WA Football coaching team hits the South West with special guests

In the lead-up to Fremantle and North Melbourne’s AFL clash in Bunbury earlier this month, WA Football’s coaching team ran a series of workshops and masterclasses to support coaching across the South West region.

The week began with an Elevate Course (formerly Level 2) session at Carey Park Football Club, with 24 coaches attending.

Presenters Shaun Sullivan (South Fremantle Reserves Head Coach) and Saoirse Hanavan (Peel Thunder WAFLW Head Coach), both from the region, shared practical insights and experiences, helping connect the course content to real coaching environments.

The team then supported Fremantle’s AFLW Community Camp, including a coaching workshop led by Dockers AFLW coach Lisa Webb.

Ten coaches attended the session, which focused on training planning and working with young female athletes.

At Eaton Football Club, more than 50 coaches took part across two masterclasses.

Wade Spilcker, Game Development Manager at Fremantle, led a session on safe tackling, sharing drills and coaching cues to help simplify technique and build player confidence.

This was followed by a session from North Melbourne Assistant Coach and former Dockers and Gold Coast midfielder Michael Barlow, who covered ground ball and contest work, providing practical ideas for coaches to take away.

Overall, the sessions were well attended, and coaches engaged strongly with the content throughout the week.

Thanks also to Country Football WA’s Nathan Douch for his support in delivering the sessions.