COLLINGWOOD is planning a four-person coaching panel for its women's team in the inaugural season of the national league.
The Magpies' coach, to be announced early next week, will be backed by three assistants, one of them female, to start preparations for the eight-team competition next February-March.
Half of the eight AFL licensed clubs will have their coaches in place – Craig Starcevich (Brisbane Lions), Damien Keeping (Carlton) and Michelle Cowan (Fremantle) – before the first step of list formation starts next week, when the 16 marquee players are named.
Collingwood is pitching to play its women's league games at its Holden Centre headquarters, in Melbourne’s Olympic Park sports precinct opposite the MCG. The venue could also accommodate double-headers under lights, the club believes.
The Pies' women's football operations manager Meg Hutchins, who took up her post in May, said several VFL matches had been played at the Olympic Park set-up this season to test its viability.
"We've had VFL games here and the AFL boys played an intra-club match early in the year," Hutchins said.
"It's well and truly set up to host games. It's a central venue and (with the women’s league) being at the tail-end of summer, the games could be played in the evening when people are coming home from work."
Aside from the floodlights, the Holden Centre has coaches' boxes, a digital scoreboard and several dressing rooms. It's also equipped with two gyms and dual recovery and rehab facilities for men and women.
The AFL is still working on the women's league fixture and possible venues, but the Pies argue their facility – which also has a function room and a café – could serve the league's requirements well.
"If (we’re playing) a stand-alone home game, we would want to play it here," Hutchins said.
