Mat Creeper joins Norwood as SANFLW Coach

By Joseph Marciano

The Norwood Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Mathew Creeper as senior coach of the SANFLW program.

Creeper joins the Redlegs after spending the 2020 season as Senior Women’s Assistant Coach at the Collingwood Football Club.

With a career spanning over 20 years, Creeper has notched up over 300 games of experience at various clubs around Australia with the West Football Club (Northern Territory) and the Hermit Park Football Club (Queensland) his longest stints.

He has previously worked as an assistant coach under Premiership Coach Steve Symonds with Norwood in 2019 and has also worked as an assistant coach with the NT Thunder Junior Men’s & Women’s State Academy programs from 2017 through to 2019.

Norwood Football Operations Manager Mark Ross said the Club was confident Mat would excel in the role.

“Mat has extensive knowledge of football and has a strong understanding of our SANFLW and in particular our football club,” Ross said.

“While his football experience is obviously impressive, Mat also has a brilliant strategic mind and brings a strong focus on personal development and culture which is important.

“We are confident that under his tutelage the women and girls involved with our Club will continue to progress and excel both on and off the field.”

Newly appointed women’s coach Mat Creeper said he is excited about returning to the football club in 2021.

“It’s obviously a step up from where I was before, being an Assistant Coach under Steve Symonds,” said Creeper.

“It’s just great to come back to the club especially in a greater capacity as Senior Coach.

“A lot of the girls are still on the list from when I was around a couple of years back, so it will be great to reunite with them from next season.

“Exciting times are ahead and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

Creeper went onto mention that he aims to bring a real contested brand of football to the Parade and is fully aware of the capabilities within the list at this current time.

“I think with the list that we have, it’s in very good shape,” said Creeper.

“It’s unfortunate the way the girls bowed out this year, but we want to be a team that’s high in reputation in terms of being strong at the football and highly contested.

“We want to play a brand of football that’s exciting and want to make the Norwood Football Club a place where girls want to come and play football.”