Former Fitzroy, South Adelaide defender announced as new Panthers SANFL coach

A former Fitzroy AFL defender and South Adelaide star says it’s a huge honour to take the reins of the Panthers’ SANFLW team ahead of 2021 season.

He played 131 SANFL games for South Adelaide and 38 AFL matches for Fitzroy — now Andrew Brockhurst returns to the Panthers as their new women’s coach.

Brockhurst, who lined up with South from 1985-87, before being drafted to the VFL by Fitzroy, takes over from 2019 premiership mentor Rick Watts, who stepped down for family reasons.

The 56-year-old said he was honoured to take on the role.

“I am absolutely privileged, as an ex-South player, to be given the opportunity to come back 20 years after I played the game,” Brockhurst said.

“At the same club, to be able to coach the girls for me is an absolute honour.

“I am looking forward to developing and training and imparting as much of my knowledge as I can on to this group.

Former South Adelaide player Andrew Brockhurst and his daughter Emily. Brockhurst is South’s new SANFLW coach, taking over from Rick Watts. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“If we win a game or a premiership, that’s fantastic.

‘But for us, it’s about continual development for this group over the next couple of years.”

Brockhurst ’s daughter Emily is also part of the Panthers’ SANFLW squad and made her debut in 2019.

She became the first daughter of a past player to debut with South against West Adelaide in March 2019.

Brockhurst, who was Flagstaff Hill’s A grade women’s mentor this SFLW season, said coaching a side his daughter featured with would pose no issue for him or Emily.

“Like any father-daughter we are close,” Brockhurst said.

“We have a really open and frank relationship in regards to football.

“She knows I call it as I see it in regards to her or any other player.

Andrew Brockhurst at Fitzroy Lions training in 1991. Picture: News Corp.

“My role is to develop 45 girls, so I actually have 45 daughters out there in my mind at the moment.”

South Adelaide entered the SANFLW in 2018 and has played in all three grand finals since, winning an inaugural flag under Krissie Steen, before Watts led the Panthers to the 2018 premiership.

They lost this season’s title decider to the undefeated Roosters, also now mentored by Steen.

Brockhurst conceded to being nervous about being in charge of such a successful side but was looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s fantastic to take on a really well-structured, organised group,” he said.

“But that comes along with some pressures.

We’ve lost a lot of our AFLW players from most of this season so we are really starting to develop a crop of new players coming through.

“That’s exciting for me as well.”