Fremantle celebrated the achievements of women in front of almost 600 guests at the Club’s International Women’s Day luncheon on Wednesday at the Crown Perth Ballroom.

Players Aine Tighe and Josh Corbett joined Head of Wellbeing Angie Bain as part of a panel that shared their experiences on stage, saying that the connection and support within the Club empower everyone to be their authentic self.

“Having that safe place (Wellbeing Department) to be able to take a break and shift your mindset away from work and just have a chat to get some of the concerns and worries off your chest definitely makes things a lot easier,” Tighe said.

With the theme of this year’s IWD luncheon being ‘inspire inclusion,’ Bain said Fremantle has led the way in introducing the Wellbeing Department into both the AFLW and AFL departments.

“Everyone buying in, everyone supporting it, and while I lead it, I can’t thank the footy Club enough for trusting it,” Bain said.

“North Melbourne have a head of mental health and wellbeing role as well, and what we’re finding from the AFL coming down to each Club is that I think in the next three to four years every Club will have this position there.”

Presented by Programmed and PERSOLKELLY, the IWD luncheon began with Fremantle board member and senior Noongar woman Colleen Hayward delivering a Welcome to Country to the hundreds in attendance before key guest speaker Kate Reid inspired the crowd with her story.

Reid told the room of her incredible journey that has seen her study aerospace engineering, work for Williams F1 racing team in the United Kingdom, and now own the highly successful Lune Croissanterie in Fitzroy.

During the panel discussion, Corbett said the family aspect of the Club was a motivator for him and his teammates.

“My biggest values are family and connection, which are two key pillars of the footy Club, and for me coming into this environment all I’ve been encouraged to do is be myself and that’s all I can ask for,” the 27-year-old said.

“For me to be able to communicate with people, I love to know a person’s story whether it’s a reporter, a cameraman or woman, or behind the scenes. Everyone has a role, and everyone helps in steering the ship forward.”

Earlier in the morning, Fremantle were able to celebrate the achievements of women in front of over 600 students at Emmanuel Catholic College as part of the IWD Student Focus event.

Bain said stress and burnout were extremely common factors that affect adolescence as they build towards completing year 12 and entering the workforce.

“Education is key because it helps equip you with information and research-based information that helps you make better decisions about why you do what you do,” Bain said.

“If you marry the education with your values, you can’t go wrong in terms of choosing the path you want to take and learning from the setbacks along the way.

“The education and values pieces were important this morning for all the girls and boys in the room.”

The afternoon concluded with Fremantle Director Sasha Pendal sharing how collaboration between both the men and women within the Club drives the standard for everyone.