Bec Goddard

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Bec Goddard
OAM
Goddard in March 2017
Personal information
Full name Rebecca Goddard
Date of birth June 1978 (age 45)[1]
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
2017–2018 Adelaide (W) 15 (9–5–1)
2022 (S7)–2023 Hawthorn (W) 20 (6–14–0)
Club total
35 (15–19–1)

2017
Representative
The Allies (W)

01 (0–1–0)
Total 36 (15–20–1)
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2023.
Career highlights

Rebecca Goddard OAM (born 1978) is a former Australian rules football coach who most recently served as the head coach of the Hawthorn Football Club in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).[2] Goddard also previously coached Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW) between 2017 and 2018, winning the 2017 AFL Women's Grand Final. She was assistant coach of the University of Canberra Capitals in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in 2018/19, when it won the league championship.

Playing career[edit]

Goddard played Australian rules football as a junior until the age of 13 before the absence of a girls competition forced her to stop. When Canberra got its first women's competition some seven years later, Goddard again returned to playing.[1] She played for Belconnen at that level before a broken leg at age 29 forced her to swap her playing career for one in umpiring and coaching.[3]

Umpiring career[edit]

Goddard holds the honour to be the first female field umpire in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL).[1]

Coaching career[edit]

Goddard began coaching at the Gungahlin Jets in the AFL Canberra league. She served as assistant coach at the Queanbeyan Football Club as well as becoming the first female coach in the NEAFL.[3][1] In 2016 she worked as the Under 18 boys forwards coach for Woodville West Torrens.[4]

In 2016 Goddard was appointed the inaugural coach of the Adelaide Football Club's AFL Women's team.[5] She was just one of two woman head coaches in the eight team league.[6] She coached the club to the premiership success in its inaugural season the following year.[7] In July 2017 she was named the coach of the Allies team in the AFLW State of Origin match to be played in September of that year.[8]

In 2018 she coached Adelaide the a fifth-place finish, with three wins for the season. She resigned at season's end, electing to return to Canberra to resume full-time work with the Australian Federal Police.[9] In Canberra, she became an assistant coach of the University of Canberra Capitals basketball team.[10] The Capitals went on to win the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) championship in 2019. Goddard attracted the interest of the Gold Coast Suns, who entered the AFLW competition in 2020, when it expanded 14 teams.[11] In 2021 she coached Hawthorn in the VFL Women's (VFLW) competition.[12][13]

In August 2021, following an announcement that Hawthorn would enter the AFL Women's competition in 2022, Goddard was announced as the club's inaugural coach.[2]

Following the conclusion of the 2023 AFL Women's season, in which Hawthorn finished in 14th position, Goddard resigned as coach.[14]

Coaching statistics[edit]

Updated to the end of 2023
Legend
 W  Wins  L  Losses  D  Draws  W%  Winning percentage  LP  Ladder position  LT  League teams
Season Team Games W L D W % LP LT
2017# Adelaide 8 6 2 0 75.0% 2 8
2018 Adelaide 7 3 3 1 42.9% 5 8
2022 (S7) Hawthorn 10 3 7 0 30.0% 15 18
2023 Hawthorn 10 3 7 0 30.0% 14 18
Career totals 35 15 19 1 42.9%

Honours and achievements[edit]

Team

Individual

Personal life[edit]

Outside of football, Goddard previously worked for the Australian Federal Police where she attained the rank of Superintendent, at the time of her retirement she was attached to ACT Policing in charge on Police Communications. She retired from the Australian Federal Police in 2022 to pursue her football career full time.[3] She moved from Canberra to Adelaide in 2015 where she began pursuing a high level coaching career in football in addition to her work with the AFP.[1]

She holds a degree in Journalism and once worked as a media advisory in the Labor government of the 1990s.[1] Goddard also holds a degree in Persian language from the Australian National University.[1]

Goddard is dating writer and actress Shanrah Wakefield.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Adelaide Crows women's coach Bec Goddard says now footy's a game for everybody". The Advertiser. News Corp Australia. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b Black, Sarah (12 August 2021). "Hawks unveil premiership mastermind as inaugural AFLW coach". AFL Women's. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Nicholson, Larissa (10 October 2016). "Crime fighter Bec Goddard takes the reins at Adelaide". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  4. ^ Polkinghorne, David (21 March 2017). "Adelaide Crows coach Bec Goddard has won inaugural AFL Women's flag but not wanted by SANFL club Woodville West Torrens". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  5. ^ Corrigan, Tom (24 August 2016). "Canberra's Bec Goddard to coach Adelaide Crows in women's inaugural AFL". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. ^ Wood, Lauren (2 July 2017). "AFLW premiership coach Bec Goddard urges caution on expansion". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  7. ^ Homfray, Reece (18 July 2017). "Adelaide premiership coach Bec Goddard signs up again as giant BHP inks three-year partnership". The Advertiser. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  8. ^ Fjeldstad, Jesper (25 July 2017). "Crows coach Bec Goddard named to coach the Allies against the Vics". The Advertiser. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  9. ^ Lerner, Ronny (13 April 2018). "Goddard quits as Adelaide's AFLW coach to concentrate on police career". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  10. ^ Dutton, Chris (4 October 2018). "Canberra Capitals add AFLW premiership-winner Bec Goddard to staff". Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. ^ Tiernan, Eamonn (16 February 2019). "Goddard's success crosses codes".
  12. ^ "AFLW 2021 Media VFLW Media Opportunity 220221". AFL Photos. 23 February 2021.
  13. ^ (25 November 2020). Hawthorn make history and appoint female coach, Seven News
  14. ^ Beveridge, Riley (17 November 2023). "Goddard announces shock retirement after Hawks exit". AFL Women's. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Ms Rebecca Anne Goddard". It's An Honour. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  16. ^ Is Bec Goddard Married, 44 Bars, Retrieved 24 October 2022

External links[edit]