Swans set sail towards first BFLW senior season

FOR newly appointed Ballarat senior women’s coach Dean Pidgeon, 25 prospective players on the track at Alfredton Recreation Reserve on the opening night of training last week was a sight to behold.

Headed towards their first season in the BFLW senior competition, eager and resolute Swans players – the bulk of them past club juniors – voted with their feet.

But not only that, it’s vindication for the club that its timing is right in making the leap into the senior ranks, after coming up just short of its goal in recent seasons.

Appointed to oversee the transition to senior football, Pidgeon could not have been happier or prouder with what he saw last week.

A familiar face at Alfredton over the years, or as he puts it, “part of the furniture”, his appointment represents a full-circle moment.

Pidgeon, whose own playing career at the Swans started in the under-16s in 1985, previously coached the club’s under-13 girls to a premiership and was named AFL Goldfields female football coordinator of the year in 2019.

 

His patient approach to player development makes him a logical and in many ways ideal choice as the first senior coach as the Swans look to take the next step in their female football evolution.

He is under no illusions that the 2026 season will be a work in progress.

“It’s been at least five or six years that we’ve had this goal of having a senior team and we’ve almost got there a few times,” he said.

“We have found it a bit more difficult to build a football team from scratch than a netball team.

“Getting seven, eight or nine has been okay, but getting 20 or more committed, we’ve just fallen short.

“But this year, for multiple reasons, the graduating girls have hung around Ballarat and we have a good core.

“We as a club just want to give them that opportunity to continue to play footy and at the club they love.”

Pidgeon hailed the tight-knit nature of the playing group as arguably their biggest asset and believed it would hold them in good stead during what he expects will be a steep learning curve for the Swans in 2026.

 

“There’s a few who have been here since under-13s, and there’s been a few premierships along the way,” he said.

“With that, there’s three or four recruits who have already signed on, so it’s a nice blend with the core group that have come through, some who have jumped on in-between, and some newies as well.

“We even have an A-grade netballer from the club, who is keen to have a kick again.

“We are under no illusions – it’s not going to be easy.

“We are up against some pretty serious and well-credentialed footballers and well-drilled teams.

“But this year won’t be measured in wins and losses.”

The Swans have openly made known their intentions of wanting to build from within and will steadfastly shy away from targeting players from other BFLW clubs.

That is unless an outside player seeks a transfer on their own volition.

“You are only cannibalising the competition going after other teams’ players, aren’t you,” Pidgeon said.

“We want to build from within and let other teams look after their players.

“But it’s an exciting time. For me, it’s great to be back in coaching.

“Having known some of these girls a long time, it’s funny seeing them drive to training.

“They are senior footballers now and you can see that they are pumped. It’s been a while in the making, but it’s great to see.”

Ballarat female football coordinator Naomi Irvin said the club jumped at the chance to have Pidgeon back involved and was fortunate to have secured such a passionate and dedicated coach.

“He’s been ingrained in the girls football since it began here (at Ballarat), so he knows how it runs and knows the culture we’ve got here,” she said.

“Dean coached many of the players that are going to make up a large proportion of our women’s team, in their first years of football, when they were juniors in the Youth Girls competition.

“His relationship with the players is very strong and he is a strong supporter of women’s footy.”