AFL and SisterWorks Win Sport Positive Award
The Australian football league partnership earns global recognition for its environmental and social impact.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Football
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The AFL and SisterWorks have won the Purpose-led Partnership with a Non-Profit category at the 2026 Sport Positive Awards. The collaborative programme turns discarded sporting textiles into new products while providing meaningful employment.
Why it matters
The partnership aims to create employment opportunities for women from refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeker backgrounds while simultaneously repurposing discarded football textiles to minimise waste. It effectively demonstrates how professional sports can leverage assets for social and environmental progress.
In the first half of 2026, the programme generated an estimated $196,080 in social return on investment. The initiative currently delivers $4.30 in social value for every dollar invested.
The players
AFL
The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition for Australian rules football in the country.
SisterWorks
SisterWorks is a social enterprise that supports women from refugee, migrant, and asylum-seeker backgrounds by providing opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
The details
The partnership repurposes unwanted AFL uniforms, apparel, event banners, and promotional materials into handcrafted goods like tote bags and gym accessories. These products are manufactured at the SisterWorks social enterprise hub to support women from diverse backgrounds.
Timeline
The partnership between the AFL and SisterWorks was launched in 2025.
During the first half of 2026, the programme diverted 150kg of waste and created 1,140 hours of work.
The Sport Positive Awards winners were announced on 6 October 2026.
Season Trajectory
This win validates the shift toward circular economies within major Australian sports organisations. It positions the AFL as a leader in sustainability, potentially influencing other domestic leagues to adopt similar waste-reduction and social-inclusion frameworks.
The AFL intends to empower AFL clubs nationwide to adopt this circular textile approach, which may result in increased sustainability initiatives at local matches. Fans can monitor club apparel programmes for opportunities to support these social enterprise products.
The takeaway
Organisations can drive significant social value by repurposing event waste into functional goods. Readers can support similar social enterprises by prioritising products that create tangible employment pathways for marginalised communities.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments across the code in our Football section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Afl.
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