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Three-time Olympian Nicole Livingstone has been appointed the AFL's new Head of Women's Football, running the AFL Womens code as it expands towards a 14-team competition in 2020.

Livingstone will join the AFL on 4th December with the responsibility for growing and managing the NAB AFL Women’s competition and female participation in the code.

Since retiring from her decorated swimming career in 1996, Livingstone has gone on to be a success as a commentator, presenter and sports administrator.

Among a host of roles, she is currently on the board of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and a director of Swimming Australia and will resign from successful roles with the Australian Olympic Committee and VicHealth.

Aiming to begin the journey towards the AFLW becoming totally professional, Livingstone told AFL.com.au "I would hope it does become professional.

"When we're comparing to the men's AFL, it's been around for over 100 years, and we've been around for one year, so let's dream that anything's possible and that's what we want the girls to do.

"I completely understand being a semi-professional athlete where you are completely professional in heart, mind, training and commitment, but the compensation isn't there yet, so that's one of the big challenges over the next little while.

"We can dream that we can have the girls one day, fully professional."

Livingstone said she was an interested onlooker at the 2017 season and was "envious" that she didn't have the opportunity to play as a youngster.

She added "I'm excited about being involved in a female sport from a participation point-of-view and a high performance point-of-view that is clearly going places," she said.

"To have national plans so the girls and their parents know where they're going and how they get there is really important."

AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan described Livingstone as a "champion in every sense", advising "it is fantastic to get a person of her quality to lead our new national League

"Our first season generated a groundswell of support, and I am thrilled that Nicole is going to join the team to turn that energy into a growing, sustainable and successful women’s competition."

A champion backstroker, Livingstone represented Australia at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympics, winning bronze in the 200 metre backstroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in addition to a relay silver and bronze four years later in Atlanta.

She is also a six-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist. 

Nicole Livingstone image courtesy of Funkita swimwear.

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We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

The news we publish at www.ausleisure.com.au is independent, credible (we hope) and free for you to access, with no pay walls and no annoying pop-up ads.

However, as an independent publisher, can we ask for you to support us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine - if you don't already do so.

Published bi-monthly since 1997, the printed Australasian Leisure Management differs from this website in that it publishes longer, in-depth and analytical features covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues management.

Subscriptions cost just $90 a year.

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