Fremantle Football Club has made key personnel changes to its football programs in preparation for 2024.
Current Peel Thunder Senior Coach Geoff Valentine will assume the role of Fremantle Head of Football Operations and Development, with Fremantle Development Coach Adam Read replacing Valentine as Senior Coach of Peel Thunder Football Club.
Valentine has played a significant role with Peel over the past two years, taking the League side to the 2023 WAFL Grand Final.
Executive General Manager of Football Joe Brierty said Valentine’s body of work in WA football makes him an ideal candidate for a senior position in the AFL program.
“Geoff’s leadership and experience gives him all the skills needed for this important role,” Brierty said.
“He will oversee our Peel alignment operations, work with JL (Justin Longmuir) to mentor our coaching department, manage our football programming and logistics - as well as key football operations partnerships.”
Read’s appointment with Peel Thunder will be his first senior coaching position after eight years as a Development Coach with Fremantle. He spent two years as a recruiter after joining the Club in 2007, worked as an analyst from 2009 to 2011 and joined Fremantle’s coaching department in 2012.
“This exciting opportunity is a credit to Adam’s hard-working attitude and determination to continually improve and grow as a coach,” Brierty said.
“Adam will have a transition phase with Geoff until Christmas and Geoff will continue to play an important role mentoring Adam over the 2024 WAFL season.”
Peel Thunder CEO Paul Lekias said the Club was proud of what Valentine had achieved and looked forward to the next chapter with Read overseeing the program.
“We are thankful for Geoff’s contribution since arriving at our Club in 2022,” Lekias said. “What he’s done for our program has laid the foundations for the years ahead.
“From our perspective, to see our people promoted into senior positions within the AFL speaks volumes to the alignment.
“Adam Read has been a vital component of the Freo and Peel partnership.
“We are excited to have him at the helm and continue what Geoff has started, particularly given the strong relationships he already has with our people.”
In other changes, Bob Murphy will be adding to his portfolio – joining the AFL coaching department as a Skills Specialist – in addition to his Head of Leadership role across the Club.
While Murphy will continue to provide leadership support for the AFLW program, he will relinquish his duties as Head of AFLW.
“Bob’s experience across his decorated playing career, coupled with his leadership role will be an important part of our continued on-field growth and development for our players,” Brierty said.
“He has done a mountain of work across our AFLW program for the past three seasons overseeing a significant transition period and will continue to play an important role in the program.”
The Club will now commence the process for appointing a new Head of AFLW to oversee the program’s Strategy and Operations, as well as the search for an AFL Development Coach to replace Read.
In further off-field changes, current Football Strategy Coordinator Harry Garland will become the Stoppages and Opposition Coach having overseen the analysis of these two key areas since arriving at the Club in 2021.
