Bec Goddard makes headlines on Hawthorn’s all-female coaching panel for VFLW team The Hawks, setting a new benchmark for women’s AFL

Hawthorn Football Club set an AFLW benchmark today with no women’s team represented in elite competition.

The club has announced an all-female coaching group for its VFLW team, the Hawks, led by Bec Goddard, who coached the Adelaide Crows for the first AFLW premiere in 2017.

Hawthorn speaks more than lip service to the need to develop female coaches who can coach teams across the gender gap in the future.

Of the 14 AFLW teams currently competing, only one has a trainer – Peta Searle of St. Kilda – while there are five in the VFLW.

Goddard includes assistant coaches Christina Polatajko and Hayley Gregory as well as development coaches Lou Wotton, Natasha Beck and Steph Carroll.

Club President Jeff Kennett says it’s not about “gender recognition”.

“I don’t like the term ‘break a ceiling’ because they earned their position because of their merits.

“But I think it’s wonderful when we’re moving on the path to equality in sport. People are given the opportunity to take advantage of the opportunities that Bec and the team receive because of their professionalism, their enthusiasm and their qualifications.”

Goddard told The Ticket, “It’s a really big announcement.”

“I thought a lot during COVID about a day they stuck me in the ground. How will I be remembered in Footy and what contribution have I made?” She said.

“And I really wanted it to be more than just AFLW’s 14 games that I coached. I really wanted to be able to open doors for women and have a strong football club like Hawthorn that actually did it. ” This initiative of being courageous and having such open leadership is really very, very important. “

VFLW coaches lost their jobs during the COVID-19 shutdown, but according to Goddard, that sparked a conversation that has resulted in the club pledging to invest in the future of women’s gaming.

“All of the women’s coaches had terminated their contracts, there was no competition so we couldn’t stay on the team. During that time, I was able to have talks with CEO Justin Reeves about the future of hawthorn football,” she said.

“It got really clear that women are a really big piece of that, and not just in the role – if you want to be the CEO, you can be the CEO, you want to be the head of communications, you can be the head If you are one If you want to be a coach, we have these management positions available. “

Hawthorn executive director Justin Reeves said he will not allow the VFLW program to be hand-braked in 2020.

“In the current industry climate, there is a significant gap in the development paths available to trainers,” he said.

“By implementing an all-female coaching panel in a structured environment with the right integrated support and development opportunities … we will make a significant and significant contribution to promoting the participation of women in the AFL.”

Women in Catch-22 must have experience to fill a coaching position

Although Goddard was immediately successful as a coach in the first AFLW season, she struggled to find other coaching positions as she faced all too frequent difficulties balancing the need for a full-time job in support of her part-time coaching position.

“I think there are a number of obstacles that women stand in the way of coaching in the AFL and the first of these is that it is still a part-time competition,” she said.

“None of the athletes are full-time and therefore not many coaches.”

“I just couldn’t stay in Adelaide another year and manage my full-time job, and that was the priority.

“So I left and I suppose I was trying to get back into the industry. I think I have a lot to offer in coaching and ended up at Hawthorn, where I feel really valued. I really feel that way.” innovative in the way they treat their women’s program. “

Women at all levels of sport are in a constant problem as they are constantly being told that they do not have the experience required for vacancies but are unable to gain that experience.

“I once had a feedback: ‘Well, you haven’t played 200 AFL games and you have no direct relationship with an AFL head coach. I have empathy for you because you are unable to coach in the industry” said Goddard.

“And for me that just shouldn’t be a blocker. When we look at the merits and what we expect from a coach, nothing should immediately shut out such an important part of our community.”

“There’s just no such thing as diversity and it had to change … I mean, there is no time frame for diversity, but there is a time frame for the door to close.”

The club president agrees.

“Hawthorn isn’t always about played games, it’s about an individual’s character, it’s about their knowledge, it’s about their enthusiasm,” said Kennett.

“For any job, I’m not looking for the person who has played the most games, who has the most degrees, but the people who have enough knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and values ​​to take advantage of the opportunity.” and grow it.

Kennett was turned upside down to make predictions about women in footy

When asked when Hawthorn might have an AFLW team, Kennett says, “You have to ask Gil McLachlan because I’ve asked him many, many times, but guess what? The AFL are like a socialist organization and maybe because we are are.” I’m not part of a typical AFL club sorry, sorry, but you will keep this to yourself, will you? “

He says that as one of the unsupported clubs during the COVID-19 pandemic that doesn’t require AFL bailouts, Hawthorn is one of the best places to have an AFLW team.

“We will do everything we can to be successful. We will do our best,” he said.

“It won’t necessarily win a Premier League in either division, but the bigger test for me is the quality of the people we have, how they feel about being part of the Hawthorn family and where we can encourage them while they are with us are preparing for life after football. “

And does he ever see the day when the best coach who leads the men’s team is a woman?

“A few years ago, when I was the first president of Hawthorn, I made a remark that was outrageous at the time: I wanted to be the first AFL men’s club to have a player,” he said.

“I’ve been hoo-haa’d, boo-haa’d, turned upside down, attacked, etc. I actually think that one day it will be possible for a woman to play on a man’s side.

“And the reason I said that back then is not just because I’ve always supported the opportunities for people regardless of gender, but that you have to be commercially alive to survive.

“Things have changed and things are changing, so no, I’m not ruling out that at all.”

Goddard hopes she is in the right place at the right time and the AFL allows Hawthorn to set up an AFLW team in 2022.

“I’ve really changed my mind about how many teams we should have in competition. At first I was very concerned that the competition was growing too fast and what the product would look like to get fans and sponsors on board, however we went.” far beyond that, “she said.

“We have the fans, sponsors come on board, people want to see women’s sport on TV, they want to hear about it, they want to read about it in the newspapers and if all AFL clubs want a license Now the talent is here and I think we can do it. “