The TAL Assister Program
Supporting women on and off the field.
What does an assist mean to you?
In sport, an assist symbolises teamwork and enabling others to shine. In life, it means so much more.
At TAL, our mission is to help Australians live a life filled with choices, options and freedoms, no matter what happens. That’s why we created the Assister Program—to assist athletes to stay in the game they love. Launched in 2023, the Assister Program helps support women in the AFLW through sponsorship, flexible career opportunities, positive engagement and mentoring.
AFLW Sponsorship
We are pleased to be the Official Life Insurance Partner of the AFLW. As an organisation committed to supporting the health and financial wellbeing of Australians, we’re honoured to be working with the AFLW and partnering with the GWS Giants and Hawthorn Hawks AFLW teams and the Sydney Swans AFL and AFLW teams.
Workplay
Our AFLW sponsorship includes the sponsorship of Workplay, a flexible employment initiative that supports athletes on and off the field. Workplay addresses challenges facing female athletes, connecting AFLW players to flexible employment, education and career opportunities.
Physiotherapist & Doctor Sponsorship
Our AFLW partnership also includes sponsorship of AFLW doctors and physios. The TAL logo is featured on all club doctor and physio vests throughout the AFLW Season as a symbol of our commitment to helping and protecting Australians when they need it most.
TAL Assister Support Program
We partner with organisations dedicated to empowering women and girls to reach their full potential by embracing lessons learned through sport. Through our TAL Assister Support Program, we are funding leadership training for emerging AFLW talent to help guide their personal and professional journeys.
Get to Know the Players
Ally Morphett
Ally Morphett is a Sydney Swans player and a rising star in the AFLW. Ally grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga NSW, where she spent her early years horse riding and barrel racing. At 13, her school launched a football team, sparking Ally’s newfound passion.
Ally’s talent quickly shone through, leading her from local teams to the AFL Canberra competition. After a stint with the GWS Giants, she joined the Sydney Swans in 2022.
Throughout her journey, Ally's parents were her biggest supporters. Despite both working jobs, they would drive Ally 2 ½ hours each way to training and sometimes 6-hours to Melbourne. They did that until her draft year.
Ally never takes her family’s efforts for granted, reflecting, “I just want to be the best player I can be, because I know that they sacrificed so much for me to be that player.”
Aliesha Newman
Aliesha Newman is a GWS Giants player who grew up in Melbourne, Victoria. Despite playing soccer most of her youth, Aliesha was always a big footy supporter. It wasn’t until she was 21 that she made her first debut in AFLW, when she was drafted by the Melbourne Demons.
After her initial debut, Aliesha also played for Collingwood and the Sydney Swans, before moving across to the Giants to continue her legacy as a talented footballer.
Aliesha is a proud Aboriginal woman of Ningy Ningy descent. Outside of football, she is also a talented artist and has created Indigenous artworks for several AFLW jerseys.
While Aliesha has worked hard for everything she’s achieved, she says that she couldn’t have done it without the incredible support from her family, “I wouldn’t understand my Aboriginal culture or be who I am today without them."
Emily Bates
Emily Bates is an AFLW player and team captain of the Hawthorn Hawks. Born in Melbourne, her family moved to Queensland when she was just 3 years old. Emily began playing football when she was 11 years old after joining the Yeronga Football Club where her dad coached.
Emily quickly became a star in the junior leagues, before making the Brisbane Lions 2016 AFLW draft. After a stellar career with the Lions, she moved back to Melbourne to join the Hawthorn Hawks in 2023.
Growing up, Emily’s father Lloyd was her coach and her biggest inspiration. Sadly, Lloyd passed away when Emily was just 15, leaving Emily’s mum to raise their three children on her own.
Emily cherishes her mum’s unwavering support, reflecting, “She took on the role of being my coach and getting me to training, all while working and navigating a new life for us. She’s my number one assister.”
Supporting Women on the Field
On the field, ‘goal assists’ drive success, build camaraderie and encourage others to succeed. TAL’s Support Tape initiative, which ran throughout the 2023 AFLW season, was created to motivate and encourage AFLW athletes on and off the field.
This initiative provided a visible and tangible way for fans across the country to positively engage with AFLW athletes. Fans submitted their messages of support to their favourite players, and some messages were featured on the players’ strapping tape to inspire them when they went out on the field.
Major Partners & Sponsors
