Defender Tom Doedee has been awarded the 2022 Crows Foundation Community Leadership Award for his commitment to helping with the Inclusive Academy.
The award was established by the Foundation to acknowledge players’ exceptional contributions to the community and was awarded to Doedee at Adelaide’s Club Champion dinner on Thursday night.
This year, Doedee was instrumental in encouraging the entire playing squad to get behind the Crows Foundation’s Inclusive Academy, a development program for young people with a disability to discover their passion for AFL football and train alongside their Crows heroes, thanks to support from Variety – The Children’s Charity.
The program gives young athletes the opportunity to be part of a team, with each member presented with a Crows Academy uniform and training under the guidance of experienced coaches, Kudos Services therapists and the AFL and AFLW players to provide a meaningful experience for each child.
Over the past two years, a series of football clinics have been delivered to more than 150 children aged between 10-15 years with special needs.
Doedee attended all clinics and encouraged his teammates to do the same, with all attending at least one session each.
The 25-year-old also met each child who visited the Club throughout the season at training sessions, to ensure they received a special experience.
Doedee, who also claimed the award in 2019, has been an Ambassador for Bedford Industries - a not-for-profit organisation which strives to change the lives of people with a disability - for the past four years.
It has been a cause close to Doedee’s heart ever since a serious car accident left his older brother Harley a double amputee.
Crows Children’s Foundation Manager Louise McDonald said Doedee was extremely deserving of the award.
“Tom’s passion to support people of all abilities shines through,” McDonald said.
“He makes so much effort when children visit the Club and his confidence and enthusiasm for our Inclusive Academy was amazing.”
Winners of the Adelaide Crows Foundation Community Leadership Award:
2015 – Taylor Walker
2016 – Kyle Hartigan and Charlie Cameron
2017 – Eddie Betts
2018 – Hugh Greenwood
2019 – Tom Doedee
2020 – Not awarded
2021 – Not awarded
2022 – Tom Doedee
