New coaches take the reins for WAFLW programme

The Peel Thunder Football Club is excited to announce the appointment of its coaching roles in the WAFLW program for the next two years. Following an extensive search and a number of high-quality applicants, the Club has appointed Ethan Norris as Senior Coach of the WAFLW team and Michelle MacDonald as Head Coach of the Rogers Cup team.

“We are pleased to have been able to conduct a highly competitive process in sounding out and attracting some very qualified candidates for the role and would like to congratulate both Ethan and Michelle on their appointments to the Club.  In recent history, we have been able to build sustained success with our WAFLW program and we look forward to watching the continued rebuild through connection and a focus on development, as we strive toward an elite female pathway”, said Peel Thunder CEO, Paul Lekias. 

Ethan Norris is a current Level 2 Accredited Coach and comes with a long history of community coaching experience, More recently Norris has overseen the female talent pathway here at the Club through the Metro Development Squads and taking on a Line Coach role with the WAFLW team.

Norris was excited about his new role, highlighting his eagerness to develop the game within the Peel region and beyond. 

“It’s incredibly exciting to be a part of the development of women’s football, particularly in the Peel Region.”

“Peel Thunder has a wealth of talented women playing at all levels throughout the club, it’s an incredibly exciting prospect to help develop these players at the elite level required for the WAFLW."

Michelle MacDonald has a long history of representative football at a Masters level and has also coached extensively at a community level, also holding her Level 2 Accreditation.  Since 2022, she has been involved with the Metro Development Squad, including Head Coach this year, and stepped into the Midfield Line coaching role with our Rogers Cup team in 2023.

Michelle said she was, “thrilled to be the first female head coach at Peel Thunder."

She stressed the importance of connecting with her playing group, “As a coach, you can have the best preparations and plans but success in the end comes down to relationships."

Planning is now well underway for a strong 2024 campaign, with season dates yet to be finalised.