{{Use Australian English|date=May 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox AFL biography | image = | fullname = Peta Searle | coachstatsend = 2021 | coachclub1 = {{AFL StK}} (W) | coachyears1 = 2020–2021 | coachgames_wins1 = 15 (5–10–0) }}
'''Peta Searle''' is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. Searle was senior coach of the St Kilda Football Club in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW) from 2020 to 2021. Searle was previously the first woman appointed as an assistant coach in the Australian Football League when she was joined St Kilda as a development coach in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and-fitness/dl-sport/peta-searle-becomes-first-woman-appointed-as-a-development-coach-in-the-afl-20140601-39cxz.html|title=Peta Searle becomes first woman appointed as a development coach in the AFL|website=Daily Life|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05|archive-date=5 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605183616/http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and-fitness/dl-sport/peta-searle-becomes-first-woman-appointed-as-a-development-coach-in-the-afl-20140601-39cxz.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Playing career == Searle played football for ten years.{{Citation needed|date=June 2019}} Searle started her playing career with the Scorpions at the age of 20 and then moved onto the Albion Football Club, Parkside Football Club and then the Darebin Falcons. She played over 100 games,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-3068-0-0-0&sID=56309&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=18481454|title=VWFL legend Peta Searle appointed as Victorian state coach - Victorian Womens Football League|website=SportsTG|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref> won five premierships, represented Victoria on seven occasions and was named in the All-Australian team three times.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=0-3068-0-0-0&sID=280026&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=24038785|title=Peta Searle Head Coach - Victorian Womens Football League|website=SportsTG|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=0-3068-0-0-0&sID=56309&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=29977717|title=Congratulations Peta Searle - Victorian Womens Football League|website=SportsTG|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref>
Searle was named in the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL) Team of the 1990s and in the backline of the VWFL Silver Jubilee Team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-3068-0-0-0&sID=55936&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=4922703|title=TEAMS OF THE 80s, 90s, 2000s 25TH ANNIVERSARY - Victorian Womens Football League|website=SportsTG|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref> She became a VWFL life member in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-3068-0-0-0&sID=248590|title=VWFL Life Members - Victorian Womens Football League|website=SportsTG|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref>
== Coaching career == Searle began her coaching career in 2005. She coached the inaugural Victorian under-19 side in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aflvic.com.au/victorian-womens-football-league-state-squad/|title=Victorian Women's Football League State Squad|date=2011-06-04|website=AFL Victoria|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-06-18}}</ref> Searle became head coach of the Darebin Falcons VWFL team in 2006 and coached them to five premierships from 2006 to 2010.<ref name=":2" /> She was named Victorian Female Coach of the Year in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://falcons.org.au/victorian-coach-of-the-year/|title=Victorian Coach of the Year.|last=Falcons|first=Darebin|date=2010-11-07|website=Darebin Women's Sports Club|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref> Searle was appointed the coach of the Darebin Falcons Silver Jubilee Football Team in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://falcons.org.au/dwsc-25th-anniversary-silver-jubilee-football-team-announced/|title=DWSC 25th Anniversary - Silver Jubilee Football Team announced|last=Falcons|first=Darebin|date=2015-07-10|website=Darebin Women's Sports Club|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref>
Searle was a development coach at the Western Jets in 2011.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2"/> In 2011 and 2013, she was the head coach of Women's Victorian State Team in the AFL Women's National Championship<ref name=":2"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-3068-0-0-0&sID=56309&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=23933372|title=The Big V team finalised - Victorian Womens Football League|website=SportsTG|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> and was named the All Australian Coach of the 2011 AFL Women's National Championship.<ref name=":2"/> She was also the Head Coach of the AFL Victoria VWFL Academy between 2012 & 2014.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2"/>
She debuted as a coach for Victorian Football League team Port Melbourne Football Club on 25 March 2012<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://falcons.org.au/peta-searles-vfl-coaching-debut-25th-march-2012/|title=Peta SEARLE's VFL Coaching Debut - 25th March 2012|last=Falcons|first=Darebin|date=2012-03-19|website=Darebin Women's Sports Club|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref> and coached there under Gary Ayres in 2012 and 2013.<ref name=":1" />
Searle then coached the Western Bulldogs in the first AFL women's exhibition game in 2013<ref>{{Cite web |last=Falcons |first=Darebin |date=2013-07-15 |title=Dees dominate Doggies but Women's footy the real winner |url=https://falcons.org.au/dees-dominate-doggies-but-womens-footy-the-real-winner/ |access-date=2019-06-05 |website=Darebin Women's Sports Club |language=en-AU}}</ref> and the second game in 2014.<ref name=":2" /> She was also the assistant coach at VAFA team St Kevin’s Old Boys in 2014.<ref name=":2" />
Searle joined the Saints as a development coach in 2014, making her the AFL’s first full-time female assistant coach.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/st-kilda/st-kilda-announces-former-port-melbourne-vfl-assistant-peta-searle-as-new-development-coach/news-story/d349e09503c467ca74b8d77dde5adcfa|title=Saints sign first female AFL coach|date=2014-06-02|website=www.heraldsun.com.au|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/2014-06-02/searle-a-groundbreaking-saint|title=Searle a groundbreaking Saint|website=saints.com.au|date=2 June 2014 |access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref> In 2018, she was appointed the Head of Female Football Pathways and coach of the Saints' first ever affiliated female team in the VFL Women's competition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/2015-08-28/peta-searle-development-coach|title=Peta Searle - VFLW Senior Coach and Head of Female Football Pathways|website=saints.com.au|date=28 August 2015 |access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref>
On 17 April 2019, Searle was appointed the head coach of the St Kilda Football Club ahead of them entering the AFL Women's competition in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/2019-04-17/signed-searle-delivered|title=Signed Searle delivered|website=saints.com.au|date=17 April 2019 |access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/saints-appoint-peta-searle-as-aflw-coach-20190417-p51f3s.html|title=Saints appoint Peta Searle as AFLW coach|last=Ramsey|first=Michael|date=2019-04-17|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=2019-06-05}}</ref> Searle stepped down from the role at the conclusion of the 2021 AFL Women's season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Peta Searle to depart Saints|url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/963520/peta-searle-to-depart-saints|work=saints.com.au|access-date=26 June 2021|date=25 June 2021}}</ref>
===Coaching statistics=== {{AFL coaching statistics legend}} {{AFL coaching statistics start}} |- style="background-color: #EAEAEA" | 2020 |{{AFLW|StK}} | 6 || 2 || 4 || 0 || 33% || 5 (conf.) || 7 (conf.) |- | 2021 |{{AFLW|StK}} | 9 || 3 || 6 || 0 || 33% || 11 || 14 |- class="sortbottom" ! colspan=2| Career totals ! 15 ! 5 ! 10 ! 0 ! 33% ! colspan=2| |}
== Honours and achievements == Searle won the Female Coach of the Year in the Victorian Australian Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Awards in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aflcommunityclub.com.au/index.php?id=47&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=181&cHash=c21a82fda4|title=AFL Community: Victoria's Best Coaches Honoured|website=www.aflcommunityclub.com.au|language=en|access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref> In 2012, the Victorian Australian Football Coaches Association (AFCA) named the award after her and it is now known as the ''Peta Searle Female Coach of the Year Award''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vafa.com.au/lifetime-award-for-ormonds-mike-mcarthur-allen/|title=LIFETIME AWARD FOR ORMOND'S MIKE McARTHUR-ALLEN|date=2012-11-12|website=VAFA|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref>
Searle was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2017.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.vic.gov.au/system/user_files/Documents/women/2017_Victorian_Honour_Roll_of_Women_Commemorative_Booklet_.pdf|title=Municipality of Victorian Honour Roll Of Women 2017|publisher=Office of Prevention & Women’s Equality|date=March 2017|chapter=Ms Peta Searle|page=28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401022809/https://www.vic.gov.au/system/user_files/Documents/women/2017_Victorian_Honour_Roll_of_Women_Commemorative_Booklet_.pdf|access-date=2019-06-06|archive-date=2018-04-01}}</ref>
Searle received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the AFL in the Queen Birthday Honours on 10 June 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2004801|title=Award Extract - Australian Honours Search Facility, Award ID 2004801|website=honours.pmc.gov.au|access-date=2019-06-11}}</ref> In October 2019 she was named one of ''The Australian Financial Review's'' 100 Women of Influence in the category of Arts, Culture and Sport.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/women-of-influence/australia-s-11-most-influential-women-revealed-20191022-p532yo|title=AFR's 11 most influential women revealed|date=2019-10-22|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref>
== Other work == Searle was a physical education teacher at Brighton Secondary College between 1996 and 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE6159b.htm|title=Searle, Peta - Woman - The Australian Women's Register|last=Melbourne|first=National Foundation for Australian Women and The University of|website=www.womenaustralia.info|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.saints.com.au/news/2014-06-02/the-peta-searle-story|title=The Peta Searle story|website=saints.com.au|date=2 June 2014 |access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref>
== Personal life == Searle has two children, Tessa and Jackson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/peta-searle-gives-up-coaching-dream-20140426-zqzuj.html|title=Peta Searle gives up coaching dream|last=Lane|first=Samantha|date=2014-04-26|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=2019-06-06}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}} {{Authority control}}
{{St Kilda Football Club coaches}} {{Inaugural St Kilda AFL Women's team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Searle, Peta}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:AFL Women's coaches Category:St Kilda Football Club coaches Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Category:Darebin Falcons players