Inaugural Crows Aboriginal female academy coach Bronwyn Davey is on a mission to see more indigenous women in the AFLW

She’s got high-quality football bloodlines and wants to inspire young girls to pull on the boots. Meet the inaugural coach of the Crows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Female Academy.

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When Bronwyn Davey took to the MCG in June, 2013 as part of the AFL’s first women’s exhibition match, she was shocked to look around and see only three other indigenous faces.

“I was playing for the Melbourne Demons against the Western Bulldogs and I was quite surprised that there were only four indigenous females out of 50,” she said.

“The reason I was shocked was that I had assumed or expected there would be a lot more indigenous players because of the natural skill and ability that we have and the talent is sometimes outstanding,” she said.

So, she turned to coaching to encourage more Aboriginal women into the game.

“I see my role as hopefully to inspire or help younger generations to develop and become an elite athlete and hopefully one day play at the highest level,” she said.

And her coaching journey has now landed her in the Crows nest, announced on Wednesday as the inaugural coach of the Crows new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Female Football Academy.

Football coach Bronwyn Davey in the changerooms before her Port Adelaide Women’s Aboriginal AFL Academy team took to the ground in a game against New Zealand’s Kahu Youth Squad in Auckland on Saturday, November 24, 2018. Picture: Mark Piovesan.

Crows general manager of football operations, Phil Harper, said the academy had been established to make sure there was a pathway to the AFLW for every young girl.

“To be honest, while we’ve always had an indigenous player in our AFLW team, we’re still under-represented compared to the men’s and so it’s a real push by our club to develop and foster young indigenous girls to play the sport, and just like the young indigenous boys do, because they’re damn good at it and we’re sure that the young indigenous girls will be good at it too,” he said.

The Crows launch a new Aboriginal academy at West Lakes on Wednesday. Picture: Matt Turner

“It’s something we’ve recognised and want to address and do the best that we can to get our indigenous girl representation up to the same level — which is a great level — of young indigenous men represented in the AFL.”

Davey — who comes from solid AFL stock as the older sister of Melbourne’s Aaron Davey and Essendon’s Alwyn Davey — said her aim was to encourage young indigenous women onto an elite pathway.

“The program’s focus is on … elite trainings, strength and conditioning, nutrition, so it’s basically giving them an insight into being an elite AFLW player,” she said.

Football coach Bronwyn Davey pictured in 2013 with her brother, Melbourne 's Aaron Davey, before the first ever women’s AFL match, held at the MCG. Picture: FILE.

Until Wednesday, Davey, 39, was the inaugural coach of Port Adelaide’s education-based Women’s Aboriginal AFL Academy.

She spent last week in New Zealand with the WAAA team — comprising Year 11 and 12 students — and coached them in a game against New Zealand’s AFL Kahu youth team.

WAAA lost to the Kahu by 10 points in terribly wet conditions, but Davey said her pride in the players and what they had achieved throughout the year went beyond the scoreboard.

Seven players of Port’s WAAA squad have qualified for the Crows Academy, including her teenage daughter Tesharna Maher.

Football coach Bronwyn Davey instructs members of Port Adelaide’s Women’s Aboriginal AFL Academy during their match against New Zealand’s youth squad in Auckland in November, 2018. She is pictured next to her daughter and promising young footballer, Tesharna Maher. Picture: Mark Piovesan.

“When I’m coaching her, it’s a coach/player relationship and a lot of people don’t realise she’s my daughter because we keep it professional,” Davey said.

“I don’t change any rules for her just because she’s my daughter.”

Davey has herself been playing football for 11 years and said she was one of only a few Aboriginal female coaches across South Australia.

She is also PE teacher and said she hoped to see the Aboriginal Academy girls play a curtain-raiser at one of the Crows AFLW home game during the 2019 season.

Originally published as Inaugural Crows Aboriginal female academy coach Bronwyn Davey is on a mission to see more indigenous women in the AFLW