Player Watch Another step closer to fielding a women's team...Welcome Meg Hutchins

[Vicky Park]

The Pies have appointed one of Australia's top women footballers, Meg Hutchins, to a full time football operations position, the equivalent of Neil Balme's role, but for our women's team. We dont have the licence yet, so a brave move by the Pies and on the part of Meg who has given up her other job.

Good work Pies. We need to get behind the women's league. There are flags to be won, so let's be professional and put some serious resources into this.

See The Age story here:

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/collingwood-make-history-side-by-side-20160407-go0y6x.html

 

[CrowdedHouse]

As reported now by The Age online

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/collingwood-make-history-side-by-side-20160407-go0y6x.html



Side by Side. It's a self-styled motto at Collingwood and now, like never before, Australia's most iconic sports club will live and project the philosophy.

With the first AFL appointment of a female football operations manager the Magpies are not merely adding to the list of appointments rapidly transforming the face of a male-dominated code. In employing elite Australian female footballer, Meg Hutchins, to a unparalleled full-time position, the Pies are gearing for the new team they will field from next year – provided the AFL concurs that a bid from the biggest mob in the business for entry to a new women's competition is impossible to overlook – which is all but guaranteed.

On Thursday morning Hutchins woke up the same passionate footy follower, player and Collingwood fan she has been for most of her 34 years. By Thursday afternoon, however, some life-changing, not to mention game-changing, events had occurred.
After weeks of keeping written correspondence, then a series of conversations and finally a job offer confidential, Hutchins met one of her all-time favourite players turned Collingwood coach, Nathan Buckley, for the first time.

At the Magpies' headquarters, dressed in Collingwood uniform, she stood alongside one of Buckley's chief confidants, football operations boss Neil Balme, as the figure hired to be his female equivalent.

No ifs, no buts; as Collingwood create paths for girls and women that until now have only been open for boys and men, Hutchins will organise and direct traffic.

Using the same resources the Pies used to pick the likes of Scott Pendlebury from a pack of draftees, she will lead the recruitment of Collingwood's first history-making list of female players. Leaving a job at St Vincent's Private Hospital, East Melbourne, for this opportunity, Hutchins will also be empowered to tell Collingwood's hierarchy what the club can do to be the best home for female footballers.

All the while, Collingwood will mentor a unique employee who, while undoubtedly expert on women's football, is a newcomer to the inner sanctum of this elite setting where the focus, in terms of grooming elite footballers, has previously been one-eyed.

A key defender in the Victorian Women's Football League with a Helen Lambert Medal (the Brownlow equivalent) and six All Australians on her accolade list, Hutchins will be a highly sought after player in the AFL women's league to launch next year. Naturally she wants to play for Collingwood and, when that happens, will relinquish the female football operations title.

Until then, there is work to be done. Hutchins will take charge of everything involved in assembling, coaching, staffing and running the women's team and work intimately with Balme, the Magpies' list management boss Derek Hine, and Buckley to learn how it's done in AFL world.

"If I'd imagined this years ago I would have been dreaming," she said, after an email introduction she sent to Collingwood CEO Gary Pert four weeks ago could not have progressed better.

"When I was offered the job I said to myself: 'well that escalated quickly!' Life has changed with the press of a send button; when I sent that email."

The email to Pert was big – no question – but perhaps Hutchins was destined for something like this given the joy she has derived since girlhood of being in the thick of football action.

When rules (since changed) dictated she could no longer play organised footy like boys her age, Hutchins ran water for the amateur team of her brother, Tom. As fate would have it this made her known to the man now running the AFL, Gillon McLachlan, who was best man at Tom Hutchins' wedding.

A decade passed before Meg Hutchins resumed what was always her first love – playing – in the Victorian Women's Football league where, at 34, she remains a highly decorated star.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire first met Hutchins in grand final week last year and committed her name and their mutual football allegiance to memory. He said on Thursday a women's team would make Collingwood "whole" as a club.

"We now have a face of our women's team and this is not like the front bar and the ladies' lounge," he added.

For the past four seasons Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have committed to piloting an AFL-sanctioned women's competition like no other teams. St Kilda can rightly claim trailblazer status with the hiring of coach Peta Searle in 2014 and earlier this year the Demons simultaneously appointed fellow Michelle Cowan in a comparable role and gave Australia's best female footballer, Daisy Pearce, a full-time job with placements in all departments.

Overnight, the AFL as we've known it has changed again. And when the code's biggest club is inviting an empowered female into the inner sanctum of its football operations like never before, it's fair to say this women's league revolution just cranked up a notch

 

[Bard]

Great news.

 

[sirlothie]

I doubt if we get a women's team they will be able to be full time professionals so the standard will suffer although women's cricket seems to be heading that way...

I guess this means Hutchins might be our first recruit if she is still playing. Collingwood will definitely get a team.

 

[AmellyPies]

Great stuff!

 

[Saintly Viewed]

That's nice

 

[TradeDraft]

Was it ever in Doubt

 

[Vicky Park]

As reported now by The Age online

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/collingwood-make-history-side-by-side-20160407-go0y6x.html

View attachment 233142

Side by Side. It's a self-styled motto at Collingwood and now, like never before, Australia's most iconic sports club will live and project the philosophy.

With the first AFL appointment of a female football operations manager the Magpies are not merely adding to the list of appointments rapidly transforming the face of a male-dominated code. In employing elite Australian female footballer, Meg Hutchins, to a unparalleled full-time position, the Pies are gearing for the new team they will field from next year – provided the AFL concurs that a bid from the biggest mob in the business for entry to a new women's competition is impossible to overlook – which is all but guaranteed.

On Thursday morning Hutchins woke up the same passionate footy follower, player and Collingwood fan she has been for most of her 34 years. By Thursday afternoon, however, some life-changing, not to mention game-changing, events had occurred.
After weeks of keeping written correspondence, then a series of conversations and finally a job offer confidential, Hutchins met one of her all-time favourite players turned Collingwood coach, Nathan Buckley, for the first time.

At the Magpies' headquarters, dressed in Collingwood uniform, she stood alongside one of Buckley's chief confidants, football operations boss Neil Balme, as the figure hired to be his female equivalent.

No ifs, no buts; as Collingwood create paths for girls and women that until now have only been open for boys and men, Hutchins will organise and direct traffic.

Using the same resources the Pies used to pick the likes of Scott Pendlebury from a pack of draftees, she will lead the recruitment of Collingwood's first history-making list of female players. Leaving a job at St Vincent's Private Hospital, East Melbourne, for this opportunity, Hutchins will also be empowered to tell Collingwood's hierarchy what the club can do to be the best home for female footballers.

All the while, Collingwood will mentor a unique employee who, while undoubtedly expert on women's football, is a newcomer to the inner sanctum of this elite setting where the focus, in terms of grooming elite footballers, has previously been one-eyed.

A key defender in the Victorian Women's Football League with a Helen Lambert Medal (the Brownlow equivalent) and six All Australians on her accolade list, Hutchins will be a highly sought after player in the AFL women's league to launch next year. Naturally she wants to play for Collingwood and, when that happens, will relinquish the female football operations title.

Until then, there is work to be done. Hutchins will take charge of everything involved in assembling, coaching, staffing and running the women's team and work intimately with Balme, the Magpies' list management boss Derek Hine, and Buckley to learn how it's done in AFL world.

"If I'd imagined this years ago I would have been dreaming," she said, after an email introduction she sent to Collingwood CEO Gary Pert four weeks ago could not have progressed better.

"When I was offered the job I said to myself: 'well that escalated quickly!' Life has changed with the press of a send button; when I sent that email."

The email to Pert was big – no question – but perhaps Hutchins was destined for something like this given the joy she has derived since girlhood of being in the thick of football action.

When rules (since changed) dictated she could no longer play organised footy like boys her age, Hutchins ran water for the amateur team of her brother, Tom. As fate would have it this made her known to the man now running the AFL, Gillon McLachlan, who was best man at Tom Hutchins' wedding.

A decade passed before Meg Hutchins resumed what was always her first love – playing – in the Victorian Women's Football league where, at 34, she remains a highly decorated star.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire first met Hutchins in grand final week last year and committed her name and their mutual football allegiance to memory. He said on Thursday a women's team would make Collingwood "whole" as a club.

"We now have a face of our women's team and this is not like the front bar and the ladies' lounge," he added.

For the past four seasons Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs have committed to piloting an AFL-sanctioned women's competition like no other teams. St Kilda can rightly claim trailblazer status with the hiring of coach Peta Searle in 2014 and earlier this year the Demons simultaneously appointed fellow Michelle Cowan in a comparable role and gave Australia's best female footballer, Daisy Pearce, a full-time job with placements in all departments.

Overnight, the AFL as we've known it has changed again. And when the code's biggest club is inviting an empowered female into the inner sanctum of its football operations like never before, it's fair to say this women's league revolution just cranked up a notch

You and I both started threads on this topic within minutes of each other. Threads have been merged.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Cool bananas.

 

[CrowdedHouse]

You and I both started threads on this topic within minutes of each other. Threads have been merged.

Top recruit (if playing) for the Pies too.

Meg is one of the best defenders in the country. Usually takes the number 2 or 3 forward and rebounds off of them.

We voted her best on ground in last week's radio broadcast and took a gutsy mark late in the game to win the match - got cleaned up by the best forward in the country (Mo Hope) in the process.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Healthy sport for males and females.
Our great game for everyone
Great news

Side by Side

 

[mattys123]

Strange that we've appointed a football manager for a team that may not even exist. (The AFL will hand out the licenses to 4 Melbourne based teams).

But apart from that, cool.

 

[sirlothie]

Strange that we've appointed a football manager for a team that may not even exist. (The AFL will hand out the licenses to 4 Melbourne based teams).

But apart from that, cool.

Think it's a bit of a hint... You would be crazy not to include Collingwood, the biggest club in the land!

 

[TradeDraft]

Strange that we've appointed a football manager for a team that may not even exist. (The AFL will hand out the licenses to 4 Melbourne based teams).

But apart from that, cool.

The AFL would be Stupid NOT to accept our Offer.

I won't be Surprised they been told they are in unofficially

 

[mattys123]

Think it's a bit of a hint... You would be crazy not to include Collingwood, the biggest club in the land!

I think it's a pre emptive strike really, showing the AFL we are completely serious about leading the way when it comes to the women's league. Looks like there are only going to be 8 teams, with 4 in Melbourne and 1 in each other state (NSW, QLD, SA and WA) and more than 4 in Melbourne have put their hands up already.

 

[CrowdedHouse]

The AFL would be Stupid NOT to accept our Offer.

I won't be Surprised they been told they are in unofficially

The mail is the 4 Victorian clubs will be Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Carlton and Collingwood.

Adelaide and Brisbane are both a lock, while West Coast and Freo are fighting for the WA licence (Eagles favourites) and the Swans and GWS fighting it out for the NSW/ACT/Tasmania(!) licence.

 

[sirlothie]

I think it's a pre emptive strike really, showing the AFL we are completely serious about leading the way when it comes to the women's league. Looks like there are only going to be 8 teams, with 4 in Melbourne and 1 in each other state (NSW, QLD, SA and WA) and more than 4 in Melbourne have put their hands up already.

I'd put my bottom dollar on it we get one. They probably already know.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

If the AFL wants this women's league to have a hope of success, there has to be a Collingwood team.

 

[TradeDraft]

The mail is the 4 Victorian clubs will be Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Carlton and Collingwood.

Adelaide and Brisbane are both a lock, while West Coast and Freo are fighting for the WA licence (Eagles favourites) and the Swans and GWS fighting it out for the NSW/ACT/Tasmania(!) licence.

Thanks for Info CrowdedHouse.

Suprise Hawks did not get one.

Guess you know people who have Ear to the Ground at AFL

 

[TradeDraft]

I'd put my bottom dollar on it we get one. They probably already know.

Going by that Article I say AFL already told Collingwood they have 1 of the Licenses

 

[legendstatus]

I don't there is any doubts at all. Go Pies


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Obese Arachnid]

I hope we recruit Renne Tong.

 

[TradeDraft]

I hope we recruit Renne Tong.

Never heard of her

 

[Obese Arachnid]

Never heard of her

Bit of a joke Dave.

I'm referencing the greatest mainboard thread of all time.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...ional-cup-glory-the-renee-tong-story.1028678/

She's no chance but I'd love it if she was & played for the Pies.

 

[jmac70]

Of course we will get a licence.