Incoming Vic Metro U18s boys coach Lauren Morecroft is aware of the news that will surround her appointment.
The third-year Eastern Ranges head coach this year becomes the first female to lead a male National Championships side.
It's an historic appointment for the AFL and shows a route for further female coaches to enter the male space after female footy trailblazer Daisy Pearce broke new ground serving as a Geelong AFL development coach.
Prior to her Ranges tenure beginning in 2023, Morecroft served in separate male and female talent pathway roles and also has AFLW assistant coaching experience at North Melbourne and Carlton, and spent time on Essendon's VFLW coaching panel.
While she appreciates the significance of her appointment, Morecroft noted that gender doesn't dictate her coaching style and doesn't want it to define her.
โ(Being the first female coach) is something that also occurred when I got the Eastern Ranges role and it will be a headline again,โ Morecroft told Craft of the Draft.
โI'm really grateful for the opportunity but I don't see it any differently.
โI'm super comfortable being in front of the squad and I see it as another really good opportunity to develop really good footballers into the AFL level.
โIt's nice to have a platform and showcase my coaching and show that females can be at the highest level, so others can hopefully follow in the years to come, but I'm just keen to coach the guys.
โI still have relationships at the forefront and have a development lens on, and I am craft and role focussed.
โI like to develop thinking, and really high-level footballers through their fundamentals - that's the main thing for me, gender doesn't come into it.โ
2024 pick 38 Christian Moraes: "LJ was pretty big for my development, especially in my bottom-aged year when I was new to the system. She showed massive confidence in me which I think helped my footy get to the next level."
Collingwood's Iliro Smit: "(LJ) drove an 'Ubuntu' spirit which is something that really stuck with me which I try to live at Collingwood and as a way of life. She also showed the importance of family and built relationships with parents too. I feel very fortunate to have been under her development and my family and I congratulate her and wish her all the best."
Morecroft succeeds Sandringham's Rob Harding, who has taken charge of the Metro program for each of the past two seasons.
Seven players have been drafted under Morecroft's watch, including top 10 picks Nick Watson, Caleb Windsor and Josh Smillie, and top 2023 mid-season draftee Clay Tucker.
2025 Eastern Ranges co-captain Andy Barker on Lauren Morecroft: โShe's great at providing feedback and relating it to the game and showing how to improve. I've found her very personable. Instead of coaching you, she's great at working alongside you to help you improve.โ
Morecroft has overseen draft risers, sleepers, bolters, those who polarised and 13 who have graduated onto VFL lists, giving her a strong sense of the importance of player communication and connection.
2023 Eastern Ranges co-captain Josh Tovey on Lauren Morecroft: โShe was a terrific coach that was able to embrace everyone's differences and use them to the benefit of the team. I thought she was a great relationships coach that was able to make meaningful connections with all the players leading towards the success we had as a team.โ
"I meet with the (upper-end players) each week and set them up for what they want to get out of the game and then review it through subsequent conversations or watching vision," Morecroft said.
"We'll talk about what they've achieved and how they're feeling about their game. Sometimes it's about them articulating what they saw in the game, what their week looks like.
"It (comes down to) the relationship and also taking it week by week rather than having a long-term goal all the time which we know is to be drafted, but how do we just get through each week making sure we get something out of it and are feeling good about their footy.
"I want them to shine and enjoy their footy.
"It can be a huge year with them (having) year 12 and the draft pressure, so if we can take any pressure off them, that's the main thing from our point of view."
2025 draft prospect Jamie Gilchrist on Lauren Morecroft: โI think LJ's biggest strength is that she excels with putting importance on teamwork and collaboration on and off the field. I really value her team-first attitude because I have always tried to get my teammates involved as it creates the best outcomes for all of us. LJ has put a lot of faith, trust and confidence in me throughout my time at the club, helping refine my skills and understanding at a professional level."
Morecroft established relationships with the squad at a pair of Vic Metro summer camps.
Among the potential top 10 prospects in the squad are Cooper Duff-Tytler, Louis Emmett, Archie Ludowyke, Tom McGuane and Ollie Greeves.
โI'm really excited to take the state's talent and see how we go,โ Morecroft said.
โI'm excited to showcase the best players and hopefully it's a good result, but my main philosophy is to develop players further.
โVic Metro has had success in the past but I'm not huge on the win-loss; I'm more focussed on getting the players AFL-ready and bringing excellence to their game.โ
2025 draft prospect Bailey Lloyd: โ'LJ' has had a massive influence on my development over the last couple of years. She is always giving me advice on my game and improving me through new craft and techniques. She is always driving me to reach my goals, making me a better footballer overall
Long-time Eastern Ranges talent lead Danny Ryan poured praise on Morecroft, who assumed the role from Travis Cloke ahead of the 2023 season.
โShe's been unbelievable for our footy club,โ Ryan said.
โShe knows her footy and has a way of communicating with players in a way that allows them to get the best out of themselves which will be of benefit to the players in the Metro program.
โShe has a balance of being firm in what she's trying to get across, but players also feel confident that they can go out and do what they're good at.
โI feel like player development is her strong point: she has a good way of educating and understanding what the best way of educating is.
โShe adjusts her development to suit the individual player.โ
2025 draft prospect Blake Chambers on Lauren Morecroft: โShe always takes time before or after training to set goals with me for my week. She also brings a great energy to training and matchday which gets everyone up.โ
Vic Metro's 2025 National Championships carnival gets underway on Sunday, June 8 with an away game against South Australia.
