Blues aim to buck their poor form with new AFLW coach
A whirlwind two months put Mathew Buck into one of the AFLW's coaching hot seats as he takes over at Carlton.
His appointment comes after the foundation AFLW team finished 14th last season, prompting the Blues to review their women's program.
After five years as coach - including their only grand final - Daniel Harford lost the job in part because he could not commit to it on a full-time basis.
The club's women's football boss Brett Munro also left.
Buck had been at Carlton since 2021 as a VFL assistant coach, and in early February, with Harford gone, he started running optional skills sessions for the AFLW players in their off-season.
"It's funny, I'd been so hell-bent on my path of coaching, of wanting to improve all the time, I'd never turned my head sideways to the women's game," Buck said.
"But I had the opportunity earlier this year to work with the girls around improving their skills and what I found was a really driven group ... that really inspired me."
Buck will have the role full-time after nearly a decade in various country and VFL coaching roles.
Asked about being in charge of a women's team for the first time, Buck said: "Coaching's coaching to me.
"We talk about driving high standards and raising the bar - I'm going to have to do that.
"But it will come from a place of support."
Blues president Luke Sayers said Buck had been "a clear standout" among candidates for the role.
"His football IQ, passion for development and a desire to build an elite high-performance environment was why (he) was appointed," he said.
Sayers added that the post-season review and Buck's appointment heralded a new era for their AFLW team.
He was careful when asked about his expectations of where the team would finish next season.
"We haven't gone there yet - the philosophy this year and probably for years to come is we just want to get better," Sayers said.
"I feel really comfortable with the people who are in the key roles now.
"Our desire is to put it all together and get to work."
In an interview shortly after leaving Carlton, Harford said the Blues had taken their eyes off the women's program as they seek a return to the AFL top eight under Michael Voss.
