Kendall Brooks (’05)

POSTED March 30 2026

Sports Physician and AFL Head Doctor

From an all girls school to a career in one of Australia’s most male‑dominated sporting industries, Kendall is now one of the few female head doctors in the AFL men’s competition. She has worked across a variety of elite sporting codes over the last decade, including numerous AFL teams, Cricket Australia, the NRL and Netball Australia. For the past four years, she has served as the Head Doctor and Head of Medical Services for the North Melbourne Football Club.

Kendall’s path to a career in medicine began early. She knew from a young age that she wanted to become a doctor after a family member burned their hand on the family farm. It is a goal she pursued with determination after moving from her country town to board at St Mary’s for Years 11 and 12. Attending St Mary’s allowed her to hone her studies and strengthen her confidence both academically and personally. After graduating in 2005, she began her undergraduate medicine degree at UWA, supported by our Esmee Byatt Scholarship.

Beginning her medical training at Royal Perth Hospital, Kendall then relocated to Melbourne, working across several major hospitals while discovering a passion for sport and musculoskeletal medicine. This led her to specialise in Sport and Exercise Medicine, a field that aligned perfectly with her lifelong love of sport and her commitment to evidence‑based care.

Often the only woman in a room full of men, and for periods, the only female Head Doctor across all 18 AFL men’s teams, Kendall has forged her career with strength and skill. She now mentors junior female doctors seeking pathways into sports medicine and the AFL industry, actively broadening representation for the next wave of Sports Physicians.

Balancing the demands of motherhood with the pace and pressure of elite sport, Kendall continues to demonstrate the resilience and leadership that have defined her journey. The lifelong friendships she formed at St Mary’s remain a constant source of support, and she credits the School with helping her build the confidence and self‑belief that now underpin her work at the highest levels of Australian sport.

*Photo courtesy of Getty Images