Just days after its grand final loss, Macedon has announced its A-grade netball coach for next year’s Riddell District Netball League season.
After changing coaches midseason, the Cats were always going to be on the lookout for a new coach at season’s end with Karri Ambler and Kelly Nicholas only temporarily filling the roles.
Club president Terry Kernan said new coach Ciara Stewart was impressed with what she saw in the Cats’ 51-34 grand final loss to Riddell.
Stewart comes with an extensive playing and coaching background. “She said we have a lot of good kids who she can work with to develop further. At the game she had someone doing stats to have a look at the areas we need to improve in,’’ Kernan said last week.
Despite living in Sunbury, this is Stewart’s first foray into the RDNL. Most recently she has been playing-coach at Winchelsea in the Geelong and District Netball League.
“She’s had a lot of success as a player and coach and when she heard about the job she was really interested in it,’’ Kernan said.
“She helped set up the Plenty Valley Comets in the Parkville Premier League competition and she still plays in that and several other times a week.”
Kernan said Stewart, a goaler, will be a playing coach.
“She will coach A and B grade sides and bring in someone to coach the under-19s and C-grade sides. She will oversee all four teams and is likely to bring her own people in to help her out.
“I think she will be tough and she expects a lot. After every game she does assessments and puts them online for her players to look at.’’
Kernan said there were likely to be changes to the team that made the grand final this year. “She’s well connected in the netball area and is no doubt going to attract people.
“We’re talking to all of this year’s girls to see what they are doing. Kate McLeod looks like she will be retiring, while Bec Colwell is weighing things up.
