Ian Wilkins – Pennant Hills AFL Club Womens U20 Coach 2026

COACH DETAILS

Name: Ian Wilkins – Wilko

Role / Team:
– 2026 Head Coach Womens U20’s
– 2026 Assistant Coach Womens Premier Division.
– Pathways Manager

Coaching Accreditation: Gold – Level 3

PREVIOUS CLUBS & COACHING ROLES
– 2025 WU20’s coach Parramatta; Assistant Coach Parra WPD; U17g’s Coach St Ives; Loreto Normanhurst “inters” Coach
– 2024 Inaugural WU20’s Coach Parramatta (and Premiership winners); Assistant Coach Parra WPD ; u17g’s Coach St Ives; Loreto Normanhurst “inters” Coach
– 2023 Assistant Coach Parramatta WPD ; St Ives Coach, u16g’s; Loreto Normanhurst AFL Coach
– 2022 Assistant Coach MacUni WPD; Loreto Normanhurst AFL Coach
– 2021 Assistant Coach MacUni WPD; Loreto Normanhurst AFL Coach
– 2020 U18g’s Premiership Coach
– 2019 – started girls footy at Loreto Normanhurst
– 2017 – started girls footy at St Ives
– Water Polo Coach – Loreto Normanhurst (2016 onwards)

SPORTING BACKGROUND
30 years of water polo in both the UK and Australia, National Level

EXPERIENCE & ACHIEVEMENTS
– Coached AFL for approximately 10-12 years
– Started Girls Footy at St Ives AFC in 2017
– Four Premiership Flags, 2020 U18g’s; 2024 u17g’s and u20w’s inaugural; 2025 u17g’s

PLANS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD
– On-Field Goals: 2026- to enable the playing group to gel as a team, especially as a completely new squad in the u20w’s
– Off-Field / Culture Goals: Close, supportive and having fun together

DEVELOPMENT FOCUS
The craft aspect of footy, especially around tackling and ensuring repeatable, safe, head protected tackles can be executed, amongst equipping the players to be able to respond to play and to use the various tools I give them

GAME STYLE & PHILOSOPHY
Key to success is enjoying what you do and investing in yourself as a player to be the best you can be.
Game style is to leverage the capability existing within the squad, set plays where applicable and ensure the players can be predictable to each other.

COACHING PHILOSOPHY / STATEMENT
“Key to success is enjoying what you do and investing in yourself as a player to be the best you can be“

FUN FACTS
– Favourite AFL team: Sydney Swans
– Favourite coaching moment: Winning the inaugural u20w’s flag in 2024
– Fun fact: I scored the winning goal in a National Water Polo Final in the UK
– Best advice to players: Relax, have fun and give it a go!