Sport
Former cycling star and AFLW pioneer Emma Mackie takes reins of Murray Bushrangers’ girls program
For the first time in their history the Murray Bushrangers will have a full-time coach spearheading their girls football program, with esteemed dual athlete Emma Mackie taking on the role in 2023.
Coming to the Bushrangers as an assistant prior to last season, Mackie steps into the main role after it was announced all NAB League clubs would have separate coaches for their boys and girls teams — with this initiative being part of a greater AFL commitment to boost the resources available to girls pathway programs.
As a result, former girls coach Mark Brown will solely mentor the Bushrangers’ boys in 2023 after handling both squads for four seasons.
Set to be her first crack at senior coaching, Mackie said she was excited about the challenge.
“I am really looking forward to the opportunity of taking over as senior coach and leading the development of girls football in the north east region,” Mackie said.
“I came on board last year as an assistant coach and throughout the season got the chance to move into more of a lead role, and even took over and coached a couple of the matches towards the end.
“So to now be the senior coach of the girls’ team full-time it is very exciting and I’m keen to bring my knowledge and experience from playing at the top level and adding my unique spin on things.”
Mackie’s pedigree in elite level sport is as rich as they come.
Initially rising to prominence as a cyclist, she represented Australia in the 2009 UCI World Championships and was widely regarded as one of the nation’s top road cycling prospects.
She then successfully made the switch to the AFLW in 2018, playing three games for Western Bulldogs, before shifting to St Kilda where she would play up until her retirement at the end of the 2020 season.
Having experienced the ins and outs of professional sport, she said her experience would help guide the next generation of AFLW stars coming through the Bushrangers’ program.
“I was lucky enough to be one of the pioneers coming through the AFLW when it first started, so it has come full circle a little bit for me,” she said.
“I am now able to come back and mentor and coach these girls and take them on part of that journey I went through and get them ready for that next step in their’ football career and life.
“Being able to share my knowledge and experience is something I am very excited about, sport has been such a big part of my life and I feel I can help these girls get to where they want to go.”
Taking over a Murray Bushrangers’ girls development program that had a record four players drafted to the AFLW in 2022, Mackie said her goal was to continue helping girls realise their footballing dreams, with on-field success an added bonus.
“We have just come off a great season, there was a record number of girls drafted out of our program, so the aim will just be to build on that success,” she said.
“I am really wanting to bring those elite habits and professionalism from where I come from, the number one focus is development and giving our girls the best chance to succeed in not only football but life as well.”