Women's Coaching Panel Announcement

The West Perth Football Club is delighted to formally announce its Women’s Program coaching panels for the upcoming 2023 season. 

Although 2022 presented many challenges for our WAFLW side in its inaugural season, West Perth CEO Joe McCarthy believes that Stephen Hazell can continue to develop our youth which he has done so successfully in his time with the club.

“Trust is a significant pillar for our club, and we believe that Steve Hazell, with additional resources and support can accelerate the development of our young female talent and with today’s appointments of such an experienced, female support group, we believe we are truly highlighting the depth of female coaches in our northern corridor who wish to look at coaching as a future career path.”

2023 will see the club adopt a 50:50, male to female coaching ratio across its entire female program with the club keen to bring in experienced ‘football heads’ to help steer the program forward. The coaches who come in bring a breadth of life experience within the West Australian Police Force, Youth Mental Health, Sport Science & Rehabilitation and more. 

Supporting Stephen Hazell within the WAFLW League are returning Senior Assistant Coach Dean SMITH, Swan Districts Life Member, 300+ gamer and 5 x Premiership Player Fiona BOUCHER, WAFC’s Coach of the Year, 2021 Volunteer of the Year and Brighton Seahawks Life Member Donna FIELD with former State Representative and former West Perth Reserves Fairest & Best Winner Kristen ‘Magic’ JAYASURIA rounding out the WAFLW coaching team. 

The club has also seen a shift in it’s Rogers Cup coaching panel after a successful developmental year. 2022 Rogers Cup Head Coach Scott KOUNIS returns in a bid to go one better in 2023 with such a young list, having beaten 3 of the top 4 sides in 2022. Alongside Scott Kounis will be returning Assistant Coach Brett FOSTER, former West Perth great, skill development champion and Level 2 coach Naomi BOWRAN, WAFLW League Player and developing coach Lea CACCAMO and 2022 WAFC Coach of the Year nominee and Fremantle NGA Academy Coach Jen DWYER completes the Rogers Cup coaching group for 2023. 

It's an exciting step forward for the West Perth Football Club and Head of WAFLW Development, Luke Richardson, believes that this coaching group, surrounded with elite-level resources and support, can propel our entire women’s program to a period of sustained success.

“The West Perth Football Club thanks our departing coaches who assisted us in our Inaugural WAFLW year and in our Rogers Cup title defence. I truly believe that this new coaching group, with the support readily available here, can help educate, develop, and grow our athletes and program to be the ‘standard’ within the WAFL/W landscape. 

We are connected by red & blue and the success of our men’s program in 2022 only makes us more determined to deliver success as custodians of the oldest WAFL club in Western Australia”

2023’s Pre-Season is set to commence on November 14th with bold list management decisions at the forefront of our plans to hear our song being sung, come Round 1.