Sydney Swans AFLW defender Ash Van Loon is pursuing her passions both on and off the field, with the 22-year-old creating history in the hopes of helping shape the next chapter of the AFLW competition.
Recently, Van Loon became the first ever AFLW player representative on the AFL Players Association (PA) Accredited Agents Board.
The Accredited Agents Board governs the conduct of player agents, establishing and administering the accreditation system and establishing a system for improving the quality, competence and professionalism of all player agents.
“The Accredited Agents Board does the licensing. They're kind of like the regulators of the player agents in the AFL and AFLW," Van Loon said.
“[The Board] gives the licensing to the player managers, makes sure that the player managers are working in line with the rules and regs and deals with sort of like disputes or issues or any like disciplinary action that comes from any of the player agents.
“Then my role on the board as the AFLW players representative would just be to be the voice of the AFLW players when discussing any sort of issues... so, making sure, the AFLW players voice is heard, their interests are protected and just being their voice on that board in those discussions.”
As the AFLW competition continues to grow in popularity, scheduling and professionalism, Van Loon is deeply passionate about improving all aspects of the AFLW for both the current and future generations of players. Hoping to build upon the legacy of the previous cohort of players.
“I really want to leave the AFLW in a better place than how I came in," Van Loon said.
“I say this to myself a lot, and I've mentioned it to the girls a few times, that all the rights and privileges that we have today are only because of the people that came before us and what they've fought so hard for.
“I want to really work and push and be the voice for AFLW players… We're grateful for everything that we've got, but there's so much more that we deserve and trying to push for that and making sure that we're treated the way that we should be and just keep getting improved conditions and improved rights for the next generation that's coming through.”
Van Loon’s new position on the board not only continues the work she and fellow Swans teammate Lara Hausegger have done as the club's selected delegates for the AFL-PA. It also ties in greatly to the defender's ongoing pursuit of a law degree, which has a particular focus on human and women's rights.
“I'm studying a Bachelor of Laws, wanting to specialise in human rights, women's rights,” Van Loon said.
“I guess I sort of recently discovered in the last 12 months that that's sort of the area of law that I want to go down, which is great being a female athlete. I feel like it gives me a really good perspective in that area.
“I just feel really passionately about leaving people's lives, leaving the organisations that I'm a part of better than how I found it.
“I feel really passionately about being the voice for those people that maybe don't feel comfortable to speak out and have those conversations, and if I can empower them and be the voice for them.”
As the sole AFLW representative on the board Van Loon will have on going conversations and discussions with other players and clubs, in order to learn and understand how they would like things to change, grow and be better going forward.
“It's just about [having the] conversation, not assuming that my opinion on things is the only one. I'm actually not there to share my opinion; I'm there to share everyone else's opinion, so it's just opening up conversation and being curious," Van Loon said
"Talking to people, hearing their perspectives and just getting an understanding of how other people feel on things think is important.
“The collective voice from the playing group [is so powerful]. As women, what we want we have to fight for and, the power of that and the work that [the AFL-PA] do for us is just really important.”
