BUILDING ELITE CLUBS COURSES

SELF-PACED COURSES
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Build your understanding of what makes a football club truly elite. Learn the foundations of club identity, culture, and high performance, and apply insights from one of the most respected leaders in the AFL. Gain real-world knowledge to elevate your impact inside any football organisation.

  • Module 1: What Makes an Elite Football Club
    Explore the core ingredients that define elite clubs, including leadership structures, people management and alignment across departments.

  • Module 2: Building Identity and Culture
    Learn how to establish and protect a strong club identity, define clear values and embed a culture that drives long-term success on and off the field.

  • Module 3: Building High Performance Environments
    Understand how to create and support high performance systems that allow players, coaches and staff to consistently perform at their best.

  • Module 4: Case Studies from Neil’s Career
    Apply lessons from real-world examples of elite clubs, drawn from Neil Balme’s 50+ years of experience across Richmond, Geelong, Collingwood and more.

ACCELERATORS

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DATES: 15th & 22nd April, 2026
TIME: 9am–12pm AEST / 2 x 3 Hour Sessions
METHOD: Online via Zoom
POSITIONS: 20
INVESTMENT: One-Time Payment or Monthly Payments over 6 or 12 Months
FACILITATOR: Neil Balme
INFO SESSION: TBC

The Building Elite Football Clubs Accelerator is presented by Neil Balme, one of the most influential leaders in Australian football. Across a career spanning decades at Richmond, Geelong and Collingwood, Neil has played a pivotal role in building sustainable, high-performing football clubs both on and off the field.

This course provides rare access to his philosophy and practical approach to football leadership. Participants will explore how to create identity and culture, manage change, balance football and business priorities, and understand the principles that underpin successful clubs. With real-world case studies and deep insight into the realities of elite sport, this program offers lessons for anyone aspiring to lead in football or sport more broadly.

MASTERS PROGRAM

By enrolling in the Master of Australian Football program, you get access to 7 x Apogee Sports courses.

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This comprehensive program combines all of our course offerings into a single, powerful package designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to excel in the AFL industry.

  • 3 x On-Demand & 4 x Accelerator Courses spaced over 12 months:
    You’ll get access to 3 x On-Demand courses, as well as all Accelerator courses across the course of the year. More information below.

  • Access to Industry Experts
    During your completion of the course, you’ll have access to our instructors to ask any questions that you may have about the industry and content.

  • Simple Online Access
    All our content can be accessed at the click of a button 24/7 and we have 6 month payment options available. You’ll also get a copy of all course material and recordings of Accelerator sessions following completion.

  • Career Support:
    During and after completing a course, you’ll receive a free career advisory call to help you map out the next steps of your career through networking and job applications..

  • Exclusive Events:
    You’ll receive invitations to exclusive events throughout the 12 month period where you can meet new people in the industry.

  • Merchandise:
    The first drop of Apogee Sports Merch is on it’s way and you’ll receive a piece of merchandise free of charge.

  • Professional Network
    Your network in football is guaranteed to grow through our Accelerator programs and exclusive events over the 12 month period.

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