Junior commitment bolsters inaugural women’s side

FOR more than five years, Bell Park has invested in its junior girls football program. Now the club has launched its first women’s side.

Stepping into the AFL Barwon women’s competition for the first time in 2026 former AFLW player Phoebe Monahan is the club’s inaugural coach.

Just weeks away from their first game, Monahan is excited to see junior Dragons have a full pathway to senior football.

“To now have a senior women’s team at the club is really exciting, and it opens up that pathway for all those juniors to step straight into senior football and remain at Bell Park,” she said.

The step into coaching has been a learning opportunity for Monahan, who is being supported by Jady Ingleton as assistant.

Bringing in women who have never played alongside experienced players has provided a unique learning environment, but one Monahan believes players will thrive in.

“Each week the team has developed more and more,” she said.

“We’re moving more into gameplay style drills and positioning, really getting people in what their likely positions will be. It’s all becoming a bit more real.”

Building a team from the ground up comes with no expectations or previous stories to rely on.

With no win-loss record to consider or real understanding of how the group will come together on-field, Monahan said coaching had been in many ways surreal.

Her professional football experience has placed her in a unique position to create something special for the team.

Bell Park will create club history in their first game against Anglesea in round 1.