BRENDAN Fevola has joined Richmond's AFLW side as a specialist coach for the 2025 season.
Fevola played 204 games for Carlton and Brisbane between 1999 and 2010, kicking 623 goals.
In addition to his post-footy career as a radio host, Fevola has coached Yarrawonga in the Ovens and Murray Football League.
The Tigers' women's football boss Kate Sheahan said Fevola's passion for women's sport was obvious.
"To have a former champion of the game so passionate and invested in women’s football is exactly the type of person we want involved in our program," Sheahan said.
"His energy is infectious; he has coached his own team, and his on-field resume speaks for itself. However, what has really stood out when talking to Brendan—who is, of course, a father of four girls—is his genuine excitement for women’s football.
"Brendan will regularly be on the track at our training sessions, and our players are thrilled to have him on board."
The three-time All-Australian and two-time Coleman medallist - who also won the Fox Footy longest kick award in 2017 - will be tasked with working with the players to improve their forward play, skill acquisition, craft and development.
Fevola said the move came about after he had a casual meeting with Sheahan.
"She was picking my brain about footy and asked me if I'd like to pursue a coaching career and help out with the girls," Fevola said on his radio show Fifi, Fev & Nick.
"I went in there [on Wednesday], met the CEO, met the AFLW girls, the AFLW boys were training.
"It was like my first day being drafted [...] I had this young boy feeling.
"Mon Conti, who's a superstar for the Tigers, she won the equivalent to the Brownlow for the females not last year, the year before. She was like 'oh wow this is cool. Hey, Fev, can you carry all my boxes to the car because I can't lift them'. She got me on the tools!
"I'm pretty excited to get down there, I want to join in the training and help because I think women's footy has come a long way and my expertise in what I know, especially forward craft and they've got a couple of gun forwards down there. I was in there yesterday watching tape of the girls, at stoppages, forward stoppages."
Richmond player Emelia Yassir called in to Fevola's radio show to share the players' - and her mum's - excitement.
"Pretty rapt to have you on board, Mum is absolutely in love with you so she was pretty rapt as well," she said.
"It's going to be so exciting to have you on board, and see what you can do with us forwards."
The Tigers' backline coach Nathan Chapman will also take on a reduced role in the AFLW program in 2025 to focus on his commitments with Prokick, which works with emerging Australian punters to realise their ambitions of playing in the NFL.
