The Adelaide Football Club has finalised its AFLW coaching panel for the 2018 season with past players Andrew McLeod and Peter Caven appointed as assistant coaches. 

McLeod and Caven, both two-time premiership players with the Crows, will work under Senior Coach Bec Goddard who led the team to the League’s inaugural premiership.

Senior assistant coach Andrew Hodges, who is based in the Northern Territory, assistant coach Mark Moody and opposition analyst Brooke Copeland will all return to the coaching panel for the competition’s second season.

McLeod played a Club record 340 games for Adelaide from 1995 to 2010 and has previously coached with Norwood in the SANFL Reserves and St Michael’s College. Through the McLeod Centre of Excellence, he currently leads a suite of programs designed to inspire, motivate and empower Indigenous students to achieve their potential.

While Caven, who played 139 AFL games with Fitzroy, Sydney and Adelaide, has senior coaching experience with Sacred Heart Old Collegians in the SA Amateur League, as well as holding assistant roles with the South Australia Under 18 team and at Glenelg Football Club. He is also on the Board of Adelaide’s Past Players and Officials Association.

Crows General Manager Football Administration Phil Harper said the appointment of McLeod and Caven would strengthen the side’s coaching ranks for the second season.

“Andrew and Peter bring a wealth of experience and a key part of their roles will be one-on-one craft education sessions with our players,” Harper said.

“While Andrew’s experience in football is obviously impressive, he also brings a strong focus on personal development and culture which is important.

“He designed the team’s striking Indigenous guernsey and has been extremely supportive of our AFLW team from the beginning so to secure him in this role is a big win.

“Similarly, Peter is passionate about helping people grow both on and off the football field. He has a great football mind and his appointment is sure to benefit the Club and our team.”

The Club also farewelled Darwin-based assistant coach Colleen Gwynne.

“Colleen was a valued member of our coaching group in the inaugural season and we thank her for her contribution,” Harper said.

“The Club is likely to have less players based in Darwin for the second season and we have restructured our coaching panel to reflect this, but we would have no hesitation in asking Colleen to work for us again if that changed in the future.”

The Crows’ partnership with AFLNT means the coaching group will work closely to manage high performance programs which will be run concurrently in Adelaide and Darwin.