The GIANTS have added two new faces to their AFL Women’s coaching staff, while a number of GIANTS AFL stars will assist the program in 2020.
Darren Ratten has joined the GIANTS as an Assistant Coach, looking after the backline, while Kristy Sutcliffe has come on board as a Development Coach.
Ratten has spent the past two seasons helping the next generation of GIANTS as a Development Coach at the GIANTS Academy in western Sydney and was elevated to a Development Coach role with the GIANTS’ NEAFL side in 2019.
The Victorian has a strong background in developing young players, having coached the Neerim-Neerim South Cats U18’s side in Gippsland for five seasons, including an undefeated 2014 season which saw them win the Premiership.
His success with the Cats saw Ratten coach the Ellinbank and District Football League U18 interleague side for four seasons.
Ratten has also held assistant coaching roles with the New South Wales U16s team, and he is currently the Head Coach of Cranbrook School’s AFL program.
Sutcliffe continues her involvement with the GIANTS, having held an Assistant Coaching role during the GIANTS’ VFL Women’s program in 2019.
A successful footballer in her own right, having won an AFL Sydney premiership in an eight-year career with Macquarie University and Sydney University, Sutcliffe helped the Warriors to the 2019 Premier Division Women’s premiership as an Assistant Coach. Sutcliffe was also an Assistant Coach with the NSW U18 Youth Girls team in 2019.
Roger Moten and Jon Vlatko return as Senior Assistant Coach and Assistant Coach respectively. Moten, who coached the GIANTS’ backline in 2019, will oversee the midfield in 2020, while Vlatko will continue his work with the GIANTS’ forwards.
AFL veterans Heath Shaw and Shane Mumford will continue their involvement with the women’s program as specialist coaches, while Sam Reid joins for his first season as a specialist coach.
Defender Matt Buntine has also committed his time to the GIANTS’ AFLW team in a player welfare role.
The GIANTS AFLW side plays Adelaide in a practice match in Adelaide on Saturday, January 18 ahead of their season-opener against the Gold Coast Suns at Blacktown International SportsPark on Saturday, February 8.
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