PORTLAND Football Netball Club is getting in early with its line-up of coaches for the 2024 Hampden Netball League season, with the leader of their junior and senior teams locked in.
The Tigers announced the return of Laura Kelly to the club as their new Open coach in mid-October and have worked to solidify the rest of the ranks, with many coaches returning from last year while others have stepped up to fill vacancies.
Hannah Frew will continue in her role as division one coach, although without the assistance of 2023 co-coach Michelle Finck who has stepped away from coaching.
Casey Anson and Rebekah Payne will continue as division two co-coaches, with Payne also taking on the division three role vacated by Jody Duckworth’s departure.
She’ll be assisted in the division three coaching by Prue Lovell, who is coming on board as coach this season.
Another coach stepping up is Cassie Jewell, who has returned home to Portland and will be taking over the 17-and-under coaching role.
“We’re very happy to have Laura (Kelly) coming on board, she brings in a lot of experience and she’s been recruiting pretty hard which has been great,” netball coordinator Charley Samson said.
“We’ve also got Cassie coming on board, she’s played A grade netball for Allansford (in the Warrnambool and District FNL), she should be a really positive influence for the 17-and-under girls.”
Lauren Hockley will be stepping into the 15-and-under side after co-coaching the 17s last year with Georgina Frew. Hockley will take on the role with continuing coach Anna Impey.
Payne will once again combine with Jacci Piergrosse to coach the 13-and-unders, while Macey Hockley and Kloe Payne will be coaching the youngest age bracket development side.
Samson said it bodes well for the fortunes of the club in the upcoming season to have their coaching group locked and loaded so early.
“As coordinator its reassuring to have the coaches set in stone so soon,” she said.
“Other clubs are going so early these days getting their coaching groups together by October and November, so we’ve begun doing the same.”
The Hampden league has opted to move their reserve junior grades across from Sunday to Saturday in line with all other football and netball games, with Samson saying the club is leaving the door open to fielding sides across those three grades.
“If our numbers for tryouts are strong, then we’ll be able to field those teams… we’re not officially announcing any coaches as yet, but those positions will be filled if we can get those teams on the park,” Samson said.
“We’ve made a push again this year to have co-coaches as much as possible across all grades, it gives us the chance to get some one-on-one coaching into the girls and help their development that way.”
Samson said official dates for preseason tryouts would be forthcoming in the near future.
PFNC Netball Coaches 2024
Open – Laura Kelly
Division one – Hannah Frew
Division two – Casey Anson and Rebekah Payne
Division three – Prue Lovell and Rebekah Payne
17-and-under – Cassie Jewell
15-and-under – Lauren Hockley and Anna Impey
13-and-under – Jacci Piergrosse and Rebekah Payne
Development – Macey Hockley and Kloe Payne
