Geelong Cats player Kate Darby has been awarded the 2025 AFL Coaches Association Women’s Pathway Scholarship. 

A worthy recipient of the scholarship, Darby is an Assistant Coach with the Geelong Falcons Under 16s program and a Development Coach with the Under 18s program, as well as being part of the Surfcoast Suns High Performance Academy. 

Darby’s integrity, care for others, deep understanding and passion for coaching and people is evident. A coaching career once she finishes playing is where her eyes are set, making her a great scholarship recipient. 

The AFL Coaches Association’s Women’s Coaching Pathway Scholarship was launched at the start of 2019 to support the ambitions of women coaches and to fast-track their development to coach at the highest level.  

Darby is the seventh scholarship recipient and follows in the footsteps of Cats Assistant Coach Elise Coventry, who received the scholarship in 2023. Other previous recipients include Alicia Eva, Emma Grant, Christina Polatajko, Tamara Hyett and Steph Binder. 

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Kate Darby Awarded Women’s Coaching Pathway Scholarship

Geelong Cats player Kate Darby has been awarded the 2025 AFL Coaches Association Women’s Pathway Scholarship.

Through the 2025 scholarship, Darby will be upskilling with professional development opportunities, including the AFL Coaches Association’s Next Coach Program and various other coaching courses, and will also receive a mentorship from experienced Geelong Cats AFL Assistant Coach James Rahilly. 

AFL Coaches Association CEO Alistair Nicholson congratulated Darby on receiving the 2025 Scholarship. 

“Kate is showing an enormous coaching potential whilst still playing the game. The game needs to continue to encourage AFLW players to pursue coaching and Kate has some wonderful qualities and a commitment to want to develop making her a very worthy recipient,” Nicholson said. 

“We congratulate Kate on being awarded the 2025 AFL Coaches Association Women’s Coaching Pathway Scholarship which we hope gives her that extra support on her way to achieving her goal of becoming a long-term coach in our national game,” said Nicholson.   

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 26: Kate Darby of the Cats looks on during the 2024 AFLW Round 09 match between the Waalitj Marawar (the West Coast Eagles) and the Geelong Cats at Mineral Resources Park on October 26, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos)

Darby said she was honoured to receive the scholarship.   

“I’ve really enjoyed the experiences I’ve had so far in the coaching space, so having this opportunity, I’m very grateful and I’m very excited to see what else I can learn,” Darby said. 

“Being able to have ‘Rahills’ (Rahilly) and his breadth of knowledge, to be able to tap into that and see how I can develop in that space. 

“I’m really grateful for the Coaches’ Association, to be able to put resources in this space to help us develop and grow ourselves in other areas.” 

Geelong AFL Assistant Coach James Rahilly said he was looking forward to working with Darby. 

“Kate is a phenomenal person, player and leader, and I look forward to getting to work with her as her mentor in a coaching capacity,” Rahilly said. 

“Kate’s willingness to learn and get the best out of herself and others are excellent traits in a coach, and I look forward to sharing what I have learned over a 16-year coaching career across two Clubs with her.”