With the AFL Women’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) reached and Hawthorn’s list nearly halfway completed, excitement is building ahead of the club’s inaugural AFLW season.
Right from the beginning of the list building process, Hawthorn General Manager - Operations & AFLW Josh Vanderloo, AFLW List Manager Mitch Cashion and AFLW Senior Coach Bec Goddard not only outlined the need for good football players to don the brown and gold but also good athletes and people overall.
So far, 12 players have committed to the Hawks who all live out the club's values.
Vanderloo told SEN that the balance in Hawthorn’s list is looking promising so far.
“We’ve got a good age range and a good level of experience because we know we’re going to the draft and we’re going to be at that front end,” he said.
“We know that we’re going to have a lot of 17 and 18-year-olds coming into the club, so they need to be supported by experienced players who have done it before and have achieved at a high level already.
“They’ll be the ones that set the standard.
“Ultimately, we’re just trying to find a good balance.”
In terms of the Hawthorn drawcards for the up-and-coming talent in AFLW, Goddard told SEN that the club had a lot to present.
“We really value women, we’re really excited about the future and our new facilities at Dingley will be finished next year so I think we’ve got so much to offer young players coming into the competition,” she said.
“We know money (for players) isn’t going to go backward, it’s only going to go forward.
“From a coaching perspective, I just want to be able to create the best environment in their first year.”
When it comes to building her own coaching style, Goddard has drawn on the knowledge of Hawks AFL Senior Coach Sam Mitchell, whom she sits in the coaches’ box with as an AFL development coach.
Having already coached together at the Box Hill Hawks, Goddard and Mitchell are forming a great partnership.
“We laugh at similar dumb jokes, we love football and sharing stories,” Goddard said.
“We just talk like normal football coaches and that’s how I’ve been received at the footy club.
“It’s one club, it’s one family, we want to win and we want to have the best environment.
“It’s a great place to be and I’m very grateful for this opportunity at Hawthorn.”
The upcoming AFLW season is set to commence between August 25-27, with the AFLW Expansion Signing Period kicking off on May 24.
The Sign and Trade Period will follow on May 31 before the NAB AFLW Draft takes place on June 29.
Hawthorn’s inaugural AFLW side will commence pre-season training during the week of June 13 - just over three weeks away.
