WITH four new senior coaches at the helm ahead of the upcoming NAB AFL Women's season, there's been plenty of movement in the assistant coaching ranks, too.
Of note has been the steady increase in the number of former AFLW players joining coaching panels, with Adelaide boasting four in its ranks.
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Who's helping out your club's senior coach this year?
Names in bold are former AFLW players. Names with asterisks are current AFL players.
The Crows' new coaching panel have all previously played at the club. The additions of Renee Forth and Hannah Button mean that Adelaide has the greatest number of former AFLW players in a coaching group.
Matthew Clarke – senior coach, seventh season
Courtney Cramey – assistant coach, midfield
Marijana Rajcic – assistant coach, defenders
Jack Madgen – assistant coach, forwards
Renee Forth – development coach, midfield
Hannah Button – development coach
Kieran Strachan – ruck coach
The Lions have replaced experienced assistant Daniel Webster (Hawthorn head coach) with Ryan Davis from powerhouse QAFLW side Southport. Other than that, their premiership-winning panel remains intact.
Craig Starcevich – senior coach, ninth season (equal AFLW record)Ryan Davis – assistant coach, midfield
Paul Henriksen – assistant coach, defenders
Phil Lovett – assistant coach, forwards
Matt Green – high performance manager
Former premiership Bulldog Aasta O'Connor has been elevated from last year's development coaching role, while veteran Blue Jess Dal Pos will combine her playing commitments with some development coaching.
Mathew Buck – senior coach, second season
Glenn Strachan – senior assistant coach, midfield; head of development
Christina Polatjko – senior assistant coach, defenders
Aasta O'Connor – senior assistant coach, forwards
Jess Dal Pos – development coach and current player
It's been a near-complete overhaul at Collingwood under new coach Sam Wright, with Chris Gamble the sole remaining coach. Former AFL players Dom Tyson and Dan Currie have joined, while Jess Duffin has taken her first steps into AFLW coaching.
Sam Wright – senior coach, debut season
Tom Wilson – assistant coach, midfield; head of development
Dom Tyson – assistant coach, defenders
Dan Currie – assistant coach, forwards
Chris Gamble – development coach, midfield
Jess Duffin – development coach, defenders
Tom Cashin – development coach, forwards; runner
Liam McKenna – development coach
The headline name in Essendon's coaching panel this season is Paul Groves, the 2018 premiership-winning coach with the Western Bulldogs. It's Groves' first season back in the AFLW since parting ways with the Dogs at the end of 2019.
Natalie Wood – senior coach, third season
Paul Groves – assistant coach, midfield
Natasha Hardy – assistant coach, defenders
Bernard Shepheard – assistant coach, forwards
Cherie O'Neill – development coach
Inaugural AFLW skipper Kara Antonio has returned to the club as an assistant coach, part of a whole new line-coach group. AFL Docker Josh Corbett will hold a position for a second year.
Lisa Webb – senior coach, second season
Cam Shepherd – director of coaching
Mark Tilbury – assistant coach, midfield
Kara Antonio – assistant coach, defenders
Matt Connell – assistant coach, forwards
Zac Langdon – skills specialist and football fundamentals
Craig Thomas – opposition analyst
*Josh Corbett – specialist coach, talls
Lauren Stammers – development coach
Former AFLW Cat Elise Coventry – also the club's VFLW coach – has moved into an assistant coaching role, after serving as development coach last year.
Dan Lowther – senior coach, fourth season
Josh Finch – assistant coach, midfield
Elise Coventry – assistant coach, defenders
Andrew Bruce – assistant coach, forwards
Andrew Althorpe – development coach
Will Sexton – development coach
*Gary Rohan – development coach
David Morgan – bench coach
Paul Chambers – talls coach
The Suns have added two former elite players to their coaching panel in 2024 in inaugural Sun Rory Thompson and AFLW premiership player Jess Sedunary.
Cam Joyce – senior coach, fourth season
Sam Iles – senior assistant coach, midfield
Rory Thompson – assistant coach, defenders
Jess Sedunary – assistant coach, forwards
Trent Goodrem has taken charge of the midfield group after the departure of long-term assistant Lloyd Perris.
Cam Bernasconi – senior coach, third season
Trent Goodrem – assistant coach, midfield
Brent Chapman – assistant coach, defenders
Jon Vlatko – assistant coach, forwards
Michael Horne – strategy
Georgia Walker – head of development
Rhiannon Metcalfe – rucks and stoppages
Darren Ratten – development coach
Stephen Camp – development coach
There's been a bit of turnover at Hawthorn under new coach Daniel Webster. Keegan Brooksby has switched to the midfield after the departure of Ben Mackay, with Steph Binder joining from Collingwood. Retired Hawk Catherine Brown has joined as a development coach.
Daniel Webster – senior coach, debut season
Keegan Brooksby – assistant coach, midfield; list manager
Steph Binder – assistant coach, defenders
Mitch Cashion – assistant coach, forwards
Michael Ericson – development coach; VFLW coach
Kathryn Chatelier – development coach; opposition analyst
Cam McKinlay – development coach
Matt Dussin – development coach
Catherine Brown – development coach
*Jack Gunston – specialist coach
Vincent Chungue has been elevated from strategy and opposition coach to midfield assistant. Matt Brewer has switched from midfield to defenders after Tam Hyett was appointed Western Bulldogs coach.
Mick Stinear – senior coach, ninth season (equal AFLW record)
Vincent Chungue – assistant coach, midfield
Matt Brewer – assistant coach, defenders
Shae Sloane – assistant coach, forwards; head of development
Dale Amos – skill acquisition
Justin Crough – specialist coach, ruck
Max Viney – specialist coach, tackling and grappling
*Ben Brown – specialist coach, talls
Jon Stinear – development coach; runner
Ally Kirkwood – development coach
Caitlin Conroy – development coach
Sam Batterton – high performance manager
The Roos have brought in Ryan Pendlebury to look after the midfield, with Daniel McKenzie taking charge of the forwards after Sam Wright was appointed coach of Collingwood.
Darren Crocker – senior coach, fifth season
Rhys Harwood – senior assistant; head of football performance
Ryan Pendlebury – assistant coach, midfield
Nick Devereux – assistant coach, defenders; head of player performance
Daniel McKenzie – assistant coach, forwards
*Hugh Greenwood – specialist coach, midfielders and talls
Chloe Laan – development coach, defenders
Tahni Nestor – development coach, forwards
Meagan Kiely – female coach graduate program
Cam Morris – opposition analyst, football performance
Regan Kerslake – football performance co-ordinator
Former Brisbane and Gold Coast captain Sam Virgo was acting senior coach during the year, covering for Lauren Arnell's maternity leave. The Power leader is now back on deck.
Lauren Arnell – senior coach, third season
Sam Virgo – assistant coach
Dan Merrett – assistant coach
Braedon Talbot – assistant coach
Kelly Barltrop – development coach
Troy Wilkey – development coach
Ex-AFLW player Emma Grant has replaced Lauren Tesoriero in the assistant coaching panel, having previously served as a development coach.
Ryan Ferguson – senior coach, fifth season
Shaun Hampson – assistant coach, midfield
Nathan Chapman – assistant coach, defenders
Emma Grant – assistant coach, forwards
Delisted Saint Deanna Jolliffe has been brought on as a development coach, with long-term coach David Carden returning to an assistant position.
Nick Dal Santo – senior coach, fourth season
Lachlan Harris – assistant coach, midfield
David Carden – assistant coach, defenders
Dale Robinson – assistant coach, forwards
Patrick Hill – team defence; coaching educator
Alison Downie – skill acquisition; opposition analyst
Deanna Jolliffe – development coach
Anthony Tang – list manager; head of analytics
It's an unchanged coaching panel for Sydney's third AFLW season.
Scott Gowans – senior coach, third season
Nick Davis – senior assistant, midfield
Bronwyn Gulden – assistant coach, defenders
Tanya Hetherington – assistant coach, forwards
Colin O'Riordan – team defence
Baker Denneman – who coached an AFLW game in 2022 in the absence of Scott Gowans – has crossed to the Eagles under new coach Daisy Pearce. Current Eagle Matt Flynn is helping out with the rucks.
Daisy Pearce – senior coach, debut season
Baker Denneman – assistant coach, midfield
Martene Pearman – assistant coach, defenders
Rohan McHugh – assistant coach, forwards
Andrew Di Loreto – head of development
*Matt Flynn – rucks coach
Amanda Robertson – development coach
Fresh coach Hyett has an almost brand new coaching panel at her disposal, with Matt Skubis the only holdover from last year. Former premiership Dog Toby McLean is one of the fresh additions.
Tamara Hyett – senior coach, debut season
Brendon Lade – director of coaching
Toby McLean – assistant coach, midfield
Matt Skubis – assistant coach, defenders
Ben Friggi – assistant coach, forwards
Peter Mercoulia – specialist coach
Malcolm Bangs – specialist coach
*Rory Lobb – mentor
