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Michael Prior replaces Daniel Pratt as West Coast Eagles AFLW coach

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Catherine HealeyThe West Australian
Michael Prior will take over as Eagles' AFLW coach.
Camera IconMichael Prior will take over as Eagles' AFLW coach. Credit: West Coast Eagles

West Coast has named Michael Prior as its new AFLW coach, taking the reins from Daniel Pratt who will now return to the club’s AFL coaching ranks.

Prior’s appointment means there are still no female head coaches in the AFLW, with all 14 clubs coached by men.

With likely quarantine issues for the upcoming AFLW season from January, Pratt has stepped away from the head coach role as his partner prepares to give birth to the couple’s second child early in the new year.

Pratt had been in the AFLW head coach role for the past 18 months and will stay on to mentor Prior in the coming months.

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It means Prior is now the club’s third AFLW coach in three seasons.

Prior, who had served as West Coast’s head coach of the women’s high performance academy, is a former AFL player for both West Coast and Essendon.

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He has served as a coach at both East Perth in the WAFL and Fremantle in the AFL.

Prior will be supported by Kerry O’Sullivan and Pia Faletti on his coaching panel.

“The change in the scheduled start to the AFLW season to now begin in January, unavoidable with the current situation on the east coast with the COVID-19 pandemic, has triggered the need to change,” the Eagles said in a statement.

“Pratt will support Prior in a coach mentoring capacity as well as transitioning back into the AFL program, having also coached the WAFL Eagles this season.”

The 2022 NAB AFL Women’s competition will commence from January 6.

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