Two-time Coleman Medallist Brendan Fevola has opened up on his unlikely transformation from radio shock-jock and three-time All-Australian to passionate AFLW specialist coach at Richmond, describing the role as something that has "literally changed my life".
Speaking on the AFLW Weekly podcast with hosts Sarah Bert and Georgie Parker, Fevola revealed the pathway began as a forfeit. After making comments about Collingwood's Craig Kelly, Fevola was sentenced to a training session with the Magpies' AFLW program.
"As a punishment he said, 'You got to go down and train the AFLW girls,'" Fevola said. "Not a punishment. Um, but I was like okay. So I went down and trained the girls and bloody loved it. I rang my wife afterwards and she's like, 'Geez you're up and about.' I said, 'I just trained for an hour and a half. I've been on the couch for 10 years.'"
The Richmond opportunity came shortly after, when Fevola unknowingly bumped into Tigers women's football boss Kate Sheen at a social gathering and was offered the forwards specialist role on the spot. "She goes, don't, there's no money," Fevola laughed. "We know what it's like at AFLW level."
Fevola, who kicked 623 goals in 204 games at Carlton and Brisbane, says the work ethic of the AFLW playing group has reset his expectations of what a professional environment looks like.
"The girls work so much harder. They do so much more. They get paid bugger all," Fevola said. "They're not doing it because they want anything other than they want to be good at the sport. You could be on a million, 1.5 million in the men's, and it's my job, going to play footy. But these girls are getting paid literal peanuts and they're in there more than the boys."
The contrast with his own playing days is stark. "I literally never watched any tape. And now I'm sitting there with the girls and we're going over their tape," Fevola said. "I'm cutting up other people's tapes from other clubs and showing them leading patterns. I'm like, what's happened to me? Alex is like, 'You've never been more into something.'"
Fevola's emotional investment in his goalkickers is also producing moments he never experienced as a player. He recounted Caitlin Greiser, whom he had been working with on her set shot routine, kicking a long goal early in the season.
"A few people said that she's not going to make the distance, and I go, 'She'll make it.' And then she kicked it. Emma Grant gave me a knuckles and was like so happy. And I was like, it felt like she was my kid. I was so proud that she went back and kicked it. I don't think I ever had that feeling in footy before."
Fevola's central pitch is one he says he has already raised with AFL CEO Andrew Dillon: AFLW games should be staged before AFL games at major stadiums.
"After next week we're halfway through the season. Six games are done and they got six left. We train all this time. Make the season a little bit longer, play before the males," Fevola said. "Young girls go to the footy at the MCG and they can see a girls game on and go, 'Geez, I want to do that.'"
For a player once defined by goals, Fevola's new currency is influence. "I'm just happier," he said. "It's so weird to explain. People are like, 'That's bullshit.' But it's actually not. Like, I'm just happier."