Emma Kearney (North Melbourne) will join the North Melbourne AFL coaching group as a full-time player development coordinator and development coach as part of the AFL's Women's Coach Acceleration Program.
Kearney joins Chelsea Randall (Adelaide Crows), Emma Ziekle (Brisbane Lions), Chloe McMillan (Collingwood), Natalie Wood (Essendon), Daisy Pearce (Geelong Cats), Alicia Eva (GWS GIANTS), Bec Goddard (Hawthorn) and Erin Philips (Port Adelaide) as women coaches who are having their development fast-tracked through the Women's Coach Acceleration Program.
All nine full-time positions are co-funded by the AFL and the Club. Clubs are also provided with relevant soft cap exemptions across the two-year employment.
The coaches will be employed for a minimum two-year period and involves a formal mentorship with a senior men’s AFL coach and a Level 3 AFL Coaching Accreditation achieved as a minimum.
Nicole Livingstone, General Manager Women's Football, said today's announcement was a real step towards the AFL's broader vision of having more women in coaching roles across the AFL.
"The AFL designed and co-funded the program to create legitimate coaching pathways for women. It is a major step towards the AFL's Women's Football Vision 2021-2030, where we want to see 50 per cent of AFLW senior coaching positions held by women," Livingstone said.
"When North Melbourne presented their application, the panel were impressed with the club's long history of integration across the men's and women's programs. We were also impressed with the club's track record of integrating their men's players as coaches across their women's programs."
Laura Kane, General Manager of Competition Management, congratulated Kearney on her appointment and said the program will fast-track all nine recipients' development as coaches.
"The Women's Coach Acceleration program will expedite the development of the industry's best women coaches and increase the number of women in coaching roles across men's and women's programs," Kane said.
"Emma is a champion of women's football and a leader on and off the field. Her leadership as captain and playing experience, along with her teaching background and role in The Huddle, will make her an outstanding coach.
"All the Women's Coach Acceleration Program recipients have already brought so much to our game. It will be great to see more of their talents brought to AFL programs."
The program is overseen by a Women’s Senior Coach Acceleration Steering Committee, comprising of the following:
- Laura Kane – AFL General Manager Competition Management
- Nicole Livingstone – AFL General Manager Women’s Football
- Andrew Dillon – AFL Executive General Manager Football Operations, Legal & Integrity
- Belinda Clark – Founder, The Leadership Playground and Former Australian Women’s Cricket Captain
The Women's Coach Acceleration Program is one of several commitments by the AFL towards progressing the game for women and girls and achieving the AFL's Women’s Football Vision 2030.
The NAB AFLW Season Seven Competition has seen a 94 per cent pay increase for players and involved all 18 AFL clubs for the first time.
To help achieve the aspirations set out in the Women's Football Vision which strives for equal participation and representation by the end of this decade, the AFL has committed $5 million in new investment to fund phase one of the Women and Girls Action Plan for the next three years, designed to drive participation and representation for women and girls across all aspects of community football nationally, from playing ti coaching, umpiring and administering.
The AFL appointed Lisa Lawry, a member of the AFL's GenW Executive Women's Talent Program, as General Manager Umpiring. Lawry’s extensive leadership experience has benefitted the progression of umpiring nationally and driven greater diversity across all levels.
The AFL's GenW Executive Women's Talent Program features eight senior women from across the industry, designed to advance their careers and develop leadership. Participants include trailblazers Trisha Squires, Elisa Koch, Debbie Lee, Laura Kane, Natalie Fagg, Kerrie Brewer, Kasey Passmore and Sarah Albon.
