Professional Footballers Australia (the PFA) is delighted to announce Clare Hunt’s appointment to the PFA Executive.

Hunt was nominated for the Executive by her peers. The Matildas defender joins Jackson Irvine, Lydia Williams, Mat Ryan, Elise Kellond-Knight, Andrew Redmayne, Jack Hingert, Tameka Yallop, PFA Chair Francis Awaritefe, and Co-Chief Executives Kathryn Gill and Beau Busch on the player representative board.

“I’m excited to be in a position to advocate for the progression of football in Australia,” Hunt said. “I’m extremely passionate about and committed to supporting and protecting the rights, interests, working conditions, and welfare of professional footballers in Australia.

“I have been fortunate enough to see and experience the positive impact of the PFA throughout my career and feel extremely grateful to be in a position where I can voice and contribute to the growth of Australian football.

“I’m very excited to work with driven, ambitious, and passionate members of the Executive to continue to improve areas in the game and meet the shared vision that players have for the sport here in Australia.”

PFA Co-Chief Executive Kathryn Gill welcomed Hunt to the new role.

“We are delighted to welcome Clare, who has emerged as a leader on and off the pitch in Australian football,” Gill said.

“During last year’s National Team CBA negotiations, Clare demonstrated her leadership as a strong player advocate. Now, through the Executive, she has the opportunity to extend her influence in shaping the game’s future.”

The 25-year-old international defender was part of a negotiating committee throughout the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations for the National Teams.

The agreement further strengthened the partnership between Football Australia and Australia’s National Team players, enhancing the gender equality and revenue share model established in 2019.

Related: New National Teams CBA to drive continued growth of Australian football

The CBA delivered improvements to the National Teams revenue-share model, safeguards investment into Australia’s Junior National Team program, secured record levels of investment in player welfare and development, and, for the first time, past player programs.

Hunt replaces the outgoing Natasha Rigby, who announced her retirement from professional football after the 2023-24 A-League Women’s season. Rigby served as part of the 11-person group since November 2022, playing a key role in the continued growth of the women’s game in Australia.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge Tash, a tireless advocate for the players and the game and an example of a player who was determined to leave the game in a better place than when she found it,” Gill said.

About the PFA Executive Committee
Through representative positions on the Executive Committee, professional Australian players help to advance and protect the interests, conditions, and welfare of their fellow professionals and actively resolve issues on their behalf.

The current PFA Executive Committee is Francis Awaritefe (Chair), Kathryn Gill (PFA Co-Chief Executive), Beau Busch (PFA Co-Chief Executive), Jackson Irvine (President), Lydia Williams (Vice President), Mat Ryan (Executive Member), Elise Kellond-Knight (Executive Member), Jack Hingert (Executive Member), Andrew Redmayne (Executive Member), Tameka Yallop (Executive Member) and Clare Hunt (Executive Member).