Nathan Broad joins Fremantle Dockers coaching staff for 2026 season

Coaching panel reshaped for 2026 campaign

The Fremantle Football Club has confirmed several changes to its coaching structure ahead of the 2026 Australian Football League season, headlined by the appointment of former Richmond defender Nathan Broad as a development coach.

Broad, who retired from playing at the end of last season after an 11-year career that included three premierships with the Tigers, joins a panel that has undergone significant turnover. The Dockers moved to fill multiple vacancies after forwards coach Jaymie Graham departed for a senior role at North Melbourne and Peel Thunder mentor Adam Read accepted a position with Greater Western Sydney.

In addition to Broad’s arrival, long-serving club figure Tendai Mzungu has been elevated to the senior coaching panel as the back-line assistant. This promotion sees incumbent assistant Jade Rawlings shift into the forwards coaching role previously held by Graham.

Geoff Valentine, a familiar face in the West Australian football landscape, has replaced Adam Read in his capacity related to the club’s alignment with Peel Thunder. Valentine coached West Perth to success before leading Fremantle’s alignment partner in 2022 and 2023, later serving as the club’s head of development. The Dockers have also recruited Sam Mainwaring, who guided East Fremantle to the WAFL colts flag last season, to the development panel.

New voices bring fresh perspectives

Broad expressed enthusiasm about transitioning from the playing field to the coaching box, noting that his leadership responsibilities had grown during the latter stages of his time at Richmond.

“As I’ve grown older and progressed through my career, the coaching side of things became more prominent for me, especially as Richmond entered a new phase of its journey,” Broad said.

He highlighted the opportunity to learn from the existing Fremantle and Peel Thunder coaching groups, which he described as having guided their respective teams through outstanding seasons.

Mzungu, who has spent nine years in various coaching capacities within the club, said his previous roles under assistants Rawlings and Matthew Boyd had prepared him for the step up. He credited Boyd with supporting his early development and Rawlings with providing a different mentoring style that helped build his coaching capacity.

Fremantle’s head of football, Joe Brierty, said the new appointments brought a mix of experience and dedicated skill sets to the group. He noted Broad’s genuine passion for coaching and desire to remain involved in the game following his retirement.

“Tendai has been a long-time servant of Fremantle. To see him work his way up through a variety of roles shows his dedication and skill set,” Brierty said.

Brierty also praised Mainwaring’s investment in his coaching craft and teaching background, stating he was ready to take the next step into the AFL system. The revised panel will now focus on preparing the squad for the upcoming season under senior coach Justin Longmuir.

Original source: Perthnow . Access to the original article may depend on the publisher’s paywall or subscription settings.