Carlton names VFL assistant Mathew Buck as new AFLW coach

Carlton’s new AFLW coach says the Blues will focus on improving skills as they eye a long road back to the top rungs on the ladder.

Carlton captain Kerryn Peterson (centre) says the Blues are at ‘fever pitch’ ahead of the coming AFLW season following the announcement of Mathew Buck’s appointment as coach. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

New Carlton AFLW coach Mathew Buck says he will focus heavily on skill development and “the fundamentals of the game” as the Blues plot a new route to success.

The Blues unveiled Buck as full-time coach on Tuesday just hours before the supplementary draft, in which Cartlon holds four picks, including two in the top 10.

Buck was appointed from the Blues’ VFL men’s program after joining the club ahead of the 2021 season. He was promoted to senior assistant of the VFL side in November.

Buck was named following an extensive six-week search to replace Daniel Harford, who parted ways with the club two months ago in the wake of a review of the women’s football program.

The review recommended the appointment of a full-time women’s coach in order to “drive professionalism and elite behaviours” among the playing group.

New Carlton AFLW coach Mathew Buck said he was excited to coach a women’s side for the first time. Picture: Julian Wallace

Buck said skill development sessions with members of the women’s team earlier this year had ignited his passion to pursue an AFLW career.

“It’s funny, I’ve been so hellbent on my path of coaching, of wanting to improve all the time … I’d never kind of turned my head sideways to the women’s game,” Buck said.

“But I had the opportunity to earlier this year work with the players around improving their skills, and what I found was a really driven group who had some great skills and just need a little more guidance on some method around that.

“That’s what I see in this game – we’ve got to be really great at the fundamentals of the game, so that’s what I’m going to teach. Coaching is coaching to me, that’s what I’ve been doing with them already and that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”

Blues captain Kerryn Peterson says her teammates are ‘raring to go’ under their new coach. Picture: Dylan Burns / Getty Images

The new coach said he had met the playing group on Monday night and promised them he would meet them all one-on-one in the coming days as the Blues plan to arrest their slide down the ladder.

Carlton finished 14th in 2022 season seven with only two wins, again losing several highly rated players over the off-season to cap a steady decline since its three top-four finishes and grand final appearance in the first four seasons of the competition.

Blues captain Kerryn Peterson said the side was motivated and hungry for success following Buck’s appointment.

“The girls are raring to go and I’ve already kind of started that process getting in here and working with Bucky,” Peterson said.

“The expectation will be set from day one that you come in here with a great attitude and a willingness to work together … where that takes us, time will tell, but it’s a pretty good foundation to start from.”