TWO RETIRED AFLW rucks have made the transition to coaching, with Sharni Norder returning to Collingwood and Adelaide premiership player Rhiannon Metcalfe moving to Greater Western Sydney.

Norder has long been a fixture at the Magpies, playing both netball and football for the club and captaining the Australian Diamonds netball team.

She played 23 AFLW games for the Pies between 2019 and 2021 and was named All-Australian in 2020.

Norder – who has signed as a development coach – has been joined at the Pies by Jacob Thompson, who served as senior assistant alongside Tommy Hunter in Richmond's first AFLW season and will look after Collingwood's forwards.

Collingwood ruck Sharni Norder after the preliminary final loss to Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

Jordan Roughead (senior assistant, midfield) will continue alongside Sam Shaw (backline), Chris Gamble (head of development) and Jason Brown (development), with Martha Cantwell (new Sandringham Dragons head coach) and Michael Hartley (AFL Victoria) moving on.

An inaugural Crow, Metcalfe retired from AFLW at the conclusion of season six with 26 games to her name.

She joins the Giants with full knowledge and experience of the many facets of AFLW, having missed the 2019 flag with a torn ACL and sitting out the 2021 season due to work commitments with the ADF.

Metcalfe has been brought in as ruck and stoppage coach.

Adelaide's Rhiannon Metcalfe in action during the 2021 AFLW Grand Final against Brisbane on April 167, 2021. Picture AFL Photos

The core of GWS' coaching group will remain the same under Cam Bernasconi in his second season, with Lloyd Perris (senior assistant, midfield), Georgia Walker (backline), Jon Vlatko (forwards) and Darren Ratten (development and rehab) signing on again.

The Giants have also brought in three-time SANFL premiership player Trent Goodrem as a game-day trends coach, while Steven Camp will add a development role to his current duties with the club's female academy.

FORMER AFLW PLAYERS IN THE AFLW COACHING RANKS

Of clubs who have publicly confirmed their 2023 coaching panels:

  • Marijana Rajcic (Adelaide)
  • Sharni Norder (Collingwood)
  • Lisa Webb (Fremantle, senior)
  • Elyse Coventry (Geelong)
  • Georgia Walker (GWS)
  • Rhiannon Metcalfe (GWS)
  • Lou Wotton (Hawthorn)
  • Lauren Arnell (Port Adelaide, senior)
  • Sam Virgo (Port Adelaide)
  • Lauren Tesoriero (Richmond)
  • Emma Grant (Richmond)
  • Alison Downie (St Kilda)
  • Tanya Hetherington (Sydney)
  • Kate McCarthy (Western Bulldogs)