Four aspiring female coaches had a unique opportunity to experience an AFL match day under the watchful eye of SUNS AFLW Head Coach Cameron Joyce.
As part of the She Can Coach Program, four coaches from Queensland community clubs experienced the SUNS versus Saints clash at Heritage Bank Stadium from a coach’s perspective.
The group included Morningside’s Tammie Lauresten, Bond University and Burleigh’s Emily Otto, Aspley’s Tarryn Meyer and Kenmore’s Alyssa Beasley.
Joyce took the group through pre-match opposition analysis and coaching themes before each coach were assigned a line (defence, midfield, forwards) and tasked with analysing key match ups and game trends across their line throughout the match.
The group had access to a range of tools provided to AFL coaches on Game Day, including figures from Champion Data which encouraged evidence-based decision making, before a mock press conference was held following the game.
The She Can Coach program aims to increase the number of female coaches, improve the capacity of female coaches, increase the visibility of female role models in coaching and develop a network of female coaches.
Now in its third year in Queensland, the program has already started to bear fruit with current SUNS AFLW Assistant Coach Jen Revell a former participant.