Tommy to Coach Big V

It is with equal measure of sadness and joy that we announce the appointment of Tommy Purcell to the role of Big V VAFA Women’s coach in 2026. Whilst this is a tremendous achievement and worthy recognition of Tom’s incredible talent as a top line coach in Women’s Football, it does mean that he will be handing over the reins as Senior Coach of the SKOB Saints in 2026. The VAFA rules stipulate that the Big V Coach cannot be a current match day coach at Club level, and so it is with a heavy heart that Tom is relinquishing the position.

For the past 8 years Tommy has been at the helm of the SKOB Saints program, having graduated as a successful coach of our Under 19s prior to that. In that time, the SKOB Saints have established themselves as the go-to Club for Women’s football in the VAFA. Breaking through for a landmark premiership in 2019, the Saints were set to continue their success until the COVID interrupted years of 2020 and 2021 meant no finals - and very little football - was played. Tommy’s incredible skill in keeping the Saints engaged over this period and having them hungry to return to football after the lockdowns saw them take the ultimate prize in 2022 and 2023, achieving a remarkable “three peat” over this time. His coaching reach was not limited just to the Saints Gold (Premier) team as he was overseeing the entire Women’s football program at SKOB throughout this time, and premierships won by the Greens (x2) and Grand Final appearances by the Blues were also achieved in part through Tom’s involvement across the board. The Saints Gold again made the Grand Final in 2024 and the finals in 2025, and although they did not claim the silverware in those seasons, they again stamped SKOB Saints as one of the strongest teams in the competition.

It's important to note that Tom will still be an active volunteer and have a presence at SKOB this season. He is leaving the role - not the Club. Tom moves on with all the blessing we can give and we wish him well in his new role, a role that we are sure he will have great success in. There’s no doubt there will again be a strong SKOB flavour in the Big V team this year and those players will cherish playing under Tom in the mid season fixture. Tom has the SKOB Saints in as strong a position as you could hope for, with a batch of new recruits and experienced players returning for another crack at the silverware in 2026. Good luck Tommy, we are sure you will continue to follow the Saints with a keen and watchful eye.

For more news - read the VAFA post here