The Bombers have made the first of their key appointments for their historic AFLW program as they prepare to join the national women’s competition in the 2022/2023 season.
Charlotte Miller, who is the club’s VFLW operations manager and AFL player welfare coordinator, has been elevated to the role of AFLW/VFLW football operations manager.
Reporting to general manager of football Josh Mahoney, Miller has over five years of experience working at Essendon in a wide variety of positions within the AFL program and has been a key figure in the Essendon VFLW program since its inaugural season in 2018.
WOMEN OF ESSENDON: CHARLOTTE MILLER
Mahoney said Miller’s breadth of experience was a pivotal factor in her appointment.
“Charlotte is very well versed within our current VFLW program and has earned the opportunity to lead the team in the inaugural AFLW program,” Mahoney said.
“She has worked in high-performance environments throughout her career, has strong existing relationships within all areas of our club, as well as across the industry. Charlotte is incredibly passionate about the progression of women’s football, so this is a terrific appointment for our program as we launch into the club’s inaugural AFLW season in 2022.
“This appointment, as well as other key appointments within our program, now position us to focus on attracting the best talent to Essendon as we begin to build our inaugural playing list. We have had initial discussions with a number of potential coaches within the industry and our process to appoint a senior coach remains ongoing.”
Miller said the opportunity was exciting.
“I am really grateful for the opportunity and take on the responsibility with great pride,” Miller said.
“It’s been a privilege to work with the VFLW program for nearly three years, and it’s given me a huge personal value. With our players, coaches and staff, strong foundations have been laid in the VFLW program since its inception.
"We’ve always known we were striving for an AFLW licence, so as a club we’ve been making purposeful decisions across the VFLW program to ensure we’re collectively ready to take the next step for the national competition. I look forward to seeing what the next 12 months brings in the preparation for Essendon’s historic and inaugural AFLW season.”
The club can also announce the appointments of Brendan Major, Harmit Singh and Georgia Harvey.
Major will continue as VFLW senior coach for next season and also take on a role as coach and player development manager.
Singh will become the AFLW recruiting manager, while Harvey takes on the role of player contract manager.'
WOMEN OF ESSENDON: GEORGIA HARVEY
The AFL announced in August that Essendon, Hawthorn, Sydney and Port Adelaide were the remaining clubs to secure AFLW licences, after reviewing the Bombers’ formal submission document presented to the AFL Commission in early July.
