Inspiring Insights from Saints Life Member Bron Gulden
Bron Gulden – Saints Life Member | Academy Coach | Footy Trailblazer
Last month, we had the privilege of hearing from Bron Gulden, Maroubra Saints Life Member, at our season launch and coaches and managers info night.
Bron has deep roots in our club, with two of her children having played for the Saints. She was instrumental in the club’s early growth and development.
Growing up in the 1970s, Bron wasn’t allowed to play football herself, but she was always at her dad’s side around the footy club. Those early experiences helped her develop great skills that she later passed down to her children. Her daughter Senna was the only girl in Maroubra Saints Auskick at the time, by the time she was 10 or 11. Bron and the then president, worked hard to find as many girls as they could and then with AFL Sydney started the first junior girls games with another composite team from the North. Senna was only 11 and the teams age could probably be classified as an average under 16s and the team played every few weeks when they had enough numbers. Incredibly in a little over 10 years, thanks to the seeds Bron planted, Maroubra now has 2 teams in each age group from under 9s to under 17s, last year making every grand final. The Swans Academy female program is in its ninth year and the Swans AFLW are into their forth season.
Now in her ninth season as Academy Coach, Bron leads the U16 girls and assists with the U18 girls. She was also the Back Line coach for the Swans AFLW team for three seasons, her introduction to elite sport. Bron’s journey to coaching at the elite level wasn’t easy – after completing all her certifications and experience at the Saints, it took persistent lobbying to secure her the coaching role.
During her talk, Bron shared memorable stories, including the AFL9s team where her son Errol played alongside Senna, Abe and Ben Davis (former Maroubra Saints and AFL listed players [Swans and Adelaide respectively]) when Errol was just 12.
Wisdom for Coaches
Bron emphasised how coaches’ conversations with players shape their experience. “Coaches have a great deal of influence on the sideline. It’s about striking the right balance between competition and participation,” she noted. “It’s about development, teamwork and creating an environment where every player has a role to play.”
One of her most powerful messages was redefining success: “Success isn’t on the scoreboard, it’s about how players grow and support each other. We rarely talk about results, it’s about changing the narrative about what you are playing for. True success is bringing someone else into the game, lifting a teammate, creating opportunities and making those around you better. That’s what we talk about in the change rooms.”
Bron encourages shifting the focus to why we play: “Are we playing to improve? To challenge ourselves? To be better teammates?” This mindset, she believes, fosters resilience and a lasting love for the game.
“The biggest thing you can do is share your knowledge, your love for the game and seeing players develop in themselves in the coaching space is so fulfilling,” she said.
In an inspiring demonstration of her own philosophy, Bron made her AFL debut with UNSW at age 55, playing alongside our former Saints president, Renee Beck.
Thank you, Bron, for sharing your wisdom and stories with our coaching community.
