Gemma Sammut is 21 years old, a diehard football and netball fan and incredibly, is already working at St Kilda Football Club – the club she has supported from the day she was born – as its Property Assistant.

Gemma is a graduate of the Holmesglen-Saints Sports Program, a recently established course which offers unprecedented access to the inner workings of an elite sports environment and provides hands-on experience at St Kilda's world-class facility, RSEA Park.

There's just one week left to sign up to the Holmesglen-Saints Sports Program,(February intake), so make sure to enrol in this game-changing course before Monday 21 February!

Tell us a little about yourself and how did your journey with the Saints begin?

When I left school, I wasn't sure of which career path to take, so I worked in a few different positions including an accounting/admin role which provided some great experience. But I wanted to work in an industry that I loved and am passionate about, so I applied to the Holmesglen-Saints Sports Program to become qualified to work in the sport industry, never imagining it would lead to this great opportunity. Playing and watching sport has been a large part of my life and I enjoy all aspects of it, including being a volunteer trainer and team manager for my brother's junior football team.

How has the Holmesglen-Saints Sports Program helped kickstart your career in sport?

The course covered a range of subjects and areas that were all relevant to the sport industry. Even though we didn't get the practical experience we had hoped for within the course due to COVID-19, it equipped me with the confidence to apply for the Property Assistant position at the Saints. The course content made the transition into the sporting club environment easier and not as daunting as it might have otherwise been.

What did you enjoy most about the program? 

Due to COVID-19, a lot of our course was online, and each week we had a talk from someone from St Kilda. We heard from Brett Ratten, Tim Membrey, Seb Ross and many players, coaches and support staff.  These sessions were definitely the highlight of the course, the speakers gave us an invaluable insight into their current roles, their experiences in the industry and how their career paths evolved. Each chat only went for about an hour, but they gave us a great snapshot into what goes into running a football club.

What is your favourite thing about your job at the Saints?

Getting to be a part of such a supportive and fun-loving group of people who share the same love of the game and aspiration for the team’s success is definitely my favourite thing about working at the Saints.

What does the future hold and where would you like to be in a few years’ time?

I am hoping to remain at St Kilda for the foreseeable future and learn and develop within the club. I would be interested in working in the logistics and operations area in the future. There are so many people at St Kilda that are wonderful mentors for me such as Danny Sexton, Scott Whyte and Simon Lethlean.  I am thoroughly enjoying learning from their wealth of knowledge and look forward to continuing that process.

There's just one week left to sign up to the Holmesglen-Saints Sports Program, (February intake), so make sure to enrol in this game-changing course before Monday 21 February!