Lauren Arnell

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Lauren Arnell
Lauren Arnell S7.jpg
Lauren Arnell with Port Adelaide in 2022
Personal information
Full name Lauren Arnell
Born (1987-03-15) 15 March 1987 (age 38)
Original team Darebin (VFLW)
Draft 2016 priority signing
Debut Round 1, 2017, Carlton  vs. Collingwood, at Ikon Park
Height 169 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Position Midfielder
Playing career
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2017–2018 Carlton 11 (4)
2019–2021 Brisbane 25 (5)
Total36 (9)
Representative team honours
YearsTeamGames (Goals)
2017 Victoria 1 (0)
Coaching career
YearsClubGames (W–L–D)
2022 (S7)–2025 Port Adelaide (W) 46 (18–26–2)
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Lauren Arnell (born 15 March 1987) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. She played for the Carlton Football Club and the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Women's (AFLW) from 2017 to 2021, and was the head AFLW coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club from season 7 to 2025.

Contents

Arnell served as Carlton captain in the inaugural season of the competition in 2017 before moving to Brisbane at the end of the 2018 season, winning a premiership with the club before retiring. She became Port Adelaide's inaugural AFLW coach ahead of its first season in the competition in season 7, coaching the club to a preliminary final in 2024.

Early life and state league football

Arnell played just one football match as a junior, in a school tournament in her last year of primary school. [1] A talented state-level junior basketballer, Arnell next played football in 2005 while studying to be a teacher in Ballarat. [2] [3] [4]

Arnell first played football competitively for North Ballarat before moving to the Darebin Falcons in the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL) where she would win nine league premierships through the end of 2016. [5]

In 2010, Arnell was selected as one of forty players to participate in the women's AFL high-performance camp. As part of the program she played in a curtain-raiser exhibition match ahead of the round 12, 2010 AFL match between Melbourne and Collingwood. [3]

She has represented Victoria at the AFL Women's National Championship on six occasions and been selected three times as an All-Australian. [5]

Arnell was drafted by the Western Bulldogs with the twelfth overall pick in the 2013 exhibition series draft. [6] She played for the club in exhibition series matches through the end of 2016.

AFL Women's playing career

Carlton

Arnell was signed as a priority player by Carlton in August 2016 ahead of the league's inaugural 2017 season. [4] She had previously worked at the club in an off-field role, including in the development of Carlton's bid for a women's team licence. [5] She was named the club's inaugural AFL Women's captain in January 2017. [7] She made her debut in round 1, 2017, in the club and the league's inaugural match at Princes Park against Collingwood. [8]

Carlton signed Arnell for the 2018 season during the trade period in May 2017. [9] She was replaced as captain by Brianna Davey in 2018, instead taking on the role of co-vice captain that season. [10]

Brisbane

On 28 May 2018, Arnell moved to Brisbane in a three-way deal in which Carlton received pick 40 and Collingwood received Nicole Hildebrand. [11] Ahead of the 2021 AFL Women's season, Arnell made the decision to retire at the end of the season, a decision she announced in April 2021, following Brisbane's 18-point victory over Adelaide to claim the premiership. [12]

Playing statistics

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals  
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds  
  H  
 Handballs  
  M  
 Marks
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game)
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
2017 Carlton 1372260248411260.30.38.63.412.01.63.7
2018 Carlton 13421216277100.50.35.31.56.81.82.5
2019 Brisbane 1670058308815320.00.08.34.312.62.14.6
2020 Brisbane 1672349318016170.30.47.04.411.42.32.4
2021 Brisbane 161134913913026310.30.48.33.511.82.42.8
Career [13] 36910279130409751160.30.37.83.611.42.13.2

AFL Women's coaching career

Arnell was appointed as the inaugural coach of Port Adelaide's AFLW side in April 2022, making her the first former AFLW player to become a senior coach. [14] Arnell coached Port Adelaide to an eight-game winning streak and preliminary final in the 2024 season and finished with a 18-26 win-loss record over her four seasons as coach. She resigned from the position in January 2026. [15] [16]

Coaching statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2025 season [17]
Legend
 W Wins L Losses D Draws W% Winning percentage LP Ladder position LT League teams
SeasonTeamGamesWLDW %LPLT
2022 (S7) Port Adelaide 1018110.0%1718
2023 Port Adelaide 1027120.0%1518
2024 Port Adelaide 1495064.3%418
2025 Port Adelaide 1266050.0%1018
Career totals461826236.0%

Personal life

Arnell grew up on a cattle farm in the Victorian town of Clarkefield, 46 kilometres northwest of Melbourne. [4] She spent her later teenage years in Lakes Entrance in the state's east. [5] She is one of a set of triplets. [1]

Arnell studied physical education teaching at the University of Ballarat and has previously worked as a school teacher. [5] [1]

She is the niece of former Footscray player, Ray Walker. [18]

In July 2023, Arnell and her partner Lexi announced that Arnell was pregnant. [19]

Off-field Arnell works as AFL Victoria's education and training manager. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Nicholson, Larissa (25 August 2016). "Basketball player Lauren Arnell turned AFL star is Carlton's newest recruit". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  2. ↑ Lane, Samantha (15 June 2010). "A league of their own". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 Jolly, Laura (27 June 2010). "Arnell loves specialist coaching in camp". Leader. News Corp. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Blues secure Arnell signature". Carlton Media. Bigpond. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Driscoll, Hannah (9 May 2016). "Country roots strong for Carlton's female football ambassador Arnell". The Weekly Times. News Corp. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Rhyman, Tobietta (15 May 2013). "2013 AFL Women's Draft Picks Announced". World Footy News. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  7. ↑ Negrepontis, Nic (17 January 2017). "Blues women ready to turn up the heat". AFL Media. Bigpond. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  8. ↑ Guthrie, Ben (2 February 2017). "Blue ribbon day for AFLW as Carlton downs Collingwood". AFL Media. Bigpond. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "AFLW: All the clubs' full lists after trade period - AFL.com.au". afl.com.au. Telstra Media. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "Davey to captain Blues in 2018". Carlton Media. Telstra Media. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Wood, Lauren (28 May 2018). "Carlton trades former captain Lauren Arnell to Brisbane, Nicole Hildebrand heads to Collingwood". news.com.au .
  12. ↑ "Loz Arnell Times Retirement To Perfection". Brisbane Lions . Telstra. 19 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Lauren Arnell - Every Game by Season". Australian Football. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "Port Adelaide appoints Lauren Arnell as inaugural AFLW head coach". Port Adelaide Football Club . Telstra. 12 April 2022.
  15. ↑ Sarah Black (27 January 2026). "Power coach steps down after four seasons in charge". afl.com.au.
  16. ↑ Glenn Valencich (27 January 2026). "Port Adelaide AFLW coach Lauren Arnell makes 'difficult decision to step away' for family reasons". 7 News.
  17. ↑ "Lauren Arnell". Australian Football. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  18. ↑ "Historic women's match makes Lauren Arnell's football dream a reality". Western Bulldogs. Bigpond. 1 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  19. ↑ Anderson, Jamie (19 July 2023). "Arnell shares pregnancy joy". Port Adelaide Football Club. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
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