Swinburne University of Technology and Richmond Football Club have announced the extension of their partnership until at least the end of 2028. The renewed agreement will see Swinburne continue to support both the AFL and AFLW programs, with students undertaking placements across various departments within the club, including Football, Strength and Conditioning, Marketing, Design, and HR.

The partnership, which has been in place since 2013, will also see the growth of existing research initiatives, study opportunities, and shared work towards reconciliation through Richmond’s Korin Gamadji Institute and Swinburne’s Moondani Toombadool Centre and National Centre for Reconciliation Practice. Swinburne will retain the naming rights for the Swinburne Centre for the next four years.

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale said, "We are very grateful for Swinburne's longstanding support of our Club and delighted that this partnership will continue beyond 10 years as part of this agreement." He also highlighted the mutual benefits of the partnership, stating, "A key reason for this partnership's success is the opportunities we can provide each other. It is fantastic to have 15 Swinburne students currently in placement roles, contributing to the operations of the Club, and players like Monique Conti, Ellie McKenzie, and Tim Taranto have all studied at Swinburne.”

Swinburne Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pascale Quester, echoed Gale's sentiments, saying, “Swinburne and Richmond share a commitment to creating a better world by investing in people, driving technology-led improvements and learning by doing. This has been the core of our successful partnership to date, which will continue as we innovate together to advance our shared goals.”

Chief Marketing Officer Carolyn Bendall expressed her excitement about the enduring partnership, stating, “Countless students, staff, players, coaches and industry partners have been positively impacted by Swinburne’s partnership with Richmond, not to mention the thousands of supporters who have walked through the gates of the Swinburne Centre since 2017. I cannot wait to see the continued growth of this partnership, as we find new ways of working together to drive further knowledge, skills and outcomes for both of our organisations and the broader community.”