Six-time BFNL premiership player Alicia McGlashan appointed South Bendigo netball coach

It follows her appointment as South Bendigo's A-grade playing coach.

McGlashan, who crossed to the Bloods in 2022 following a stellar career with Kangaroo Flat where she won six A-grade premierships, has replaced her long-time former coach at the Roos and more recently South Bendigo, Jannelle Hobbs, who stepped down at the end of the season.

The Bloods finished this year in fifth spot, their fourth straight top-five placing, stretching back to 2019.

In a coup, McGlashan will be backed by decorated former player and coach Lynley Strachan, who has been appointed A-squad assistant coach.

Marita Eddy, who coached the Bloods' A-reserve team this season in partnership with Liz Taylor, will coach the team solo next season following Taylor's departure for North Bendigo, where she has been appointed director of coaching.

McGlashan, who brings three decades of playing experience (including juniors) to the position, including at VNL, Regional State League and BFNL interleague level, will be coaching for the first time in her career.

Her signing fulfills a passion for developing younger players and a desire to coach, which was put on hold as she devoted her energies towards combining raising a young family and her career as a solicitor with playing.

She is embracing the challenge with the same fervour that established her as one of the strong BFNL competition's premier players over the past two decades.

"I always knew I would coach one day when the time was right, but my family and my career have always been my number one priority," she said.

"They will continue to be my number one priority, but the opportunity is there now to coach and be able to build a great club, so I am happy to be involved.

"It's been a really enjoyable last two years at South.

"I've enjoyed every club I have been at ... the whole sense of being involved in a sporting club is something I love being around.

"There is a wonderful bunch of people involved at South Bendigo and the club as a whole just has so much going for it.

"It's a positive environment and a really great community and the club is going places in the future."

Vice-captain this season for the Bloods, but widely respected as an on-court leader through the duration of days in the BFNL, McGlashan insists she is taking over a playing group in healthy shape, but in need of some tinkering if it is to take the next step and challenge the league's traditional powerhouses, Gisborne, Sandhurst and Kangaroo Flat.

"I'm fully aware of our players, their strengths and weaknesses and our club as a whole," she said.

"We certainly have some fantastic talent that Jannelle has done a good job of developing during her time at South Bendigo.

"I hope to continue what Jannelle started and build on everything she has taught everybody and make us better and stronger."

McGlashan pointed to emerging defender Maggie Burke and young midcourters Carissa Brook and Claudia Griffiths as prime examples of the level of development undertaken at South Bendigo this season, with all three establishing themselves as regular A-graders.

"They went from strength-to-strength throughout the year and learned quite a lot," she said.

"What I liked is they wanted to learn a lot and they really thrived in that environment.

"But across the club as whole, we have a lot of up-and-coming players.

"Ideally we would love a bit more experience to come into the ranks as well as we continue developing those players.

"But we have a good base to go further."

McGlashan hailed the appointment of Strachan and reappointment of Eddy as keys to the Bloods' future success.

"We all bring different strengths and ideas, which I think will be very exciting for the playing group," she said.

"Marita has great experience playing State Titles and in the GV (Goulburn Valley) league and was an assistant coach this year and has already brought some invaluable experience ad knowledge to the playing group.

"You could see that with the A-reserve group - they were unlucky to miss out on a grand final berth this year.

"And Lynley has many years of experience, not just in coaching, but in support of her own children (former Super Netball star Bec Bulley and AFL and former Bloods ruckman Kieran Strachan).

"She has the right mindset to know what it takes to make it and that will be a real strength in our development plan."

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