Woodend-Hesket is primed to build on the foundations it has established in the Riddell District Netball League this year.
The Hawks made massive improvements on and off the court this season, but they know there is plenty of work to be done in terms of establishing a strong netball program.
Netball co-ordinator Kellie Duff said that while this year’s result thrilled all involved, there was no thought about the place of sitting on hands.
“We worked on so many things – structure, policies and culture,” she said.
“We got a new court and we’re optimistic for the future. The pathways we are creating and the relationship between the seniors and juniors should be around for a long time.
“Just speaking to people around the league, they’ve seen so many improvements on and off the court that we’ve made and everyone is really positive.”
Duff said a priority was the appointment of A-grade head coach. They club is also advertising all other coaching roles.
Duff said with herself being appointed to the co-ordinator role so late in the process, the club was unable to find someone to take on the coaching role in the previous season.
“It was a little too late to get a senior coach,” she said. “By default, it meant I coached the As and Bs. I was already coaching four junior sides so I was way busier than I intended.”
The Hawks’ A-grade team finished ninth, with three wins for the season.
It was a young line up, with several players getting their first opportunities in the top side. Brittany Bowen and Georgia Fearn played in both the A-grade and under-19 sides.
“Everyone wanted to play with each other regardless of the results,” Duff said.
“We couldn’t have done it without some of our past players coming back and playing in C grade.
Duff said that while the club would like the team to remain mostly made up of local players, it will look outside the area for some much-needed height.
“Getting a couple of tall players would be fantastic and make things a bit easier and help with structures,” she said. “Even a couple of players coming with a coach to help us out will help us compete against the middle-rung teams.”
One of the biggest thrills for the club this season came through the achievements of its under-19 team, which made the finals for a second successive year.
“It’s the first time any of our teams have made it through to the second week of the finals,” Duff said.
“We’re developing young players,” she said. “We’ve got a bright future and it’s fantastic to see what they’ve achieved.”
Anyone interested in coaching at Woodend-Hesket can contact Kellie on 0419 535 062 or at dktduff@hotmail.com
