Bombers appoint Indigenous player development manager

Essendon has appointed Travis Varcoe as the AFL club’s new Indigenous Player Development Manager.

Varcoe, 37, who played 230 games with Geelong and Collingwood, has been active in working with remote communities for sometime and has also0 served as an ambassador for Hard Cuddles, an organisation which focused on innovative peer support for males facing emotional hardship.

After retirement in 2020 he has held roles with the Western Bulldogs as a Development Coach and with the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) as both a Custody Worker and Cultural Mentor, reflective of his standing and impact within the wider community.

Varcoe will work closely with the Bombers’ Indigenous players in Jade Gresham and Alwyn Davey Jnr, and provide broader cultural education to the football department and football club.

“I’m super excited to get back into the AFL system in a new role and capacity at Essendon,” he said.

” I’m particularly looking forward to working with Jade and Alwyn, and also across the playing group with specific assistance to the Jack Jones Academy players. Development is my passion, so it’s great to jump back into it and help these young players continue to maximise their talent,” Varcoe said.

“Growing up as an indigenous kid, Essendon was a club that always led from the front, and I looked up to the players who wore the red and black. It’s an exciting time to be joining the club and I cant wait to get started.”