MARONG has moved quickly in providing certainty and stability to its netball coaching and playing ranks by reappointing its entire coaching panel for next season.
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Top of the list is A-grade coach Bianca Garton, who was appointed coach last November, but is still yet to lead the Panthers in a LVFNL match for premiership points.
Garton, who joined the Panthers as a player in 2019 after premiership success with Moama in 2018, appreciated both the swift show of support from the club and the collective decision of coaches to recommit as a group.
With as many as five new A-grade players on-board for 2020, the Panthers were well placed to build on a pair of consecutive seventh placed seasons.
Admitting a lot can change in the months before tryouts are normally held and the start of next season, Garton said she anticipated no player retention problems.
"We've reached out to all the current playing group and asked them to stay on, but so far so good, we haven't had any noes," she said.
"All of the A-grade players have said yes to staying on. I know a lot can change in six months, but that's reassuring.
"They're all very keen and genuine in saying they want to play on."
The Panthers were among several teams not to return to training before the league eventually cancelled its season on June 11, and won't resume until pre-season in January.
Garton hoped the club at some point would be able to stage some social functions as a means of keeping players connected.
"Everyone was disappointed there was no season, but we all knew what was coming," she said.
"We'd already accepted the season was gone, and that's part of why everyone is so keen to stay on next year.
"It was starting to look and feel pretty exciting with all the new players who had come in.
"Hopefully, we can continue to keep going with what we were working on, and with that bit of extra time to gel, it might be a blessing for us."
Next season will signal a return to the playing court for Garton, who was expecting to miss the bulk of 2020, after giving birth to her and husband Luke's second child Angus in early June.
Other Panthers coaches to be reappointed are Alisha Pickering (B-grade), Renee McCaig (C-grade) and Holly Gadsden and Nic Grant (C-reserve).
In an encouraging sign, Marong's under-17s, 15s and 13s returned to training on Monday night.
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