Daniel Harford, Lynden Dunn join Collingwood AFLW team as assistant coaches

FORMER Hawk Daniel Harford has gone back to his roots after Collingwood unveiled its AFLW coaching panel, which also includes a current Magpies player, for the 2018 season.

Daniel Harford is back coaching as an assistant with Collingwood’s AFLW team.

FORMER Hawk Daniel Harford will wear black and white alongside Collingwood defender Lynden Dunn next season as the pair join the Magpies’ AFLW side as assistant coaches.

A media personality and commentator, Harford is having a break from coaching this season but spent 10 years at the helm of VAFA side St Kevins and Balwyn in the Eastern League.

Dunn was a mentor to the AFLW Magpies last season but his passion for the women’s game has grown, in part thanks to his sister Jorja Hammond, who last weekend won the Herald Sun Shield senior girls title with Ballarat Grammar.

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“(Jorja) is only in Year 8 but she’s already playing ones so she’s excited about the whole prospect of women’s footy and hopefully getting drafted one day,” Dunn said.

“This is a great opportunity for me to get a taste of coaching and also get involved in the women’s side of the game.

“Still playing, I know what they go through. I live it, so I can help the girls with their footy but also off-field stuff if they need it.”

Collingwood’s AFLW coaching panel: (from left) Chloe McMillan, Lynden Dunn, Wayne Siekman, Daniel Harford and Matthew Jones. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Harford barracked for Collingwood as a boy so a return to his roots has been welcomed by his family.

“I was sitting out this year because I thought I was going to be doing the afternoon shift on the Run Home on SEN again but then I moved (to RSN) and all the jobs were gone,” Harford said.

“This opened up … it scratches the coaching itch for me and it’s part of a pretty exciting new competition. I thought it might be good to get involved.

“This is going to be very exciting for my mother and father. I’m back home, so to speak.”

Harford will be senior assistant to head coach Wayne Siekman and will take charge of the midfield.

“I think we can certainly improve a fair bit throughout our midfield division,” he said.

“We’ve got the All-Australian ruck in Emma King, Jamie Lambert comes across from the Bulldogs plus the existing midfield and the draftees that we get — two picks in the top five — so I’m really keen to flesh that out.”

Harford has never coached girls or women.

“I don’t think it really matters,” he said.

“I’m a pretty easy going sort of guy. I like coaching, I like teaching and I don’t think those things change.”

The other assistants are Dandenong Stingrays director of coaching Matthew Jones and former women’s development coach Chloe McMillan.

Originally published as Daniel Harford, Lynden Dunn join Collingwood AFLW team as assistant coaches