LISA Webb has moved from AFLW player to assistant coach to senior coach of Fremantle in the space of just five years.
The rapid ascension means Webb will be coaching four senior Dockers – Ebony Antonio, Kiara Bowers, Hayley Miller and Gabby O'Sullivan – whom she played alongside in 2018.
Another seven former teammates are now on lists at expansion clubs West Coast, Port Adelaide and Essendon, having started their AFLW careers at Fremantle.
In her first press conference since her appointment was announced, Webb recounted electrician Antonio had been grumpy she'd found out about the appointment of her friend in the media, missing chains of messages while on a night-shift sleeping pattern.
"Even during that playing time, I'm that little bit older than them – 'a little bit', bit of a wink, I'm quite a bit older than them – so that's where I got my nickname 'Mumma Webb' from," the 38-year-old Webb told womens.afl.
"Having always been that little bit older, I was always hoping to guide them, even though I was a (cross-sport) rookie when I was drafted. Just having those authentic conversations, those challenging conversations, I wasn't afraid to be honest with them and give them feedback because I know all too well that you don't necessarily have long in the sport.
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"I mean, I started later, but I had kids and that reduced my time. To think four or five years later, that I'm coaching, is still a bit of a shock.
"I know how passionate these girls are, I can see they’ve got a thirst for learning, so I want to create an environment where they bring a lot of energy and personality, but I want to make sure they're really serious about their football to maximise their performance and sense of belonging."
Webb and husband Marc are quite the powerhouse couple among AFL/W coaching ranks. Marc had been an assistant coach for Fremantle's men's side before crossing to the Western Bulldogs, Lisa leaving the Dockers to join him at the club last season and work with the women.
Marc will remain in his role at the Dogs, with sons Ollie, seven, and Leo, three, to cross back to Perth with Lisa in April.
"It is challenging, separating the family, but Marc's so supportive, he always has been. He's obviously an incredible mentor for me, let alone husband," she said.
"The boys will just come back and forth and visit Marc as much as they can, my mum and dad will bring them back in school holidays, or any little trips and breaks we can get together as a family, that's what we'll do.
"Ollie is the most excited to get back to the fans, he thinks the Freo fans turn out for him, so he'll be delighted. He has got so many jumpers, even this season when he was at the Bulldogs, Ebony Antonio was sending over Freo jumpers.
"They're (Ebony and wife, former skipper Kara) Leo's godparents, so there's always that balance around favourite players. They had some great connections with the Bulldogs girls – they loved Bailey Hunt – but they've got some close connections with the Freo girls as well."
Webb grew up around footy but didn't have an opportunity to play, instead turning her attention to heptathlon and middle-distance running, before joining the Dockers as a rookie at the age of 33.
A high school health and PE teacher, Webb ran the girls' football program at Newman College, working with the likes of Docker Matilda Sergeant and Eagle Mikayla Western.
She's taking the Fremantle coaching reins from Trent Cooper, whose contract wasn't renewed after season seven, and whom she worked alongside for four seasons.
"I've been thinking about the game plan, what we can tweak and what we can change in terms of ball movement and that connection piece," Webb said.
"There are a lot of really talented players, especially that young core group, we can really get some development into them and increase their game sense and game awareness. There's so much potential and there's so much upside to the list as well.
"I had Michelle Cowan [as coach], I worked with Trent really closely too, and now Nathan Burke, and it's been so impressive. I've seen – not just at an AFLW level, but even at a school level – just how quickly the girls are implementing their understanding of ball movement, attack and defence.
"These girls are constantly inquisitive as to what they can do to improve their football and I've certainly seen that change over the past few years; but the resourcing change at clubs has been massive as well, the IP side of it, what players can do at the club but also away from the club to help develop their game."
