Richmond have sacked their AFLW coach Ryan Ferguson and football boss Kate Sheahan following a comprehensive review of the women's program. The decision comes after the team finished third last with only two wins for the season.
CEO Shane Dunne announced the findings on Thursday, stating that the review was thorough and carefully considered. “We could not ignore our on-field results in 2025. Ultimately this is about building a program that gives our female athletes the best chance of success,” Dunne said.
Ferguson had been with Richmond for over a decade, involved in AFL, AFLW, and VFL programs. Dunne explained, “Ultimately the decision was made that we needed a different voice, and we will now commence the search to find the best possible senior coach for our AFLW team.”
The club will restructure the football department, making Sheahan’s role redundant, and appoint a general manager of women’s football who will report directly to the CEO. The review, led by former AFL club executive Brad Lloyd, covered structure, governance, culture, leadership, coaching, player development, high performance, medical support, recruitment, and list strategy.
Richmond also announced plans to develop a new AFLW Performance Strategy, restructure high-performance and medical functions, increase investment in leadership training, redefine list build principles, and appoint a full-time AFLW Operations and Scheduling Manager. Dunne stated, “We are absolutely committed to delivering a successful AFLW program and this review was an important part of that.”
