Michelle Cowan has been named the 2013 Football Woman of the Year at the annual Grand Final Comedy Debate at Crown Palladium.

Michelle was the first female in Australia to coach football at a state level in the men’s competition.

She originally commenced her role as an Assistant Coach in the Western Australian Football League (WAFL) in 2004, alongside former Carlton and West Coat Eagles Assistant Coach Darren Harris at the West Perth Football Club.

This year, Michelle was appointed Head Coach of the Western Australian State Under 18’s Youth Girls team, leading the side to the Grand Final. She was also named Head Coach of the Melbourne Football Club Women’s team, taking part in the historic curtain-raiser game against the Western Bulldogs as part of the annual AFL Women’s Round 2013.

Michelle has also been appointed as mentor coach for the AFL High Performance Academy for youth girls based in Melbourne which will tour New Zealand in October.

She currently serves as an Assistant Coach at the South Fremantle Football Club.

The Football Woman of the Year Award recognises women in the industry who have made a significant contribution to the game of Australian Football. Presented by the Essendon Women’s Network (EWN), this prestigious award is judged by an independent panel and is open to any woman involved in football regardless of club or profession.

An outstanding role model to women, Michelle was awarded the Football Woman of the Year in front of over 1,000 guests at Crown Palladium. Four other women were nominated as finalists for the award including Annette Ellis, Chyloe Kurdas, Scharlaine Cairns and Dr Sonja Hood.
Past winners of the award include; Irene Chatfield (1998), Jill Lindsay (1999), Caroline Wilson (2000), Katrina Pressley (2001), Beverly Knight (2002 – joint winner), Bev O’Connor (2002 – joint winner), Jenny Williams (2003), Edna Daniher (2004), Jennie Loughnan (2005), Barb Cullen (2006), Terry Bracks (2007), Susan Alberti (2008), Debbie Lee (2009), Anna Durante (2010), Lesley McGrath (2011), and Belinda Duarte (2012).