Saints sign first female AFL coach

Peta Searle, pictured with her children Tessa and Jackson, has become the AFL's first full-time female assistant coach after accepting a position at St Kilda. Source: News Limited

PETA Searle has been announced as the AFL's first full-time female assistant coach after accepting a position at St Kilda.

Searle will begin work immediately as a development coach at Seaford after her last game as assistant coach under Daniel Harford at St Kevin's Old Boys on Saturday.

"I am very much looking forward to starting at St Kilda and I feel that I can bring plenty of experience and skill to my new role," Searle said.

"I understand that there will be some level of interest in my role because I am a female working in a role traditionally held by men, but I am confident and proud that I have been hired because of my football and teaching expertise and I wouldn't have wanted the job based on any other criteria."

Searle, who became the first female assistant coach in the VFL with Port Melbourne under former AFL coach Gary Ayres, said she gave up her dream of coaching within the AFL just last month due to financial restraints.

The mother of two, who has built an impressive coaching resume over almost a decade, was unable to justify renewing her contract of $5000.

But as revealed by the Herald Sun the Saints made the mid-season appointment, helping fulfil Searle's lifelong coaching dream.

"At the start of the year we had 27 players on our list with fewer than 30 games experience so player development is vital for our club," senior coach Alan Richardson said this morning.

"We felt Peta was the perfect candidate to join our player academy where she will work under academy manager Simon McPhee and alongside player pcademy development coaches Paul Hudson and Lindsay Gilbee."

Peta Searle has become the AFL's first full-time female assistant coach after accepting a position at St Kilda. Source: News Limited

St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis said the club was delighted a coach of Searle's experience.

"Peta has a long and distinguished background in football over many years and we are thrilled to have her on board," Finnis said.

"Whilst our decision to appoint Peta was based on her experience, philosophies and values we do acknowledge and embrace the significance of Peta being the first woman to be appointed to coach at an AFL Club."

"I'm delighted the combination of her credentials and the opportunity we had in our development program has resulted in this significant day for Peta and for all women who have ambitions to coach in the AFL competition."

Searle has been breaking ground as a coach since 2006.

A five-time premiership player with the Darebin Falcons, Searle returned to the club to coach the Falcons to five consecutive premierships in the VWFL between 2006-2010, another feat that had never previously been achieved in Australia's most prodigious women's competition.

In 2011, Searle took up a development role the TAC Cup with the Western Jets, another football-first that had also never been achieved by a female.

Searle was also appointed as the first head coach of the AFL Victoria VWFL Academy in 2010, and was named as the All Australian coach of the 2011 Women's National Championships, holds a current level three coaching accreditation.

The current assistant principal and physical education teacher at a Melbourne based secondary college was also appointed the inaugural head coach of the Western Bulldogs Women's team which will play on the MCG on Sunday 29th June as the curtain raiser to the Melbourne and Western Bulldogs clash at the MCG in Round 15.

Boasting seven state guernseys and three All Australian honours, Searle has earned high praise from former players and coaches including Gary Ayres, Stan Alves, Harford, Neil Craig and David Parkin.

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