Brisbane Lions assistant Ryan Davis poised to be next coach of Crows AFLW side

A former Eagle and Sun is closing in on the coaching job at Adelaide, as the Crows prepare for life after premiership coach Matthew Clarke.

Former West Coast and Gold Coast footballer Ryan Davis is the frontrunner to be named as Adelaide’s next AFLW coach after a season-long search.

Davis is poised to take the reins from premiership coach Matthew Clarke in 2026 after the Crows embarked on a widespread hunt for his successor.

The 36-year-old was drafted to West Coast as a teenager from New South Wales and played 14 games over the 2008-09 seasons before he earnt a second shot at the level on the Suns’ list as a mature-age rookie in 2016-17, playing 21 games.

Ryan Davis is the frontrunner to be the next Crows coach. Picture: Deion Menzies / Highflyer Images

Davis was appointed Southport’s inaugural women’s team coach in 2020 and has since built a strong resume in the women’s game.

He joined Brisbane as an assistant coach at the start of the 2024 season and has been in charge of the Lions’ midfield in their run to the last two grand finals.

Davis would become the latest Lions assistant under Craig Starcevich to be appointed to a senior role elsewhere after previous midfield coach Daniel Webster was signed by Hawthorn after the 2023 premiership campaign.

Clarke, 52, announced in April this would be his final season at the helm of the Crows after leading them to premierships in 2019 and 2022.

Last week he was appointed head coach of the Glenelg men’s team in the SANFL.

There are currently four senior coaching vacancies in the AFLW after Melbourne premiership mentor Mick Stinear announced his resignation on Monday.

Geelong parted ways with Dan Lowther last week, while Scott Gowans left Sydney with two years remaining on his contract after a shattering last-round loss which meant the Swans missed the finals.

Matthew Clarke finished up as Crows coach in 2025. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Stinear, who lives on the Surf Coast, is expected to be part of the interview process at Geelong after leaving the Demons following 101 games in 10 seasons at the helm.

Assistant coach Shae Sloane, who filled Stinear’s shoes for a game in 2023, is expected to be one of the lead candidates for the Demons job.

Carlton assistant Glenn Strachan and North Melbourne assistant Rhys Harwood have also been linked to the jobs in Melbourne and Sydney.

Port Adelaide is searching for a new women’s football boss, while Gold Coast snared champion player Erin Phillips to head up its AFLW department after the departure of inaugural manager Fiona Sessarago.

Originally published as Brisbane Lions assistant Ryan Davis poised to be next coach of Crows AFLW side