Fremantle’s General Manager of AFLW Claire Heffernan has advised the Club she will return home to Victoria for family reasons.
With Fremantle's 2026 NAB AFLW season now complete, the Club has accepted Heffernan's resignation and supported her request to return home.
Heffernan spent more than two years in the AFLW system at the Western Bulldogs as a Development Coach and Player Development Manager before arriving at Fremantle in July 2022 as AFLW Player Development Manager.
Heffernan’s experience as both a player and coach of women's football allowed her to quickly build strong relationships right across the Club.
She was appointed to lead the program ahead of the 2024 season, working hand in hand with Senior Coach Lisa Webb to help the Club rise from 13th to fifth on the ladder, returning to AFLW finals for the first time in three seasons, with an elimination final at Fremantle Oval.
In 2025, the team again pushed for finals, finishing with six wins and missing a place in the top eight only on percentage after a final-round loss to Adelaide.
Heffernan also played an important role in one of the most significant moments in the program's history – the move of AFLW home games to the Club's Cockburn ARC headquarters in 2026.
In the program's first season at its new home, Fremantle recorded five wins and seven losses to finish 10th on the ladder.
CEO Simon Garlick thanked Heffernan for her contribution across more than four years with the Club.
"Claire has made a significant contribution to our AFLW program and to the broader Club, and she leaves with our sincere thanks and very best wishes," Garlick said.
"She led the program through a period of real change, including the move of our home games to Cockburn and the shift to day training, and did it with great care for our players and staff.
“Family always comes first. Claire has made real sacrifices to be here, spending the past four years away from her wife Liza and stepson Javier in Victoria, and we fully support her decision to return home to them.
"We will begin the process to appoint her replacement immediately, and we're confident the strong foundations Claire has helped put in place will serve the program well into the future."
Heffernan said the decision to return home was family-driven and not an easy one to make.
"I'm incredibly grateful to have been part of this Club and this program, the Fremantle Football Club is a very special place," Heffernan said.
“As a group, we have worked together with the goal of building a program to be proud of. It's been a privilege to be part of this team, and I'll miss being around such a special group of people every day.
"Thank you also to the club, the board, Simon and the executive team and all of our members and fans, who have backed our AFLW team with so much passion, your support has been incredible.
“I'll always have a special place in my heart for this team and will be watching on with pride from Victoria as the team continues to strive for success.”
The Club will provide an update on the appointment process in due course.
