WEST Coast has appointed Daniel Pratt as its new AFLW coach ahead of season 2021, with the 37-year-old transitioning into the role from his position as an assistant with the men's side.
Pratt takes the reins from Luke Dwyer, who stepped aside from the coaching position after leading the team throughout its inaugural AFLW season last year.
A 119-game player with Brisbane and North Melbourne, Pratt moved to West Coast in 2014 and has been part of Adam Simpson's AFL coaching panel for the last six seasons.
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He has also held development roles with TAC Cup sides Sandringham Dragons and Western Jets, as well as with VFL outfit Box Hill.
West Coast finished on the bottom of Conference B in its maiden season in the AFLW last year, winning just one of its six games – a thrilling four-point victory over the Western Bulldogs.
"I've been an assistant for a long time now and this is a great opportunity, particularly on the back of the enthusiasm and effort the girls brought last year," Pratt said.
"After all the coaching experience I've gathered over the past 12 years, I now get to step into the women's program as the senior coach, which is going to be another fantastic opportunity for me to not only develop as a coach but also to be part of a really important program for this football club.
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"My first priority will be building relationships and getting to know everyone. I see the girls around the club all the time and the work they put in is really inspiring.
"I was fortunate enough to watch all of the team's games last year as a supporter and I was really enthused by their energy, commitment to the contest and the way they worked for each other.
"We have several players with plenty of experience, but most of the girls are only six games into their AFLW career, so for me it's about finding the next part of our game around finishing and kicking a winning score.
"We'll work hard on how we convert, how we get more forward entries and how we defend behind our entries.
"But initially building relationships is going to be the No.1 priority."
