West Adelaide’s Naomi Maidment becomes first female on an SANFL coaching panel

NAOMI Maidment has become the first woman to join an SANFL coaching panel after West Adelaide appointed her as an under-16s assistant.

TRY telling Naomi Maidment she is a football trailblazer and she has none of it.

“I guess history would say that,” Maidment says.

“But for me it’s really all about the footy and that’s the way I’m going to approach it.”

Maidment, 31, has become the first woman to join an SANFL coaching panel after West Adelaide appointed her as an under-16s assistant this month.

After two years mentoring the Bloods’ women’s team, she expects her role will only be considered a novelty outside the club.

“Yeah, I’m a female but I love footy as much as the boys do.

“My initial challenges will be exactly that — I’m a girl.

“But once we get over that, they’ll see I’m just another coach.

“I think a female aspect around young lads could be an asset going forward.”

Footy has always been part of Maidment’s life.

She grew up at Morphett Vale Football Club, where her dad Peter played and became a life member.

“Like any kid I’d be waiting for the siren just so you can have a kick at quarter-time — that was every Saturday.”

Maidment lined up alongside boys at Wirreanda High School before joining now defunct North Adelaide in the SA Women’s Football League in 2003.

Her playing career ended after a decade due to soft-tissue injuries.

“I didn’t feel like I had the body to keep going with footy.

“It kept breaking down.”

Maidment’s big break came after women’s club Edwardstown became West Adelaide in 2012 and integrated with the Bloods.

She coached their under-18 girls that season before taking over the women the following year.

Since then she has also been involved with the Bloods’ under-13 and under-15 boys squads.

“(Former Bloods coach) Andrew Collins and (football manager) Andrew Marks allowed me to be part of the coaching team from day one ... and I learnt a lot.”

Maidment says St Kilda development coach Peta Searle is paving the way for other aspiring female coaches.

But Maidment, who remains president and senior coach of West’s women’s club, is more interested in an assistant coaching role at SANFL level down the track.

“I’m just learning as much as I can and doing it for as long as I enjoy it.

“The opportunity to develop a young player and one day see him play AFL is something that interests me.”