Outgoing Corowa Rutherglen senior netball coach Georgie Bruce believes the Roos are in good hands with Sophie Hanrahan and Noel Halton replacing her position as A Grade coach. Georgie is pictured with her children Jack, Tom, Finn and Bel with season 2023 all about following their Saturday sporting adventures.
Corowa Rutherglen netball is in great hands with the super experienced and passionate coaches in Sophie Hanrahan and Noel Halton.
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That’s the view of highly rated, successful and outgoing senior coach Georgie Bruce since 2016 and head coach of all teams since 2019.
“The combination of the on court/off court gives them both perspectives of the game and that coupled with their knowledge is a recipe for success,” she told The Free Press.
“The CRFNC has always felt like my home club hence my return in 2015. The people are just so genuine and supportive. They have been my family over the last eight years and supported me both on and off the court.”
Georgie said she has been blessed with making connections and life-long friendships with so many players, volunteers and supporters. “I’ve had the opportunity to make a small footprint in the long-standing legacy of a great club and work with some of the best players our area has to offer,” she said.
“It has taken a large amount of commitment, sacrifices and discipline by players and coaches to see the eventual success we have had in netball.”
While most people put the limelight on the A grade side, from a club perspective, every side was bottom dwellers. All players and coaches worked hard towards becoming one of the most competitive netball clubs it could. In 2019 the club started to see that overall success with all senior grades finishing in grandfinals.
The years preceding saw three out of the four teams in finals contentions with top five finishes and last year was the first time all four grades finished with a finals campaign ahead of them.
Thirteen rounds were played in 2021 when the league called the finals off due to Covid – after season 2020 was called off altogether because of Covid.
The Roos A Grade dominated the ladder, winning all 13 games, in 2021 and were awarded the minor premiership. The belief was strong by many, far and wide, that the club’s first A Grade premiership awaited.
Season 2022, in which Georgie was O and M coach, was set to be amazing for the club again however a season ending achilles rupture to Liv Sinclair and twin pregnancy of Toni Lind saw two very experienced players out of the team from the mid court.
Fortunately enough there was the reliable Brooke Bice who committed to finish the season and Madi O'Keefe step up from B grade to take those positions and push the team forward to the finals.
“It was a unique bunch of individuals. We had the best GS, GD and specialist WA the league had on offer at the time in a team well supported by seasoned and blossoming players like the Bice sisters, Emily Laracy, Jenni Vine and Chloe Senior,” Georgie said.
Stepping down: Former Roos A Grade coach Georgie Bruce said she has been blessed with life-long friendships with many players, volunteers and supporters at Corowa Rutherglen.
“Our bench was jam-packed with standout local legends like Ella Kingston, Zali Spencer and Zoe McLeish who were travelling the highway and flying home to help out and support the cause and vision. Not only that they were pushed and well supported by B grade and C grade sides that were also making a name for themselves in the competition.
“They were all mates, 100 per cent committed to the cause, they lived and breathed our vision and the dream that was much wanted by our community and supporters.
“We weren’t just doing this for ourselves. It was for anyone who bled the blue and white - past, present and future. I wish the ending to these seasons was different for some of these girls. They certainly had the goods to take it all the way, but as we know many other factors come into play.”
Georgie started playing netball in 1985 and missed only one year (2011) when pregnant with twins. She played with Corowa in 2005 as captain of the A grade under Michelle Wilson, then returned to Rennie for the next nine years, coaching and eventually winning a flag under Daryl Howard, before returning to Corowa in 2015 as a player then taking on coaching the following year.
Season 2023 will be different for Georgie who will follow her children around. “They are keen to play Saturday sport in a local club environment, so people will still hear my voice encouraging from the sidelines!” the super coach said.
“Lastly, a huge thankyou to all the players, their families, the CRFNC and the entourage of supporters (way too many to note) for their unwavering support for me in my time at the Roos,” Georgie said.
“The success of our club has been and will continue to be a village effort. They allowed me to coach and take risks, experience all the highs and the lows and most importantly create great memories that I will cherish for life. For all of this I am forever grateful.”
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