MELBOURNE has appointed Collingwood's highly regarded head of women's development and former VFL playing great Tom Wilson as its new AFLW coach after completing an extensive search for Mick Stinear's replacement.

Wilson has been head of AFLW development and a line coach within the Pies' women's program for the past two seasons, having also played 176 VFL games across a distinguished 15-year career.

The Dees have been searching for Stinear's replacement since December and had canvassed the market for someone capable of keeping a strong side in contention after last year's preliminary final berth.

It's understood Wilson impressed key Melbourne figures with his tactical nous throughout the interview process, along with his educational skills after a seven-year teaching career at Aquinas College before he started coaching in 2024.

Wilson was a five-time club best and fairest, a two-time VFL Team of the Year member and a long-time club captain across his playing career at the Northern Blues, the Northern Bullants and Collingwood.

The veteran retired from Collingwood's VFL side last year after 176 games, a figure that likely would have been far greater if not for an ACL injury in 2019 before successive COVID-impacted seasons in 2020 and 2021.

Wilson has worked full-time in the Magpies' women's program for the past two years, underneath senior coach Sam Wright, acting as the club's head of AFLW development and as a midfield line coach.

Melbourne was the last of six AFLW programs searching to fill a senior coaching vacancy across the off-season, becoming the fifth to make a first-time appointment for their role.

Wilson follows Adelaide's Ryan Davis, Port Adelaide's Glenn Strachan, Richmond's Jarrad Donders and Sydney's Colin O'Riordan in becoming a first-time AFLW coach, with Geelong (Stinear) the only club to hire someone with previous experience.

As revealed by AFL.com.au, Melbourne had also been searching to fill a head of women's football role across the summer and poached Adelaide's AFLW list manager Katrina Gill to fill the vacancy last week.

Stinear, Melbourne's inaugural AFLW coach, departed the club at the end of last year following 10 seasons at the helm, with the Anglesea-based premiership winner opting to join Geelong to be closer to family.