ST KILDA has joined the race to field a team in the AFL national women's league next year.
However, should the Saints secure a licence, it is unlikely current assistant Peta Searle will coach the club's women's side.
Melbourne and Western Bulldogs are considered the front-runners to be part of the eight-team competition.
Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Essendon and Port Adelaide have already publicly declared they won't be bidding to have a women's team in 2017.
Clubs have until 5pm on Friday to submit their applications.
The Saints are seen as trailblazers, having been the first AFL club to appoint a female to their coaching ranks.
But chief executive Matt Finnis doesn't think that makes the club any more deserving of a licence.
"I don’t think anyone is entitled," Finnis told AFL.com.au.
"Everyone needs to put forward a compelling submission and tick all the boxes. But if there is a group that deserves it, we think it's actually the young women of bayside Melbourne.
"We think that they’re showing in numbers, through their passion, through their talent, that they need a team to represent them.
"We're really keen to be part of the inaugural national women's league. We think that the League itself is a really powerful opportunity for our game to contribute to what is a belated shift across the community, in terms of demonstrating that women can do anything.
To put together the proposal, the Saints formed an internal sub-committee including football boss Jamie Cox, Lisa Laing (general manager of customer and community) and Searle, and also enlisted the help of a consultancy firm.
St Kilda's model is based around creating an "integrated high performance network of three teams", and will have the distinct advantage of being able to draw on the wisdom of five-time VWFL premiership coach Searle, who brings "enormous insight into women's football", according to Finnis.
The Saints are still working through what their coaching structure would look like should they win a licence.
Finnis said while Searle would have a "critical role", it was more than likely she would continue in her current role as an assistant coach for the men's side.
"Let's not forget that Peta is a coach in her own right that plays a pivotal role in the development of our young list," he said.
"We need to make sure she has the support to be able to continue to do that, but when you're a five-time premiership coach in women's football, you know one or two things that might be useful for success from day one."
Finnis said women's football was growing in strength in the bayside area of Melbourne, with VWFL clubs like the St Kilda City Sharks and Seaford Tigerettes now fielding waiting lists from women keen for a game.
"For us, the opportunity to provide role models and an aspirational team to provide that pathway is absolutely fantastic and we want to be a part of it," Finnis said.
It is understood the AFL's preference is for four women’s sides based in Victoria, and one each in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney.
