Senior Coach Lisa Webb will be supported by a group of familiar faces in 2023 as Fremantle prepares for the upcoming NAB AFL Women’s season.
Cam Shepherd continues from Season 7 as the Director of Coaching, along with line coaches Matt Riggio (backline) and Matt Templeton (forwardline), and development coaches Alex Williams and Lauren Stammers.
Templeton joined Fremantle in 2022 after coaching East Fremantle to the 2022 WAFLW Grand Final, while Riggio – a former North Melbourne and Swan Districts player – coached the Swan Districts WAFLW midfield when they made the grand final in 2021.
Williams played 13 AFLW games for Fremantle as a key defender between 2018 and 2019, on top of her seven games for GWS in 2017, and joined the coaching group in 2022 alongside Stammers.
While Stammers’ career did not crossover with the AFLW, she was one of the game’s pioneers in the exhibition matches between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.
She is a three-time premiership player with Coastal Titans in the WAWFL, including twice as captain.
Craig Thomas moves into a new role as the team defence and opposition coach, and Fremantle AFL player Jay Van Berlo returns as the midfield line coach after working as an assistant alongside Webb at Fremantle in Season 6.
Fremantle AFL forward Josh Corbett is the only new addition to the group as a specialist coach for Fremantle’s key position players. Corbett is continuing to gain experience in the AFLW coaching space after working in a similar role in his time at the Gold Coast Suns.
The group is now two weeks into the AFLW pre-season with the season anticipated to commence in early September.
Webb has previous experience working or playing with Williams, Stammers, Van Berlo, Thomas and Shepherd.
Riggio and Templeton joined the coaching staff for Season 7, when Webb spent a season as an assistant with the Western Bulldogs.
“Alex Williams and Lauren Stammers are our development coaches and I’ve played with both of them, they’re great characters and I’m really looking forward to seeing them continue to develop as coaches because they’re great at what they do,” Webb said.
“Matt Riggio comes back again as the backline coach, which we’re really excited about.
“He and Matthew Templeton have a wealth of experience. He’s coming in as the fowardline coach which we’re really pleased with.
“We really pushed hard to get Jay back, he’s a terrific person, an ex-AFL player. He’s really passionate about developing AFLW and we’re really pleased to see him as the midfield coach this year.
“Craig Thomas has been a part of our AFLW program since day one, he’s a great sounding board and supporter for myself. He’ll be working as the team defence and opposition coach, which I’m rapt with.
“Then we have director of coaching Cam Shepherd who has had a long association with Fremantle. We’re lucky to have all of these people on board.”
Webb welcomed Corbett to the coaching group, saying he had been quickly embraced by Fremantle’s W program.
“Josh worked with the Gold Coast AFLW team when he was over there and he’s been brilliant,” Webb said.
“He’s probably one of the nicest people you’ll meet. He’s in here most days, tapping on the door, asking about drills and giving his input.
“Obviously Josh is balancing having a busy schedule with his AFL commitments, but he’s always happy to put his hand up to help when possible.”
