AFLW 2024: Western Bulldogs to name Tamara Hyett coach

Dani Laidley’s coaching comeback is on hold after she was edged out for the Western Bulldogs job by an untried contender.

The Western Bulldogs have signed Tamara Hyett as their new AFLW coach after former North Melbourne mentor Dani Laidley was passed over in the final stages of their search.

Hyett, who coached the Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League Girls competition and was a premiership assistant coach with Melbourne in 2022, earnt the nod for her first senior role and will be the fifth woman at the helm of a side next season.

As well as Laidley she was also preferred to inaugural premiership coach Paul Groves, who had thrown his hat in the ring to return to the AFLW after quitting the job in 2019.

Laidley confirmed she wanted to return to coaching and flagged an interest in the vacant West Coast role in November.

Former North Melbourne coach Dani Laidley was beaten out in the final stages of the Western Bulldogs’ process to appoint a new AFLW coach. Picture: Michael Willson / Getty Images

“It’s been a passion of mine and I’ve sort of been ready for about 12 months and even actually for this AFLW season, I was asked to do a coaching role at one of the Melbourne teams,” she told SEN in November.

“But I couldn’t because I was contracted for the (Danielle Laidley: Two Tribes documentary).

“People have connected the dots, West Coast have got a position available and yes, I want to coach again.”

A return to top flight will have to wait for the former Kangaroos premiership player, who hasn’t held a role at a club since she left her assistant role at Carlton in 2015.

Hyett, a former pro golfer, arrived late to football and played her first VFLW game for the St Kilda Sharks aged 35 before becoming an assistant coach at the club.

New Western Bulldogs coach Tamara Hyett worked as an assistant coach at Melbourne during their premiership campaign and was head coach of the Sandringham Dragons in the elite girls under-18 competition. Picture: St Kilda Sharks

She was brought to Melbourne ahead of the 2021 season to work as a midfield development coach before taking on a role in charge of the backline.

The Demons and Hyett parted ways at the end of the 2023.

Bulldogs chief executive Ameet Bains said Hyett had impressed the club with the “clear articulation of her coaching philosophy” during the interview process.

“We’re extremely excited to have someone of Tamara’s calibre join our club,” Bains said.

“Her unique blend of experience within both elite girls and elite women’s football lends itself to Tamara building a high-performing culture that develops and grows the exciting young players on our list.

“We are thrilled to be making this appointment for our AFLW program as we strive for consistent performance and sustained success on field.”

Hyett said she was extremely proud to take on the role as a self-described “western suburbs girl”.

Welcome to the West, Tamara! 🐶

We’re excited to announce the appointment of Tamara Hyett as our AFLW senior coach.

Read More ⤵️

— WesternBulldogs AFLW (@BulldogsW) February 16, 2024

“It’s a really proud moment – driving in here I was thinking about the last six years and being a western suburbs girl myself, I’m just extremely proud,” she said.

“This is a foundation club who were supporting women’s football even prior to AFLW. It’s not lost on me how special that is.

“There’s some really exciting talent here and it’s really refreshing too. I’m just really excited about the current group.”

The Bulldogs are also searching for a head of women’s football to oversee the program after a comprehensive review of the club’s football department, which also led to Matthew Egan’s appointment as general manager of football operations.

Previous AFLW coach, St Kilda great Nathan Burke, was sacked after the Bulldogs’ disappointing 1-9 campaign in 2023, which ended the with the wooden spoon and a raft of player departures including former No. 1 pick Gabby Newton to Fremantle.