PORT ADELAIDE is pleased to announce former vice captain Hamish Hartlett as the first appointment to join the coaches’ box alongside newly appointed AFLW head coach Lauren Arnell.
Hartlett played 193 AFL games for Port Adelaide during a 13-year career at Alberton, and was given life membership of the club in 2018.
The 31-year-old has experience coaching in the South Australian talent set-up and since his departure from the club at the end of last season, has been working as the Development Manager at the West Adelaide Football Club, where he continues to play at SANFL level.
Hartlett said he was looking forward to working with Arnell as an assistant coach and being part of the club’s inaugural AFLW campaign.
“I’m really excited to work with Lauren and welcome a group of young footballers to the club, who are going to be really enthusiastic to learn and improve their game,” Hartlett said.
“We now have the opportunity as a football club to make our mark on the competition and show the AFLW how we want to go about things, on and off the field. It’s something I’m very, very excited to be a part of.
“Coaching is a real passion of mine and I look forward to playing my role in helping build our AFLW program from the ground up.”
Head of AFLW Juliet Haslam said Hartlett’s experience in an elite sporting environment and wider skillset made him a valuable addition to the club’s women’s program.
“Hamish obviously knows Port Adelaide, having spent so much of his life playing for the club, and he also knows what it takes to perform at an elite level,” Haslam said.
“He has experience as a leader in a football program, communicates well, and with his work coaching talent squads with West Adelaide in the SANFL will be a wonderful addition to our program.
“We look forward to welcoming Hamish back to Alberton.”
Haslam explained a coaching mentor program would also be established at Alberton to work alongside Arnell, Hartlett and other coaches appointed to Port Adelaide’s AFLW program.
“I’m delighted to also announce Tania Obst will be a Coach Mentor for Lauren,” she said.
“Tania is currently the Head Coach of the Adelaide Thunderbirds and has a wealth of experience including as senior assistant coach of England Netball and national under 21 coach for Netball Australia.
“Additionally, Darren Cahill has been appointed as Coach Mentor for our entire AFLW coaching group. Darren’s coaching expertise is globally recognised, having coached a number of the world’s leading tennis players including former number 1 players Simona Halep, Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt.
“We are really excited by the calibre of people we are bringing into our program around our head coach Lauren Arnell, and look forward to adding to them in the coming weeks.”
