BRETT McALONEY
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
NOMINATED FOR
Adelaide
Profiles on this page have been prepared and submitted by nominees or their representatives as part of the South Australian Pride Awards process. Content reflects the words, achievements, and information provided in those submissions. Pride Adelaide has not edited profiles beyond minor formatting or clarity adjustments. Inclusion on this page does not represent an endorsement, assessment, or ranking and does not influence the independent judging process.
How would you describe yourself or your work in one sentence?
Brett has volunteered as the Founder and President of the Rainbow Crows, the official LGBTIQA+ supporter group for the Adelaide Football Club.
Tell us a little about what you do
Brett has volunteered a significant amount of time and energy over the past 12 months (and since 2016) leading and coordinating a variety of activities and initiatives to improve LGBTIQA+ inclusion in the AFL/W, Adelaide Football Club (AFC) and supporting LGBTIQA+ inclusion in other sports.
What impact or achievement are you most proud of this year?
Brett has coordinated the Rainbow Crows committee, its initiatives, education and relationships with key stakeholders in the Adelaide Football Club including Directors, players, staff, members and fans to improveLGBTIQ+ inclusionin sport. Brett has also worked with external stakeholders including the AFL, media, other AFL pride groups and community groups. Brett led meetings and conversations with Izak Rankine and key leaders at the Adelaide Football Club during a period after a homophobic slur was used by the player during an AFLM game, and the actions that followed by the club that had a significant negative impact on our communities relationship with the game of AFL and our AFC club. Brett constructed an impact statement provided to the club and player on the impact of the actions of all parties had on our community including quotes from LGBTIQA+ community members. Brett also lead the committee in creating a list of recommended actions for the club to take to make LGBTIQA+ inclusion a valued and integral part of running an AFL club. This work by Brett had a significant positive impact on our communities relationship with the game and club. Izak Rankine and the football club have since made commitments to take action on initiatives to educate others and demonstrate leadership in terms of LGBTIQA+ inclusion in our sport.
Brett lead activations with the club and community for the AFLW Pride Round and volunteered for the club, coordinating the Crows AFLW away game guard of honours, ensuring we had strong LGBTIQA+ visibility.
Brett has worked closely with LGBTIQA+ community organisations in engaging with Australian rules football and our club, including holding a stall at the pride game by Thorne Harbour Health, providing merchandise to Gay Bingo to raise funds for queer youth and offering free tickets to AFLM and AFLW games including queer youth, pride of the South, Transmasc SA, Rainbow Families SA, Bfriend, PLWHIV and Rainbow Hub SA.
Why does your work matter to the community?
Sport and particularly team sports have a history of not being an inclusive environment for LGBTIQA+ people, from the locker, to the crowds and more recently online. Brett's volunteer work, particularly in the past 12 months, has made far reaching positive outcomes across media in all formats, online, in the club, sport and in education directly to players. Most importantly Brett's volunteer work has made a positive impact on our LGBTIQA+ communities relationship with the game of Australian rules football, sport and the Adelaide Football Club.
What would you like voters to know when voting for you?
Please consider voting for Brett on his volunteer work to improve LGBTIQA+ inclusion in sport.