Victorian Netball League coach Jarrad Walker will also be in charge of Riddell’s A-grade team next season.
After Lauren Close decided not to continue despite tasting premiership success in her first year, the Riddell District Netball League club moved quickly on Walker.
Southern Saints coach Walker will combine his VNL commitments with coaching the Bombers next season.
Walker is experienced on and off the court, having played netball for Victoria and Australia.
Close took over from Eliza Allen as Riddell coach at the start of this year, as she recovered from a knee reconstruction.
The star defender returned to the court in the second half of the season.
But she admitted after the grand final that she had struggled as coach early in the season and wasn’t sure what she was doing.
Despite this, she led her side to a 51-34 win over Macedon in the grand final just over a week ago.
The transition from Close to Walker will be an easy one, with the new coach already familiar with the club.
“Because he’s coaching at Riddell next year he joined us in the finals series to help out,” Close told Star Weekly after the grand final.
“He’s just a fantastic coach and has a really level, steady head.
“He has played netball for Australia so he knows the game.
“He coached the Southern Saints to a grand final [in division 1 of the VNL] this season but, unfortunately, they didn’t win.”
Close said she would still be helping out but in a different coaching role focusing more on club development.
“I’m looking at trying to help the junior girls a bit more and bridging the gap between the juniors and under-19s at Riddell.
“I’ll concentrate on that and I think I have a lot more to offer the younger girls. The A-graders know how to do everything already.”
