There was a new, albeit familiar, face in the Western Bulldogs coaches’ box at Marvel Stadium last Thursday night.
Sitting behind senior coach Luke Beveridge next to GM Football Operations Matt Egan, was none other than AFLW senior coach Tam Hyett.
“It was a really good opportunity to see how their coaching box dynamic works, and to also get some pointers for when the season comes around for us,” Hyett said of the occasion.
“Having clear focuses on the what the language is and what things to look for – I thought we did really well last season. (The AFL coaches) obviously get a little bit more information that they gather, so (seeing) how they align that to how they want to play on the day was good.”
It's not the first time the two programs have crossed over this year however, as Hyett explained.
“We’ve been lucky enough with Brendon Lade as our Director of Coaching, and having a strong connection with Bevo and the line coaches, to open their doors during our very long off-season,” she said.
“It’s nice for (our players) to hear from someone else, about very similar themes.
“They’ve been in team meetings, line meetings and even individual vision between player and line coach. (We’ve seen) a really big benefit for those players.”
Hyett has been impressed by the team’s training standards so far, as they count down to Round 1.
“The girls have been fantastic. They really drove their own development in the off-season, so now that we’re in the really structured part of pre-season, we’re able to just focus on football,” she said.
“They’ve been really engaged and have a real appetite to be better.”
The Bulldogs will host Melbourne in Round 1 of the 2025 NAB AFLW Season on Saturday 16 August.
