Goddard’s keen to return to coaching
PREMIERSHIP winner Bec Goddard has declared she wants to return to full-time coaching, further igniting speculation she may be the woman to lead the Gold Coast Suns in their inaugural AFLW campaign.
The rumour mill was set alight last month when AFL head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone said Adelaide’s 2017 AFLW premiership coach might be relocating from her home in Canberra to Queensland.
Goddard was unable to confirm the interstate move but said her passion for coaching remained.
“I want to coach football full-time,” she said.
“That’s what I’m hoping for but who knows when it might happen.
“I really hope an opportunity comes up before too much time passes but I’d love a full-time role.”
Many AFLW coaches and players have battled with the part-time commitment, including Goddard who resigned from the Crows to resume fulltime work at the Australian Federal Police after struggling to balance both roles.
Suns CEO Mark Evans said the club would consider offering a permanent position to the successful candidate.
“We’ll look at all of our options but I think most would jump at the opportunity to undertake a full-time role but it also depends on their other commitments and their working situation,” he said.
Suns academy coach David Ashkar said that if Goddard were interested, she would be one of the frontrunners for the role.
Goddard, 40, has recently returned to the coaching fraternity after accepting a role with the Canberra Capitals women’s basketball team in weekly player review.
Her side has qualified for the WNBL grand final and will face off against the Adelaide Lightning in a threematch deciding series starting on Saturday.
“I’ve absolutely loved my experience with the Capitals,” she said. “It’s shown me that my passion for coaching still exists.”
Despite having no experience in basketball, she has worked to implement sporting fundamentals she learnt while in the AFLW system.
“I didn’t know much about basketball before I came in but I’ve been in charge of getting those one percenters down pat, team management and creating a winning environment,” she said.
“It’s been amazing to see how another elite female sporting competition trains and plays.”
The Suns will begin their coach hunt in coming weeks.
IT’S SHOWN ME THAT MY PASSION FOR COACHING STILL EXISTS BEC GODDARD