Chipper, Tester join WAFLW program

The integration between the Swans women's and men's programs is improving all the time and it's highlighted by what Max Chipper and Lewis Tester are doing by combining playing WAFL and working with the WAFLW program.

Making the club being one smooth running machine with integration between both women's and men's football programs is an ever-growing focus at the Swan Districts Football Club.

That is taking place in the form of two of the Swan Districts WAFL players working closely with the WAFLW program in 2024 with Chipper the Football Manager of the WAFLW team and Tester is on board as an assistant coach to combine with his playing commitments.

MAX CHIPPER

Max Chipper started playing Colts at Swan Districts back in 2019 and continues to be a strong part of the senior playing group while now also having been appointed the Football Manager for the WAFLW team.

Chipper played 21 Colts matches with the black-and-whites before graduating to the senior playing group and since he has played 31 Reserves games, and five at WAFL level.

He was out there for the first time in the 2024 season last Saturday with 34 possessions, seven marks and a goal in the Reserves against East Perth as he now strives to break back into the league team.

However, he's also focused on his job with the WAFLW team who are now sitting in fourth position on the ladder after six rounds having won three of the first five matches of the 2024 season.

He's enjoying the position having come into the role after talking to Phil Smart and working out how it could work.

"Through Phil Smart, our Footy Manager in the seniors program. I've really enjoyed the role, it's been great to be involved with the woman's program and working alongside some great people," Chipper said.

"It's something I didn't really think about, but I'm grateful Phil had the trust and confidence in me to fulfil such an important role. We've got a great playing/coaching group and support staff which has allowed for a great time in the role so far."

While Chipper has made sure that his work with the WAFLW program hasn’t affected his commitment to his own playing career, having a job working within football is also something he's excited about now.

"Phil has allowed great flexibility with me managing both playing and my role at the club," he said.

"With that I'm able to focus on my footy as the priority, but also have the ability to fulfil the requirements of my role the best I can.

"My role and the women's program at the club is something I am passionate about and with the help of fellow staff it does make mixing between the two no issue at all."

Chipper is still just 20 years of age so very much in the formative years of his own playing career, but is excited by how the WAFL team is shaping up for 2024 as well two rounds into the new season.

"I'm excited for the year ahead, I feel the club is in a great place and is ready to go to that next level. I'll continue to learn and build my game, but more importantly super keen to be a part of the journey that we look to be building," Chipper said.

"Looking forward to getting into it, a lot of work has gone in over the pre-season and to finally put that to the test is super exciting. Ready to begin what looks to be a great year for the club as a whole."

LEWIS TESTER

On the back of playing in last year's Reserves Premiership last year and Colts flag back in 2021 with Swan Districts, Lewis Tester has started 2024 well at League level while also joining the coaching staff for the Rogers Cup team.

Having come right through the ranks and enjoyed Premiership glory in two of the past three years with Swans, at just 21 years of age Tester is looking to consolidate himself at league level in the black-and-white jumper.

He's settled into the back-line over the first two weeks of the WAFL season and looked right at home and not only is he feeling good personally, but is high on the team's hopes for 2024.

"There is a lot of excitement amongst the boys in both grades on what the year brings. We have a lot of depth and so I believe we can go far in both grades," Tester said.

"I feel like it's the best pre-season I have ever had over my career. I got myself into what I would like to say was pretty good condition fitness wise and that helped put me into a good position to move up and start in the League side this year and hopefully hold my spot for most of the year."

On the back of playing in the Colts Premiership with Swans in 2021, Tester has been finding his feet playing senior football over the last two years and that culminated with being part of winning the Reserves grand final on Optus Stadium last year.

Not only was it exciting to be part of, but he learned a lot from another full season playing senior football.

"It was an amazing feeling to win the flag last year. I have been lucky enough to be a part of two now at Swans winning in Colts as well as Reserves. Hopefully I can add another one just around the corner in League," he said.

"It was great playing out there with a pretty young team like most of the boys were around my age so we got along very well and to be able to go all the way and win it was pretty special. It also helped having such a great coach in Greg Harding who I learnt a lot under as both a player and as an aspiring coach."

On top of what he's doing as a player at Swan Districts, Tester is enjoying now being part of the coaching staff under Tayah Reed in the Rogers Cup team and it quite simply all came about because he asked the question if he could help out in some way.

"My work with the WAFLW program came about one because of my enjoyment of coaching but mainly because of one of my good mates Max Chipper is the Footy Manager of the girls program so I went to him one day and asked if he needed anyone to help out with the girls and he got me the role with the Rogers girls," Tester said.

"The past three years I have done coaching at Guildford Grammar and I thought it was time to move up a bit and gain some better experience in a more professional environment.

"I am enjoying the role a lot, they are a great group of girls who want to learn and get better, especially the girls down back who I have taken charge of and they are getting better and better every week.

"I am also learning a lot from working alongside the other coaches in the team who have had a fair bit more experience than me."

While Tester is only 21 and could still have at least a decade to go in his career as a player, coaching is something that has always interested in him.

To be gaining experience already at Guildford Grammar and now in the Rogers Cup team has him doing quite the impressive young apprenticeship.

"Coaching has always been something I wanted to do, I have taken a lot of interest in it and love being able to see young people excel and get better," he said.

"It’s something I want to continue doing in the future hopefully moving up the ranks and once I finish my playing career at Swans hopefully move into a coaching gig in the senior team."

As far as how it works mixing in playing at WAFL level and then being part of the coaching team in the women's program, while it takes some juggling, Tester wouldn’t want it any other way.

"It certainly takes a bit of management to balance both commitments as I am at the club every day of the week at the moment, but I wouldn’t change much as I have so much fun every time I walk into the club," Tester said.

"I have found it has also helped me become more of a leader when I am playing as they both go hand in hand, and I can apply certain things I have seen coaching to our games and help the me and the players around me get better."