

CHANDAN KULKARNI: I finished my Bachelor of Sports Management in India and I came to Melbourne in mid-2018 to pursue my Masters in Sports Management at Deakin University. During my course I did an eight-month internship at AFL Victoria HQ at Docklands. I was also involved with Old Scotch Football Club which participates in the VAFA as the team manager for the under-19s. I also did other work with their branding, social media and event management. I graduated in July 2020 and it was a terrible time with the COVID lockdown and particularly with what was happening in the sporting industry. I was hoping to convert my internship at AFL Victoria to a full-time role, but it couldn't happen at that time because of COVID. I was able to find this job in the Upper Murray through my contacts at AFL Victoria and landed myself here in February.

BG: Can you tell us a bit about your role with the Upper Murray league?

CK: It's a new role that AFL North East Border devised and the funding from this role comes from the AFL's Bushfire Recovery Fund. It's the first time AFL NEB has come up with such a role. The purpose of this role is in a way to provide operational and strategic support to the Upper Murray community and Upper Murray football-netball clubs because of the impacts they've had with the bushfires and now COVID-19. In a way, I'm the liaison officer between the Upper Murray clubs and the AFL North East Border management.

BG: What does it involve?

CK: The main purpose is to identify the specific needs for each club and try to facilitate that support. As of now I've been writing grant applications on behalf of the clubs, managing the social media accounts, looking after Auskick with Nadia (operations manager Nadia Edwards) and other day to day needs of the clubs.

BG: How have you settled in?

CK: The clubs and people associated with the league have welcomed me and have helped me immensely to transition well into my new role. Not just players and clubs but the people of Corryong in general are very happy to have footy and netball back in their town. We have had really good crowds during the match days which is a real positive after the hiatus of last year. It was wonderful to witness the Man From the Snowy River Festival and to see how the town transforms itself for that one week, it is incredible. I have also joined a local badminton group. All in all, I am happy to be away from the buzz of big city and be part of the close-knit community of Corryong.

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BG: No doubt there's been some challenges along the way?

CK: The biggest challenge to start off with was COVID because it was uncharted territory for everyone. The league didn't run last season, so nobody knew how to tackle or handle the COVID protocols and make sure everything was in place in regards to the directions prescribed by AFL Victoria and the state governments. Afterwards it was things revolving around player registrations. That's where my role came in and I helped clubs register a few players by attending their training nights. The next test has been navigating through the current scenario caused by the snap lockdown. The priority is to support the clubs and the league so that they can get back on the field safely when that is allowed.

BG: Have you been asked to come and have a kick with one of the clubs?

CK: Not as of yet, but I do love volunteering for a few of the clubs on match days. I've done a few canteen shifts for Cudgewa and Corryong, which has been good. It also gives me an opportunity to mingle with not just footballers, but long-time club people and volunteers and know what their needs are.

BG: I believe you've also been heavily involved in the Upper Murray's Auskick program?

CK: We've had our highest number of Auskick registrations this season. It's great to see the kids kicking footys after the hiatus last year. We've also had great support from the parents. It's lovely to see them helping coaches and helping run the program. We have had more than 45 new registrations, plus the Net Set Go program, so both are well above 60. Junior football is one of the main things we'd like to improve and build upon. As these kids graduate from Auskick, our objective is to find ways they can transfer to their respective clubs.

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