In celebration of a decade-long partnership with the GIANTS, Harvey Norman is proud to spotlight community changemakers through the Harvey Norman Heroes program - individuals who go above and beyond to grow the game and make a difference in their local communities.
The winner of the Harvey Norman Hero for round 12 is Jess Brent from the Willoughby Junior Football Club - a passionate local volunteer who continues to dedicate her time and energy into growing the game in Sydney’s north.
Jess champions inclusivity at the grassroots level. She is a coach, a committee member, a mentor, and the driving force behind building an all-girls Auskick program at Willoughby.
“I’m a Melbournian at heart. I come from Victoria so I’ve grown up with footy,” Jess said.
Her love for the sport carried into raising her two boys, now aged eight and six, with that passion turning into a desire to help support more children through the game.
“My son showed a very big passion for footy, he absolutely loved it from the time he was about three,” Jess said.
“I’ve always loved teaching and inspiring children so I got involved as a helper with Auskick at the Willoughby Wildcats in 2020.”
Since then Jess has gone into coaching both young boys and girls at the Wildcats while also becoming the club’s Auskick coordinator in 2024.
One of Jess’ proudest achievements has been building a dedicated girls Auskick program from the ground up.
“We had seven girls registered in 2024 - now we’re just under 30 registered for 2025.
“For us, we are still really trying to build girls footy at Willoughby; from mixed, to all girls
groups. If there’s girls that want to learn more, we’d love them to check out the Willoughby Wildcats.
“We got decimated in Covid but we are looking to have an under 9s team in 2026 which is really exciting and looking to expand the Auskick program and hopefully have an under 8s team as well.”
To help support their growth, Jess introduced a youth coaching initiative - pairing younger leaders who often previously played for the club with the club’s juniors.
“Finding someone the girls can really relate to was important. This year we had a fantastic 15-year-old youth coach who I guided and mentored in running the all-girls Auskick program with the parents which was great.”
A driving force in growing the junior club’s participation for the past six seasons, what’s driving Jess is simple.
“It’s the kids’ faces when they kick their first goal or master a skill - that excitement is everything.
“It’s so sweet when they see someone they might not get to hang out with or don’t go to school with, and they get to hang out with them at footy.
“The biggest buzz I got out of this year was coaching the Auskick and under 9s and seeing the kid's improvement level and you can see the rewards they get when they do something for the first time. It’s super rewarding to see.”
While stepping down from the Auskick Coordinator role from next season, Jess will continue to help grow the club - taking on Director of Operations for 2026 and coaching the Under 10s.
She also remains a proud member of GIANTS Wings, aligning herself with others who support and elevate women in sport.
“I joined this year and I’m very passionate about women in sport. Not just at the player level, but as coaches and administrators and all facets. So for me its really important to align myself with other like-minded people and how can I give back and creating those opportunities.”
Jess admits being named a Harvey Norman Hero wasn’t expected.
“I’m honoured. I was very shocked. It’s always really nice to be recognised for the work you do, however you don’t do it for the recognition.
“It can be a thankless job at times, but I do it because I love it.
“I feel very honoured and privileged to be considered a hero within our community. For me it’s just about helping the children improve and have as much fun as they can playing footy.”
