A new chapter in one of rugby league’s most storied family legacies is being written in Melbourne, far from the familiar Sydney spotlight. Jack Gould, son of league immortal Phil Gould, is spearheading a groundbreaking initiative as the coaching director for the Melbourne Storm’s burgeoning women’s pathways program.
While his father, Phil, continues his transformative work with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Jack is carving his own distinct identity in the sport. His journey began with a five-year tenure at the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, where his role as female pathways coordinator earned him the prestigious Andrew Ettingshausen Club Person of the Year Award in 2025. This experience laid the foundation for his current ambitious project with the Storm.
Jack’s appointment marks a strategic move by Melbourne to build a sustainable future in women’s rugby league. He is working in close partnership with female pathways manager Pauline Poloai to establish the club’s first-ever entries in the Tarsha Gale Cup (U19s) and Lisa Fiaola Cup (U17s). A key architect of this development, Gould has also assumed head coaching duties for the Tarsha Gale side, balancing this with his oversight of the academy programs.
The philosophy driving this initiative, endorsed by football director Frank Ponissi’s ‘Road to AAMI Park’ program, emphasizes cultivating homegrown talent. This focus is yielding impressive results, with the U17s squad comprising 100% Victorian players and the U19s team featuring 90% local talent—a point of immense pride for the club.
The long-term vision, as outlined by Gould, is a methodical ascent to the NRLW. The strategy involves patiently strengthening the current junior foundations before establishing a reserve grade team in the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership by 2027 or 2028. This deliberate, bottom-up approach aims to ensure the future NRLW side is built on a robust and competitive local player base, ready to excel from its inception.