Netball Victoria has announced an experienced coaching line-up for the 17/U and 19/U Victorian state teams to contest the 2021 National Netball Championships.
Tracey Brereton and Wendy Jacobsen will lead the respective teams.
Brereton is a former Melbourne Kestrels player who also developed as an athlete by progressing through the Victorian underage pathway. She has previously coached in successful Victorian state team programs, and been an Assistant Coach of National Championship-winning teams.
“It’s exciting to be involved with the Victorian state team, and it’s exciting being involved with the great young talent,” Brereton said.
“It might be a different-looking build up to what we’ve been used to in the past with the challenges COVID has thrown at us, but we’re a strong netball state and I’ve got no doubt that we can build and put together a really strong 17/U outfit.”
Brereton will be joined by Jade Heinrich in the role of Assistant Coach.
Meanwhile Jacobsen played for both the Melbourne Vixens and Melbourne Phoenix, a pinnacle she also reached by progressing through the Netball Victoria pathway. Jacobsen has experience coaching at the Suncorp Super Netball level with the Collingwood Magpies, as well as with the Victorian Fury in the Deakin University Australian Netball League (ANL).
Jacobsen is currently the Coaching Director of Bupa Victorian Netball League (VNL) franchise, Boroondara Express.
“For me, I’m just really thrilled to be able to give back to an organisation and a netball community that has given me so much over 20-odd years at the elite level,” Jacobsen said.
“When you are a junior growing up and going through the pathway, nationals is one of the most exciting times, so to be able to instil some of the knowledge I have as a past player and also from draw on my experience from coaching at a VNL, ANL and National League level is really exciting.
Jacobsen will be joined by Mel Savage as the Assistant Coach. Savage is no stranger to the Victorian state team program, having been Victorian 17/U Head Coach in both 2019 and 2020.
Following the cancellation of the 2020 National Netball Championships – which were due to be held in Hobart in April – Netball Australia are yet to announce the dates and location of the 2021 event.
Due to talent identification events unable to be held across the state in 2020, Victorian athletes wishing to be considered for state team selection have been asked to self-nominate online for trials. Registrations close September 3.
