The wealth of experience and expert opinion of Hawthorn AFLW Senior Coach Bec Goddard OAM has been called upon with her inclusion into the AFL Women’s Competition Committee.

Goddard joins Fremantle AFLW Head Coach Trent Cooper and Melbourne President Kate Roffey as the three additions to the Committee as the league sets its sights on expanding to an 18-team competition by the end of 2022.

The AFLW Competition Committee assists the AFL Commission with the future direction of women's football, covering areas such as the laws of the game, tribunal, list rules and player movement, the competition structure, fixturing and talent programs.

Hawthorn's Head of Football Rob McCartney speaks exclusively on the re-signing of a Hawks midfield duo

Goddard was announced as Hawthorn’s inaugural AFLW coach in mid-August following the club’s successful bid.

Goddard has a proven coaching record in the AFLW, having led Adelaide to an historic premiership in the first season of AFLW. She coached the Crows for the 2017 and 2018 NAB AFLW seasons before joining the brown and gold family as head coach of the club’s VFLW team in 2021.

AFL General Manager Women’s Football Nicole Livingstone said she was pleased Trent, Bec and Kate will be joining the Committee.

“It is great to have people of the calibre of Trent, Bec and Kate joining the AFLW Competition Committee and we look forward to their valuable insights and expertise as we head into Season Six of the Competition,” Ms. Livingstone said.

“They are each experienced football personnel who will add a diversity of views with their varied professional and sporting backgrounds.

“Trent and Bec will add the perspectives of current Head Coaches while Kate will provide valuable contributions as a Club President.

“Trent is a respected coach at Fremantle and is a fantastic advocate for women’s football across all levels of the game while Bec’s standing in the AFLW Competition as the inaugural Premiership Coach will forever be etched in the game’s history, so too her appointment as Hawthorn’s inaugural AFLW Coach."

The AFLW Competition Committee members in attendance at today’s meeting are as follows: