Dr Susan Alberti (AC) wins Victorian of the Year 2018

Monday 2 July 2018

Victoria University is delighted to announce that Dr Susan Alberti (AC) has been named Victorian of the Year 2018 by the Victoria Day Council.

Ms Alberti has a long and proud connection with Victoria University and in 2016, VU awarded her an honorary doctorate to acknowledge her outstanding philanthropic service and her advocacy for medical research, education and sport. 

In 2015 Ms Alberti was appointed to the role of Chair of the VU Foundation, an initiative to develop key partnerships for the University.

“On behalf of the entire University, I would like to congratulate Ms Alberti on this well-deserved honour. Her ongoing support of VU and her unwavering commitment to women in sport, the west and more broadly the university’s quest to make VU a great university, is valued enormously.”

— Rhonda Hawkins, Acting Vice-Chancellor.

Last year Ms Alberti’s memoir The Footy Lady: The Trailblazing Story of Susan Alberti by Stephanie Asher (Melbourne University Press) shared a remarkable story about a working-class woman who “battled boardrooms, courts, lymphoma and adult diabetes – and was one of the driving forces behind the AFL’s move into women’s football.” Ms Alberti was vice-president of the Western Bulldogs when they won the 2016 premiership and has been instrumental in establishing the AFLW women's competition, leading to her appointment as the inaugural ambassador for the competition in 2017.

In 1997 Ms Alberti received an AM (Member of the Order of Australia) and in 2007 an AO (Officer of the Order of Australia), before being appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2016. Ms Alberti was chosen as Victorian of the Year by the Trustees of the Victorian Day Council, made up of previous Victorian of the Year Award receipients. Council chairman Tony Cree said the Council was honoured to introduce Dr Alberti as one of this year's winners.

The ceremony at Melbourne’s Town Hall on Monday 2 July, was attended by Sir James Gobbo, Patron in Chief of the Victoria Day Council. Former recipients of the award include Judith Durham (2015), Moira Kelly (2012) and Les Twentyman (2006).