Who we are
Through our Principal Director, Peter Jess, Athletica Sports Management has over 40 years’ experience in sports management and personal representation.
The pioneer of AFL player management, Peter began acting for his first footballer client in 1980. At that time, there was no AFL player management function, but with Peter’s immediate success, it didn’t take long for him to start acting for most of the top players in the 1980s/1990s & 2000s. In fact, it is estimated that Peter once acted for over one third of VFL/AFL players. Peter was a co-founder of the AFLPA’s Education and Training Board, was instrumental in setting up the Agents Accreditation system in the AFL and remains a key player in the AFL management scene.
Peter continues to represent clients the world over and is globally acknowledged in the field of personal representation for sporting identities, media personalities, actors, and professionals with a clientele of high-profile coaches and athletes.
More recently, Peter’s focus has been the welfare of past players, through his highly public seeking of justice for the countless past players who have been let down by the AFL’s handling of concussion. Peter’s instigation of numerous research papers and presentation of clinical evidence led to changes to the AFL’s game-day concussion protocols and increase in mandatory days off between games following a concussion.
“I am the AFL’s leading player advocate. I make administrators accountable to the players and the public.”
It is this unparalleled experience and unique advocacy for our clients, at all stages of an athletic career that is the foundation of Athletica Sports Management.