The challenges of the semi-professional footballer: A case study of the management of dual career development at a Victorian Football League (VFL) club

Analysis of the findings suggests that in addition to the development of personal skills such as time management, developing an approach to dual career development that is: player driven; uses existing sources for mentorship and support and; recognises the specific challenges facing semi-professional footballers and their portfolios of work has the potential to support athletes in the development of their dual careers. Such an approach has the potential to attenuate the financial and logistical barriers to providing athlete support that can be observed in semi-professional sports.