In the year’s first edition of Coach the Coach, Football Queensland caught up with Football Australia’s newly appointed Technical Director – Women’s Football and CommBank Junior Matildas Head Coach, Rae Dower, for her insights into the exciting times ahead for women’s football in 2023.
Dower started her football journey at 6 years old with her brother and a great coach who had let her train with his team even though she was not allowed to play the game.
At that time, girls weren’t allowed to play with boys and there were no junior female teams she could join, that was until the following year when the inaugural U14 Girls competition was introduced in Brisbane.
“I have memories of my first season as a 7-year-old centre forward. I was so small I could literally run through the legs of the defenders, and from those first days I had fallen madly in love with the game,” Dower said.
Dower said she initially never had ambitions to become a career coach, but in her last years of playing before retiring due to injury, she took on some coaching roles and eventually guided Queensland teams to the National Youth Championships for nearly a decade, all whilst juggling a 21.5-year career in the Queensland Police Service.
Eventually an opportunity presented for Dower as the Westfield W-League Assistant Coach with Canberra United, which later turned into a full-time position, meaning she had to take leave from the police and move to the Australian Capital Territory.
“It was the best decision I’ve made honestly. I remember being asked in my interview for my first full-time coaching role – why are you leaving the security of a great job, a great career…why on earth are you leaving that now for the unknown world of football coaching,” Dower said.
“It really stumped me actually and I remember thinking about it for a second before responding: ‘I’ve loved policing…but I’m madly, passionately IN LOVE with football.’
“At the time, I was 43 years old, so at 43 if the opportunity comes around to work in a role that’s your passion and something you really want to do, if you say no to that opportunity then it may never come around again.”
After returning to Queensland in 2017 for family reasons, Dower was appointed Head Coach of the CommBank Junior Matildas, a role she has been in ever since, as well as a mentor with Football Queensland coaches and the FQ Academy QAS program.
Dower said she has always thought of Queensland as unique in its very successful production of female coaches and leaders within football and other sports.
In her new position at Football Australia as Technical Director – Women’s Football, Dower will undoubtedly inspire and continue to help build the foundations for future Queensland football leaders, especially as the biggest global women’s sporting event comes to Australia later this year.
“I’m excited about the opportunities I will get this year to unite and inspire everyday Australians, girls, and boys to fall in love with football,” Dower said.
“That’s what gets me out of bed every day, alongside the opportunity to inspire the next generation of CommBank Junior Matildas, to look ahead and dream big and think that might be me one day.”
Dower said that Football Australia and Football Queensland’s goal to reach 50/50 equal gender participants by 2027 is a challenge, but more so an opportunity she’s looking forward to and a great step forward to giving all players the same opportunity in the sport.
“Yes, it’s aspirational, yes it’s ambitious, but if you don’t have goals like that, I think there’s a tendency for people to kind of remain in the ‘status quo’ instead of knowing that there’s work to be done, to roll up the sleeves and target direct resources towards it,” Dower said.
When asked to give her key advice for aspiring female coaches, Dower highlighted the importance of perseverance, resilience, and authenticity.
“Follow your dreams and follow your passions and do not let anyone or anything dissuade you from that,” Dower said.
“There will be challenges, barriers, and doubts along the way, but they are the little nuggets of gold that you take to lift you up because they are the learning moments and the moments that help to shape you.
“So, follow your dreams and your passions, get yourself a pair of wings and get out there and fly.”