Fremantle football boss Peter Bell will move to a new role ahead of 2024 as the club looks to “improve outcomes” in the years ahead.
Bell has been the club’s general manager of football since 2018, but will become the club’s general manager of ‘Football Talent, Strategy and Special Projects’ at the conclusion of the AFLW season.
The decision follows what the club says was a review of its AFL and AFLW programs throughout August and September, in which it found a restructure of roles would help improve the club.
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Bell has overseen a myriad of ups and downs in his time as football boss, including the departure of Ross Lyon, Justin Longmuir’s finals berth in 2022 and then a subpar season in 2023, followed by more player exits.
“What we have been able to achieve over the past five years has been significant from a football structure, personnel and development perspective,” Bell said in a statement.
“Now there is an opportunity to find our next level of growth for both AFL and AFLW from a talent and overall strategic point of view.
“It’s also the result of ongoing conversations between Simon and I over the course of the past 12 months about how I could keep building my expertise across the business.
“While the majority of my time will remain dedicated towards football talent and personnel identification and acquisition, the opportunity to have responsibilities outside my core football remit excites me.”
Fremantle Chief Operating Officer Joe Brierty will replace Bell as football boss.
The Dockers lost Lachie Schultz and Liam Henry to trades in the off-season, which came a year after poaching Luke Jackson from Melbourne.
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