Former North Melbourne player and Kangaroos AFLW assistant Sam Wright has been appointed as senior coach of Collingwood's AFLW side.
Wright succeeds departed ex-Magpies boss Steve Symonds, who left his post at the cessation of the 2023 season after five seasons and 51 games in charge of the black and white club.
Following an extensive search for their third AFLW coach, Collingwood has appointed Wright as the man to lead the Magpies going forward after their five-win season.
“We're thrilled to announce the appointment of Sam Wright as our AFLW Senior Coach," Collingwood football boss Graham Wright said on the appointment.
“Our recruitment process for this role was extremely thorough and we left no stone unturned in finding the right coach to lead our AFL program into its next chapter.
“From a criteria perspective we wanted a coach who could foster a high-performance environment, build and maintain strong relationships with both players and staff and have a strong foundation in developing people and footballers.
“Over the course of the process, it became apparent that Sam not only met all our outlined criteria but is also a leader who embodies our values as a Club.”
Wright has held development and coaching roles with Australian Ballet, Cricket Victoria and most recently North Melbourne's AFLW program, while also bringing 136 games of AFL experience.
The 33-year-old first joined the Kangaroos in 2008 via the National Draft and would announce his retirement from the game 11 years later after a battle with injuries.
Wright returned to Arden Street in 2022 in an assistant coaching role under Kangaroos AFLW coach Darren Crocker.
“It's an honour to be named the AFLW Senior Coach of the Collingwood Football Club,” Sam Wright said.
“I am grateful to be able to play a role alongside every player and staff member in driving elite standards within the AFLW program which will in turn lead to success.
“I look forward to meeting this talented group of footballers very soon and cannot wait to get to work in what will be a very exciting next chapter of this program where we will strive to get better, together.”
Wright follows Symonds and Wayne Siekman in coaching the Magpies' AFLW program.