CAVENDISH Football Netball Club has announced the appointment of former coach, Leanne Perry, to take the reins of the A grade netball squad for the 2023 season.

 Perry returns to the role she vacated back at the end of the 2019 season, having led the Bloods to back-to-back premierships in 2017 and 2018.

The move allowed her daughter, Marni Luhrs, to take on the coaching role for the last few seasons.

Luhrs took the side to the finals last season and came close to lifting the side into the grand final, as the Bloods went down by only two goals to Dartmoor in the penultimate match of the season.

Having coached at the highest levels for 44 years, Perry is vastly experienced and her knowledge of the game and what is required to be successful is second to none.

“I started coaching some 44 years ago, and have been passionate about the game through coaching, umpiring and at times administration,” Perry said.  

“I have coached club level at Merino-Digby where I started, then moved to Sandford and Casterton-Sandford for 19 years.

“I then headed to Cavendish in 2017 and coached the side through to 2019 when I finished up (to allow my daughter) Marni to continue to play.”

Along with many winters at club level, there were call-ups to representative level with the Western Border squad teams at regional championships and Country Cup competitions 

“I coached  Cavendish in 2019 but finished up to help Marni and Rick out with nanny duties, to make it easier for them to continue to play footy and netty,” Perry said.

Once a coach, always a coach seems to ring true for the returning mentor, as Perry is already mapping out the pre-season schedule for the Bloods netball campaign with her other senior coaches working together to build the ‘family club’ culture Cavendish is well known for.

“Pre-season will begin the end of January 2023 for two nights a week at Pedrina Park, then we will head to Cavendish at a later date,” Perry said.

“I work on (the) start of pre-season each year as a new season, when we will see who returns and who is new.”

“There has been interest (from players) to join the club, but (we’ll) wait and see.”

“It’s all about turning up and being seen.”

Her style of coaching won’t change from that of when she last handled the role, but that’s not to say she hasn’t been keeping a close eye on the opposition in her time away.

“Nothing will change from where I left off and Marni continued on,  simple netty very disabling, and you must score,” she said.    

“Westerns, Tyrendarra and Dartmoor I would think without knowing much yet, but Westerns and Tyrendarra, like Cavendish, have been very strong, stable, successful clubs over a very long period.”