Tigers sack their coach months after re-signing him

3 months ago 4

Richmond have sacked AFLW coach Ryan Ferguson just months after he signed a new contract, following an end-of-year review led by ex-Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd.

The Tigers released a statement on Thursday afternoon saying they had axed Ferguson as well as parting ways with their head of women’s football, Kate Sheahan.

Ryan Ferguson addressing his players during Richmond’s round 12 clash with the Suns earlier this year.

The club enlisted Lloyd, who was replaced at Carlton by Chris Davies at the end of the 2025 men’s season, to do a comprehensive review of its women’s program last month in conjunction with independent high-performance specialists.

The Tigers’ AFLW outfit finished the season in 16th position, winning just two of their 12 games.

“We could not ignore our on-field results in 2025,” Tigers CEO Shane Dunne said in the club statement.

“Ultimately, this is about building a program that gives our female athletes the best chance of success.”

Ferguson had been surprisingly re-appointed for next year after losing the first four games of 2025, but was no longer seen as suitable for the role following Lloyd’s review.

Brad Lloyd in his time as Carlton’s general manager of football.

“Ryan is a good football person and has been a valued part of the Richmond Football Club for more than a decade across our AFL, AFLW and VFL programs,” Dunne said.

“Ryan was at the helm for our first-ever AFLW win and our first finals appearance – historic moments and sources of great pride for the club.

“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.”

Ferguson said he was proud of his time and involvement at Richmond.

“I believe in this group and wish them great success in coming seasons,” he said

Lloyd’s review looked at program structure and governance, culture and leadership, coaching and player development, high performance and medical support, recruitment and list strategy.

Sheahan will be replaced by someone in the new role of general manager of women’s football, who will report to Dunne.

“As executive head of women’s football, Kate Sheahan has done a huge amount of work building our AFLW program from the ground up, and we thank her for her dedication and commitment,” Dunne said.

Sheahan said she was proud of what had been built at Richmond.

“I am grateful for the opportunity Richmond Football Club gave me to lead the establishment of its AFLW program. I will cherish my time at the club and the relationships I built with the staff and players. I wish the club and the AFLW program every success in the future,” Sheahan said.

The club said it would now aim to “develop a new AFLW performance strategy that defines how we will close the gap and consistently compete in finals”.

Dunne said the Tigers “absolutely committed to delivering a successful AFLW program and this review was an important part of that”.

“We have now established a clear direction, and we look forward to the work ahead as we prepare for next season and beyond,” he added.

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