KANGAROO Flat netballers and coaches have benefited from advice from one of Australia’s most respected coaches.
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Former NSW Swifts coach Rob Wright imparted some of his knowledge of the game at a training session on Thursday night at Crusoe College.
Wright, now the defensive coach at Super Netball club Collingwood Magpies, led the Swifts to back-to-back ANZ Championship grand finals, in 2015-16 during a four-year reign as head coach.
His playing group in that period included former Bendigo girl and Australian Diamonds star Caitlin Thwaites, who has also since joined the Magpies.
Wright quit Swifts at the end of the 2017 season and joined the Magpies after fulfilling his commitments as an assistant to the Australian Fast5 team in October's World Series.
First-season Kangaroo Flat A-grade coach Jayden Cowling said Wright had plenty of pointers for both players and coaches.
“Everything he did was so smart and he brought so much knowledge to the players,” he said.
“He brought a lot more tactical things that we needed and t was something a lot different to having the girls hear me all of the time.
“They really loved it.”
Wright, who was the first male to be appointed coach of an ANZ Championship team in 2013, has earned the reputation as a defensive specialist, hence his new role with the Magpies.
It was the defensive aspects of what he brought to Kangaroo Flat that Cowling felt would benefit players the most.
Elmore netballers and coaches will have a similar opportunity to learn from Wright, when he visits the Bloods on March 22.
Cowling said Elmore coaches, including new A-grade boss and director of coaching Sue Borserio, had been given the chance to sit in on this week’s training, with the gesture being reciprocated next month.
Meanwhile, the new Roos coach said his first pre-season at the helm had been tough but enjoyable.
“It’s probably the hardest pre-season a lot of the girls, especially the younger ones, have gone through so far,” he said.
“We’ve done a range of different things – a few gym sessions and a lot of running.
“We actually played a practice match against Huntly last week, so it was good to dust off the cobwebs and get our hands on the netball for the first time since September.
“It’s been a challenging pre-season, but very rewarding.”
The Roos finished last season in fourth place and open their 2018 season at Gisborne on April 14.