Peta Searle Breaks AFL Gender Barrier
St Kilda has appointed the league's first female coach.
Peta Searle made history yesterday by becoming the first woman to coach at AFL level. Searle was picked up as a development coach by St Kilda on an 18-month contract. She had coached Darebin Falcons to five straight premierships in the Victorian Women’s Football League and was enjoying VFL success under Gary Ayres at Port Melbourne, but she struggled to advance to the level that her talent justified, and decided to pack it in and return to teaching in April.
Fairfax ran a story on the end of her AFL coaching dream in April. Though it was meant to mark the end of her dream, that feature article actually caused a ripple of interest in Searle. She signed to management agency Elite Sport Properties, and it seems that the rest is history.
The fact that Searle has been picked up by St Kilda, of all clubs, adds an extra layer of intrigue. They have spent the last 10 years as poster boys for the league’s problem with women, with several rape allegations levelled at their players, and with the long-running ‘St Kilda schoolgirl’ saga.
It’s possible that the Saints smelled a PR opportunity, but whether motivated by footballing concerns or branding concerns, the appointment is a positive move.
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Image via the Marngrook Footy Show, May 23