The Essendon Football Club are pleased to appoint Peta Searle as Coach Development Manager in their AFLW program.

Searle joins the club part-time to support and mentor the coaching staff, including head coach Natalie Wood and will work closely with the player leadership group.

Bringing with her a wealth of experience, Searle was the inaugural AFLW senior coach at St Kilda and, in 2014, became the first female to work as a full-time assistant in the St Kilda’s men’s AFL program.

Having coached football at various levels, including VFLW, VFL, NAB, AFL and AFLW, Searle’s influence on football and the wider community has been immense.

Searle has been awarded the 2010 Victorian Australian Football Coaches Association’s Female Coach of the Year award, with the honour now known as the Peta Searle Female Coach of the Year Award.

In 2019, Searle received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her contribution to the AFL and was named in The Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence in the Arts, Culture and Sport category.

Searle said she has been impressed with the program the Bombers have developed and looks forward to working alongside Wood and the other coaching staff.

“I’m very excited to join the Bombers. They’ve been preparing for a long time and have been very thoughtful and considered in developing the program with lots of depth and layers, which will build a great foundation,” Searle said.

“I look forward to working alongside Natalie and the other coaches with the key focus on development and learning. 

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“I’m also excited to be working with the player leadership group to provide mentoring for coaches and players, ensuring a seamless connection between the two.”

Essendon general manager of football Josh Mahoney said Searle’s focus on leadership and connection would make her a fantastic addition to Essendon’s AFLW program.

“We are delighted to have Peta come on board as the Coach Development Manager for our AFLW program,” Mahoney said.

“Peta will work closely with Natalie and our coaching group in a mentor and support role to ensure they continue developing their coaching knowledge and learning the training fundamentals.

“Peta’s coaching experience across VFLW, VFL, AFL, AFLW will be invaluable for our inaugural AFLW program.”

Searle will continue to work at Victoria Police as a senior facilitator and program developer in addition to her new role at Essendon.