Geelong Cats congratulate AFLW Assistant Coach Elise Coventry on receiving the 2023 AFL Coaches Association Pathway Scholarship.
The AFL Coaches Association’s Women’s Coaching Pathway Scholarship was launched at the start of 2019 to support the ambitions of women coaching and to fast-track their development to coach at the highest level.
Through the 2023 scholarship, Coventry will be upskilling with professional development opportunities, including the AFL Coaches Association’s Next Coach Program, various coaching courses, and will also receive a mentorship from new Geelong Assistant Coach Steven King.
Coventry has been Geelong’s AFLW defence coach for the past two seasons and is also the current Geelong VFLW Senior coach after taking the reins ahead of the 2023 VFLW season.
A foundation VFLW Cat and part of Geelong’s inaugural AFLW playing list, Coventry got her first taste of coaching while sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2019.
She officially joined as a development coach ahead of the 2021 season, before turbocharging her development in a big 2022 campaign.
After joining Geelong’s VFLW coaching ranks as defence coach, Coventry also took on the role of AFLW defence coach in Season 7, splitting her time between the two programs across a three-season campaign, as well as being part of the prestigious BHP Women’s Coaching Academy – while still playing VFLW football.
This year, the 39-year-old also took on the role of Geelong’s Next Generation Academy Coordinator, in addition to her work as AFLW defence coach and VFLW head coach.
Coventry said she was honoured to receive the scholarship.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to continue my coaching development with the AFL Coaches Association Pathway Scholarship,” Coventry said.
“I’ve loved the challenge of beginning my coaching career over the past few seasons, and am so glad that Geelong recognised my potential and have aided and supported my development, and thank the AFL Coaches Association for giving me this opportunity now.
“It’s a great pleasure to work with players on their development and help them to produce their best on the field, and I look forward to continuing to grow and expand my own horizons as a coach.”
Former Geelong player and highly credentialed AFL Assistant Coach Steven King said he was looking forward to working with Coventry.
“Elise is highly regarded within the four walls of the Club and the wider AFLW and VFLW landscapes, so I am excited to be able to work with her as a mentor through the AFL Coaches Association Pathway Scholarship,” King said.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have a coaching career that has spanned three clubs over more than a decade, surrounded by some of the very best in the business, so I look forward to sharing some of what I have learned with Elise.”
Geelong AFLW Senior Coach Dan Lowther said the scholarship was a well-deserved honour for Coventry.
“Our entire women’s program – players, coaches and staff – are incredibly proud of ‘Flynny’ for the recognition of her coaching potential that this scholarship is,” Lowther said.
“Her rapid rise within the Club is indicative of her immense ability, and we’re thrilled to have a coach of Flynny’s calibre involved with our program.
“Her football knowledge, ability to build relationships with players, and the care and commitment she shows to the entire program are second to none.”
