DIVERSITY is too often seen as ‘the right thing to do’, rather than the clear competitive advantage that it is. 

Despite the obvious benefits, it’s still uncommon to see more than one woman on an AFLW coaching panel. 

Recently, I had the privilege of presenting at AFL Victoria’s Practical Coaching Masterclass. The event was open to women, girls and gender-diverse people who wanted to build their coaching knowledge and develop their practical skills.

I was excited to be involved in the event because I want to see more women in the coaches box. 

I am fortunate to work alongside some brilliant coaches who happen to be men. They are knowledgeable, supportive and passionate about their work, but footy needs more women in this space. 

This season at Hawthorn, where I'm an assistant coach, we are incredibly lucky to have former AFLW player Phoebe McWilliams join our coaching group. Phoebe has enriched our program bringing different insights, perspectives and knowledge of the game.
 
This is why the Women’s Coaching Month Practical Coaching Masterclass event matters. It was an opportunity for me to share my journey, impart my knowledge, and, perhaps most importantly, help open doors for the women who want to progress their coaching careers.

The focus of the event was the ‘science’ behind the game -  the footy IQ, the game plans, the training design. My brief was broad; create a presentation around the theory of training design before taking the group through a practical session.

The group consisted of more than 20 coaches, ranging from teenagers to women in their 50s. First-year coaches stood alongside coaches with more than a decade of experience. They coached from under-eights, to the Talent League, up to senior footy and even the Masters.
 
Every single person in that room loved footy. They were curious, passionate and hungry to learn.
 
We looked at different game styles and how teams move the ball, defend space and attack the contest.  We broke the game plans into trainable moments and designed drills that directly reflect those principles.

Next came the fun stuff, the practical component. After completing a craft masterclass with Essendon AFLW senior coach Natalie Wood, the whistle was handed over to the coaches, it was their turn to get to work. 

The participants designed a training drill. Then they coached it. They explained the objective, identified the learning outcomes, adjusted constraints and coached with confidence, clarity and enthusiasm. 

Watching them do their thing reinforced a long-held belief - there is no shortage of women coaching Australian Rules Football. The challenge, I feel, isn’t having women ready for jobs at higher levels, it’s providing them with the opportunity.

My new colleague, AFL men’s premiership coach and now Hawthorn AFLW Head of Development Mark ‘Choco’ Williams, agrees that there should be more women coaching in the AFLW. He has gone as far as to suggest there should be a quota of 50 per cent, and my rough calculations put it at a lowly 25 per cent at present. 
 
In my opinion, there are a few things we need to do to encourage and develop women in this space. As a start, we need to open recruitment pathways. This won’t guarantee equal outcomes overnight but it will give women the opportunity to put their name forward, hopefully receive an interview and  be judged on their football knowledge and coaching ability.
 
My advice to women who are interested in progressing their coaching career - don’t be happy to get your foot in the door, claim your seat at the table, and then pull up more seats beside you.