Top jobs: Bianca Kelly is familiar with Shepparton East as she ascends to two coaching positions.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Replacing an A-grade coach with experience the likes of Erynn Hueston is a complex proposition at Shepparton East.
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Opting to embrace the rapidly growing co-coaching trend across the Goulburn Valley certainly isn’t, though.
So tempting, in fact, that the 2023 Kyabram District League premier has elected to go to the well twice.
The Eagles have announced Kate Durling and Bianca Kelly as their new netball bosses, with them set to assume the A-grade and B-grade responsibilities in their portfolios.
Commonly, newly-appointed co-coaches have told The News that one of this model’s main benefits is that each individual has less on their respective plate, which allows for a greater overall perspective.
With this outlook complicated as both coaches take on roles with two teams, how did this come to be?
“I thought I’d put my hand up with Bianca to share the workload and help support the club,” Durling said.
“I’ve been involved with the club for the past two years. I haven’t coached for over 10 years, but I’ve been coached myself by some really good people coming from the GVL.
“I think I’ve got a lot to offer. I enjoy coaching and mentoring.”
History of success: Kate Durling, shown here playing for Shepparton United in 2012, is in the rare company of owning six or more A-grade premierships.
Photo by
Bethanie Sessions
The likelihood of more premiership success was an allure to Kelly.
“I know we’re in a really good position with players and I know I’ll have Kate’s backing,” Kelly said.
“I think we’ll support each other well and I know most of the girls from this year are hanging around.”
What are the expectations here, though, with Durling and Kelly set to pull double duty at Shepparton East?
Though it’s early doors, the tentative plan is for roles to be divided up at training and B-grade to be coached by one or both members depending on availability, but Durling and Kelly are committing to on-court roles in A-grade.
Undoubtedly, this will be a lot to take in.
“We can share training between us each week because you can’t seem to train as hard as a playing coach,” Durling said.
“I didn’t want to do it by myself with a six-week-old baby and three kids under four years old.
“We’ll share a workload on Thursdays as well as Saturdays.”
Kelly also points out A and B-grade Eagles teams are used to training together under Hueston’s stewardship, so the new arrangement should keep things on course.
“Apart from playing at different times on Saturdays, you do a lot together as a squad,” Kelly said.
“’Ez’ set the bar really high for us and, as a playing group, we respected each other.
“We should be able to gain that respect from them as well.
“We all play for each other.”
Meanwhile Tallygaroopna will expect to compete off the Eagles’ shoulders after making the past two KDL deciders and A-grade coach Fiona Down has committed to another season in the top job.
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