Gold Coast SUNS AFLW star Jamie Stanton has been appointed the Head Coach of the Queensland Women’s side, which is set to take on Tasmania in the representative clash in June on the Gold Coast.
Stanton is an experienced coach, having coached the South Queensland women’s team in 2022 and again in 2023, where she coached them to victory against North Queensland in the intrastate representative match.
Taking the on the Queensland Women’s coaching role was a logical next step in Stanton’s coaching career.
“It is an honour to be given the opportunity to represent Queensland and coach the Queensland Women’s side this year” she said.
“I decided to put my hand up for the state job after two years working in the South Queensland program because I was looking for a new challenge.
“I felt it was the right time to move on and try my hand at a new opportunity in the coaching landscape. I really enjoyed working in the South Queensland program and it has given me an appetite to explore my coaching further.”
AFL Queensland’s Competitions Manager Mitchell Simpson said he’s pleased to see her progression as a coach through the representative pathways.
“It’s been great to work with Jamie and see her develop as a coach throughout the past two years as the South Queensland Women’s Head Coach,” he said.
“This experience in running a short representative program, combined with her experience at the elite level playing for the Gold Coast SUNS AFLW side makes her the perfect person to lead this team.”
As an experienced AFLW player, Stanton is looking forward to building on her coaching knowledge.
“Being involved in the SQ program has given me a greater understanding of my coaching capabilities and has helped me immensely to develop into a better coach,” she said.
“From that experience I learnt that female AFL athletes are very keen to learn and develop and train with the best in the league and the environment that the coaches create is crucial for development of the players.
“In my new role, I’m looking forward to gaining valuable knowledge and new experiences in the coaching landscape, while understanding my strengths and areas for improvement for future opportunities.”
With the Queensland women looking to go back-back-back against Tasmania, Stanton is excited to see the breadth of talent available.
“What excites me the most about coaching the Queensland women’s side is the vast amount of talent that is currently in the Bond University QAFLW. There will be a lot of competition for spots in the squad,” she said.
“I am expecting a very competitive Tasmanian team that is looking to win. After the announcement of the new Tasmanian AFL/AFLW licence, I would assume this Tassie team is looking to promote and showcase why they deserved it.”
