VU and the Western Jets Football Club have enjoyed a productive partnership since 1999. The partnership provides outstanding educational opportunities for VU students and other young people in the western suburbs.
The Jets represent the Western Metropolitan Region (Hobson’s Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Wyndham, Moorabool, Port Phillip and Brimbank) in the NAB League Under 19 Competition. Over 50% of the players from the NAB League go on to play in the AFL.
In 2017 the Western Jets formed the girls competition.
The Western Jets provide significant work placement opportunities for VU students, many of whom subsequently find ongoing work with the Jets or other sporting organisations.
Over the last 10 years we have had 77 staff members studied or been a part of Victoria University in some capacity.
Currently there are 22 Western Jets Staff members who are currently studying or have completed their studies at VU that work within the Boys and Girls Jets programs.
Roles include:
VU students who have completed work placements with the Western Jets have gone on to enjoy successful careers in the elite sports industry.
Organisations that employ former Western Jet placement students include:
VU is committed to promoting traditional education alongside sport careers. We offer Jets players pathway and career-development support. Course advice sessions give our Western Jets partners the opportunity to explore their study and scholarship options.
Our industry partnerships give our sport students opportunities to undertake placements.
We provide the Jets with access to our state-of-the-art facilities including our:
VU offers Jets players skill acquisition training.
VU supports the annual Nathan Prince Scholarship, which offers $1000 for a Western Jets player enrolled full time at VU or Victoria University Polytechnic. The scholarship was established in memory of Western Jets player Nathan Prince, who died after a post-game cardiac arrest in 2011.
The Western Jets Football Club has selected Daly Andrews as the 2019 recipient of the Nathan Prince Academic Scholarship.
Daly entered the program in 2018 and showed significant improvement in his football to earn Victoria Metro honours. In 2019, Daly returns to the Western Jets as one of 5 nominated 19 year old players, and with this comes leadership expectations. Daly’s catchability, maturity and thirst for knowledge has seen him continue to improve his football and excel in his authentic leadership amongst the group.
Daly is studying a double degree at Victoria University Bachelor of Sports Science (Human Movement)/ Bachelor of Sport Management
In 2018 the Western Jets Football Club selected Maddison-Eve Fenech as the first ever female recipient of the Nathan Prince Academic Scholarship.
Maddison had an extremely successful senior year in 2017, she was College Captain at Lakeview Senior College and Vice-Captain of the Western Jets Football Club. Maddison won multiple awards throughout the year including the Gorton Young Leaders award established by Federal member Gorton O’Connor in 2009 to recognise year 12 students who have shown commitment to public service through voluntary work, student leadership and community service. Maddison also won the Western Jets coaches award and Caroline Springs best and fairest.
Maddison will be studying a Bachelor of Biomedicine at Victoria University this year and hopes to pursue a career in Medicine as an emergency ward doctor.
2019 Nathan Prince Scholarship recipient Daly Andrews
2018 Nathan Prince Scholarship Recipient Maddison-Eve Fenech
Former champions of the game that came from the Jets include:
Current AFL stars who once played for the Jets include:
2018 draftees:
2017 draftees:
VU is a national leader in sports education, and we offer a range of sport and exercise science courses.
VU’s elite athlete program helps athletes balance study with training and competing at a professional level. If you're interested in our high-achieving sporting partners, read more about the Western Jets
