19 Facts About Lauren Arnell

Lauren Arnell was born on 15 March 1987 and is a retired Australian rules footballer and senior coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's competition, having previously played for Carlton and the Brisbane Lions.

Lauren Arnell served as Carlton's inaugural AFLW team captain in the 2017 season and won the 2021 premiership with the Brisbane Lions, before becoming Port Adelaide's inaugural coach in 2022.

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

In 2010, Lauren Arnell was selected as one of forty players to participate in the women's AFL high-performance camp.

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

Lauren Arnell was drafted by the Western Bulldogs with the twelfth overall pick in the 2013 exhibition series draft.

Lauren Arnell played for the club in exhibition series matches through the end of 2016.

Lauren Arnell was signed as a priority player by Carlton in August 2016 ahead of the league's inaugural 2017 season.

Lauren Arnell 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.

Lauren Arnell was named the club's inaugural AFL Women's captain in January 2017.

Lauren Arnell made her debut in round 1,2017, in the club and the league's inaugural match at Princes Park against Collingwood.

Lauren Arnell was replaced as captain by Brianna Davey in 2018, instead taking on the role of co-vice captain that season.

On 28 May 2018, Lauren Arnell moved to Brisbane in a three-way deal in which Carlton received pick 40 and Collingwood received Nicole Hildebrand.

Ahead of the 2021 AFL Women's season, Lauren 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.

Lauren 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.

Lauren Arnell grew up on a cattle farm in the Victorian town of Clarkefield, 46 kilometres northwest of Melbourne.

Lauren Arnell spent her later teenage years in Lakes Entrance in the state's east.

Lauren Arnell studied physical education teaching at the University of Ballarat and has previously worked as a school teacher.

Lauren Arnell is the niece of former Footscray player, Ray Walker.