Essendon will replace inaugural AFLW coach Natalie Wood next season after deciding not to renew her contract for 2027, following a campaign in which the Bombers have recorded one win and 10 defeats.
Wood was told of the decision on Tuesday, but continued in charge for Sunday’s five-point loss to Hawthorn. She is expected to coach Essendon’s final game of the season against fellow strugglers Collingwood next Sunday.
“The club is not offering me a contract as of next year,” Wood said after the defeat. “It’s been a topic of conversation and a lot of questions with our poor performances this year.”
Essendon chief executive Tim Roberts said the club believed a change was necessary, while praising Wood for agreeing to remain with the team until the end of the season.
“We have fallen short of what we wanted on field. We believe a change is the right step,” Roberts said. “Natalie has handled this with real integrity, and her commitment to coaching out the season says a lot about her and how much she cares about the players.”
The Bombers will become the third AFLW club searching for a coach, alongside St Kilda and expansion side Tasmania Devils. Essendon has endured injuries and poor form this season, although several future leaders have signed new contracts.
Wood, who has led Essendon for five seasons since the club entered the competition, became the first female coach to reach 50 games. She said she had tried to keep the news from overshadowing milestone appearances for Alex Morcom and Maddi Gay, who played their 50th and 75th matches respectively, as well as Amelia Radford’s retirement announcement.
“I would prefer no one ever knows, and I’d just disappear off into the sunset without any discussion or interview, but I was particularly aware this week of not wanting to get in the way of those three players,” Wood said.
She said the club’s wider instability had made it difficult to build a settled programme, pointing to four chief executives, three presidents, three men’s senior captains and three senior coaches during her tenure.
“To be the first female coach to coach 50 games, I’m really proud of that,” Wood said. “To build a team from ground-up, as one of the last expansion teams and the season coming forward, it was a mad rush.”
Despite the disappointment, Wood said the number of players committing to the club for the long term showed that she had helped establish a positive culture.
Hawthorn’s victory at the club’s new base in Dingley strengthened their pursuit of a top-eight place. Essendon fought hard in rain-soaked conditions but could not find the final goal required to take the points.
