Calder Cannons boy’s coach Andrew Sturgess has joined Fremantle’s AFL coaching department as a development coach, completing the Dockers’ coaching set-up for the 2024 season.
Sturgess is a highly credentialed coach from Victoria, who most recently held roles in the talent pathways helping mould future AFL players with the Cannons in the Coates Talent League and Vic Metro’s under-18 and under-16s talent squads.
He was appointed the Cannons coach this year, as the competition returned to having stand-alone boys and girls coaches. Prior to this he was senior coach at Coburg in the Victorian Football League and coached Bundoora in the Northern Football League, having quickly risen through the ranks.
“Following a thorough process, we are really excited to welcome Andrew Sturgess to the Freo family,” said Fremantle executive football general manager Joe Brierty.
“He’s a people-focused individual that is driven to get the most out of players to reach their full potential. He has a real growth mindset and will form a key part of our coaching team.”
Sturgess will relocate to Perth before Christmas to fill the role vacated by Adam Read, who was appointed as senior coach of Peel Thunder, Fremantle’s Western Australian Football League aligned club, last this month.
“With the appointment of Andrew, we’ve now been able to formalise the structure of our coaching department for 2024,” Brierty said.
“With Justin (Longmuir) leading our panel, we are very confident all coaches can deliver the game plan and strategy that’s required – as well as creating an environment where our players feel inspired to perform at their best.
“This is a coaching group that has a significant amount of experience and I’m looking forward seeing them work closely with our players to deliver the success that our club is driven to achieve.
“We look forward to welcoming Andrew, his wife Bianca and sons Leo and Archer to the Freo family next month [December].”
The Calder Cannons congratulated Sturgess on social media.
“We wish Cannons under-18 boys coach Andrew Sturgess all the very best for the next chapter in his coaching journey,” the club’s post said.
“Andrew and his family are making the exciting move to WA where Andrew will be a development coach at the Fremantle Football Club.”
The Cannons have now advertised to find a replacement for Sturgess with pre-season already underway for next year’s Coates Talent League season.
