Chad Wingard is a proud Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna man, former Hawthorn and Port Adelaide footballer and respected First Nations leader within the AFL industry. 

Across a distinguished 218-game AFL career, Chad was a two-time All-Australian, Port Adelaide best and fairest winner and an influential leader and advocate for First Nations players.

Following his retirement in 2024, Chad moved into the AFL’s Indigenous and social policy team, contributing to work including the industry’s cultural safety framework, and in 2026 was appointed the AFL’s inaugural National Next Generation Academy Manager.

Chad brings to the Advisory Group the lived experience of a First Nations athlete, a strong commitment to challenging racism and cultural safety, and an important contemporary perspective on creating stronger pathways for the next generation of First Nations people in football.