Coach Women's Coaches 2023

[Lore]

Senior Coach: Natalie Wood (thread, also Men's Development Coach)

Assistant Coaches:
Peta Searle* (Forwards)
Travis Cloke* (Midfield)
Natasha Hardy (Defence)

Development Coaches:
Bernard Shepheard
Gavin Urquhart

Gavin Urquhart

Age

35

Ht

181cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.4

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.2

4star

No current season stats available

D

17.8

5star

K

10.2

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

VFLW Head Coach: Travis Cloke* (thread, also Men's Development Coach)

VFLW Assistant Coaches:
Kirby Bentley (Forwards)
Brett Pollard (Midfield)
Jacara Egan (Defence)

VFLW Development Coach:
Jarrad Campbell

Coach Development Manager: Peta Searle*

Player Development Manager: Lauren Spark

*appears here multiple times

 

[Lore]

Travis Cloke is our new VFLW senior coach and a specialist coach with the men's program.

Essendon Football Club is proud to announce former Collingwood Premiership star Travis Cloke as its VFLW senior coach for the 2023 season.

The 35-year-old will also join the Bombers’ AFL men’s program as a specialist coach.

Cloke played 256 games across Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs, retiring in 2017 with a Premiership, two All Australian selections, a Copeland Trophy and four Collingwood leading goal kicker awards.

Since retiring, Cloke has switched to coaching, starting as a VFL/next generation academy development coach at the Pies before taking on the head coach position at NAB League side Eastern Ranges.

Over the past two years, Cloke has led the under-17 and under-19 female and male Eastern Ranges programs.

Head of VFLW Georgia Harvey said the club was excited to welcome Cloke to the Bombers’ family.

“We are thrilled to have Travis on board as our VFLW senior coach,” Harvey said.

“He brings a wealth of experience as a player and as a coach, leading both female and male programs at the Eastern Ranges in the NAB League, demonstrating his ability to bring the best out of his players.

“We look forward to welcoming Travis into the club and working towards our 2023 VFLW season.”

Cloke to coach VFLW Bombers in 2023

Essendon appoint Travis Cloke as senior head coach of the VFLW program.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Hopefully this goes a bit better than the last welcome thread

 

[Lore]

Video interview:

https://www.essendonfc.com.au/video/1233678/cloke-to-coach-vflw-dons-in-2023?videoId=1233678&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1664949600001

 

[eth-dog]

Don't mind it honestly

 

[brendan84]

Travis Cloke and senior coach are two things I never imagined going together

 

[Doss]

I now fully expect our girls to drill goals on grand final day from 65 metres out on the boundary.

 

[Lore]

VFLW coach line up announced for 2023, with Bentley and Egan coming down from the AFLW program, while Pollard and Campbell continue from our premiership winning coaching team in 2022.

Kirby Bentley, Jacara Egan and Brett Pollard will be assistant coaches, while Jarrad Campbell will work as a development coach.

Taking charge of the Bombers’ forward line is Bentley, who had the same role in the AFLW program, and has experience coaching at AFLW and VFLW level as well as a player, playing 10 AFLW games for Carlton and Fremantle.

Joining Bentley is Egan, who also coached at AFLW level this season as a development coach and works at the Bombers as the Indigenous Player Development Manager across the men’s AFL program.

A part of the Bombers’ 2022 VFLW Premiership coaching panel, Pollard returns for his fifth season at the club, overseeing the midfield group.

Another VFLW Premiership coach will also return with Campbell continuing his role as a development coach.

VFLW Coaching Staff 2023

Travis Cloak to lead the Bombers VFLW side in 2023

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[Lore]

Jacara Egan* (also Men's Indigenous Player Development Manager)

Jacara Egan is still coaching our VFLW team as a line coach with Kirby Bentley and Travis Cloke, but she's moved on from the Indigenous Player Development role, which is the role that Paddy Ryder was appointed to today as her replacement.

She was sort of full time between these two roles and an AFLW Development coaching gig, but I think she also works with the U18s program (it was called NAB League, before that TAC Cup, now it's Coates Talent League).

Not sure what exactly she was offered to make her give up this important role at Essendon, but she might be going more down the path of junior coaching I guess

 

[Lore]

 

[yodellinhank]

Bombers finalise 2023 AFLW coaching group

AFLW side's second season coaches locked in.

www.essendonfc.com.au

The Bombers are thrilled to announce a new-look 2023 AFLW coaching panel supporting Senior Coach Natalie Wood.

Natasha Hardy will return as an assistant coach, Peta Searle will move into an assistant coach role in addition to her coach development role, while VFLW coach Travis Cloke and Bernard Shepherd will join the group.

Hardy will take the reigns of the backline, Searle will oversee the forwards, and Cloke will coach the midfield group.

Thrilling new look

 

[Lore]

Bombers finalise 2023 AFLW coaching group

AFLW side's second season coaches locked in.

www.essendonfc.com.au

Thrilling new look

Jacara left on her own terms but I’m sad they lost Kirby Bentley.

I guess having more alignment with VFLW isn’t a bad thing, but part time Aboriginal women out and full time white men in is a bit suspicious after the song and dance about investing in the Indigenous programs at the club.

Bernard has been around for a while and was overlooked for an AFLW coaching gig last year, while Cloke seems to be involved with everything except the wheelchair team.

 

[Lore]

Senior Coach: Natalie Wood (thread, also Men's Development Coach)

Assistant Coaches:
Peta Searle* (Forwards)
Travis Cloke* (Midfield)
Natasha Hardy (Defence)

Development Coaches:
Bernard Shepheard
Gavin Urquhart

VFLW Head Coach: Travis Cloke* (thread, also Men's Development Coach)

VFLW Assistant Coaches:
Kirby Bentley (Forwards)
Brett Pollard (Midfield)
Jacara Egan (Defence)

VFLW Development Coach:
Jarrad Campbell

Coach Development Manager: Peta Searle*

Player Development Manager: Lauren Spark

*appears here multiple times

Checking out the AFLW coaching structure and it looks like Cloke and Searle have moved into the assistant coaching roles at AFLW level. Jacara Egan got a better job elsewhere, Kirby Bentley has quietly disappeared, and Bernard Shepheard has joined, name is familiar (I think from our VFL program, eth-dog?)

 

[eth-dog]

Checking out the AFLW coaching structure and it looks like Cloke and Searle have moved into the assistant coaching roles at AFLW level. Jacara Egan got a better job elsewhere, Kirby Bentley has quietly disappeared, and Bernard Shepheard has joined, name is familiar (I think from our VFL program, eth-dog?)

Maybe? Our VFL forwards coach was someone I had no idea who he was so...