Young leaders involved in The Whitten Project have enjoyed a star-studded second quarter of the program with presentations from Western Bulldogs List Manager Jason McCartney, former Melbourne Vixens Captain and Australia Diamonds Vice Captain Bianca Chatfield.

The leaders also participated in showcase football match on Etihad Stadium at half time during the Western Bulldogs round 13 clash with St Kilda.

The Whitten Project schedule is full of high value aspirational workshops delivered by respected leaders from various industries.

McCartney’s presentation was one of the highlights for the young leaders, as a constant supporter of The Whitten Project since its inception 2013.

McCartney inspired and motivated young leaders through his goal setting and resilience workshops that draws on experiences and learnings from his 200-game football career and fairy tale comeback to football following his recovery from injuries sustained in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Among a host of stirring moments and messages, McCartney left the group with one take home message – ‘persistence and perseverance knows no failure’.

Like McCartney, Chatfield has supported The Whitten Project over the last three years and has been instrumental in taking female participation to record levels in 2015.

An admired and respected leader with gold medals from the 2007 World Championships and 2014 Commonwealth Games and two premierships with the Melbourne Vixens, Chatfield’s workshop focuses on the importance of personal branding and support networks.

Chatfield’s message is simple – ‘surround yourself with people who want to make you better and know what you want to stand for as a leader’.

Elective workshops have also been a feature in the second quarter, providing volunteer opportunities for young leaders to connect with the broader Western Bulldogs Football Club and apply their leadership skills in real life situations.

The group have thrown their support behind this new initiative providing assistance at recent Club events including Dahlhaus Clubhouse Clinic and Sons of the West Graduation.

Melton young leader Billy Metters was particularly grateful for the opportunity.

“I had an absolute ball. Being able to connect with the young Bulldogs fans and help them with their footy skills was so rewarding. I would love to do it again”. 

The Community Leadership Project (CLP) will be a key focus in the program’s second half.

A core component of The Whitten Project, the CLP provides young leaders with opportunities to engage with and positively impact their local community by identifying an issue of interest or relevance to them and planning, delivering and evaluating a basic activity designed to improve the issue.

Young leaders will work within their council group to deliver their activity and we should see activities coming to life over the next four to six weeks with young leaders working on initiatives designed to address bullying, drugs and alcohol, healthy eating and youth homelessness.

The upcoming third quarter will include the second and final weekend camp and presentations from Western Bulldogs All-Australian defender Dale Morris and Football Manager Ben Graham.

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