Tungamah football coaches for 2024: Seniors coach Sean Johns,thirds coach Matt Lonergan, fourths coach Siti Bainikoro, thirds assistant coach Jye Holcombe, reserves coach Travis Hayes and fourths coach Shan Doyle are hoping for their sides to claim ultimate glory this year. Absent: senior co-coach Sam Ferguson and reserves co-coach Matt Bourke.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
Tungamah has its sights set on the ultimate glory in 2024 with its season to kick off on April 6 against Rennie.
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Last year’s first-time coaches Sam Ferguson and Sean Johns are once again at the helm of the seniors and are pleased with how the pre-season has shaped up as they aim to go one better than 2023.
“We are shaping up well. Our main focus this year is lifting the training standards which seems to have begun so far and before Christmas and now coming back, we have been getting over 30 at training which is great,” Johns said.
“It was good to meet the boys last year and build up those friendships which we can build on more this year.
“We have made sure over the off-season that we have addressed the key areas with recruits which we are very happy about.
“We retained a vast majority of the list with only a couple of players retiring and have some really good youngsters coming up from the thirds.
“We have picked up a ruckman from Melbourne, John Atar, and were lacking pace last year, so we have picked up Flynn Fletcher, Daniel and Addison Psaltaris and Andy Miller from Mulwala as well as Lachie Thompson from Benalla.
“It’s looking good for 2024. We now have the extra pace and height.
“There is also a great feel around the club. We have been getting good numbers to training and everyone is enjoying themselves, so we are looking forward to the season beginning.”
The Bears mean business this year, driving high standards and aiming for the pinnacle of a football season, with anything less not enough.
“The premiership is the ultimate goal with the grand final our minimum. Anything less than the grand final this year will be a failure,” Johns said.
The reserves are also in trusted hands with Matt Bourke returning and co-coaching alongside Travis Hayes.
The thirds are once again in good hands as they will be coached by Matt Lonergan with Jye Holcombe his right hand man, working together to develop the boys in all positions on the field, while the fourths will this year only have a duo of coaches with Shan Doyle and Siti Bainikoro once again joining forces to take the reins and continue their success from last season as they further develop the juniors.
The fourths don’t start training until February, but numbers are good as a lot have come up from the Bear Cubs.
With a successful start to the pre-season and trials to get under way this week, Tungamah netball is also ready for the season to start.
Tungamah netball coaches: Keely Holcombe, Debbie Hayes, Sally Eales, Chelsea and Danielle Sidebottom, (front) Tahnee Pearce, Jenny Buerckner, Bernadette Attwood and Bridie Hodgson are raring to go for season 2024. Absent: Mickala Thomas, Bella Lonergan, Jade Ralph and Hayla McGregor.
Photo by
Les_Garbutt
The Bears have welcomed back many regular faces with several new faces being added to the mix this year as the club looks to emulate its 2022 premiership success with four netball premierships.
The junior netball sides have had fantastic numbers at training with about 30 girls turning up each week as they all can’t wait to get back to playing with their friends as they look like they will be hard to beat this season.
The under-15s are looking really good with extra numbers taking part in training, while all grades will be filled.
On the sidelines the Bears have an exciting line up of coaches with most returning and a few new faces stepping into the roles.
The 2024 senior coaches are A-grade Keely Holcombe, B-grade currently no coach, C-grade Sally Eales and Debbie Hayes and C-reserve Danielle and Chelsea Sidebottom.
Junior coaches are under-17 and 15 Jenny Buerckner and Tahnee Pearce, under-13 Bernadette Attwood and Mickala Thomas, under-11 Bella Lonergan and Jade Ralph and under-9 Bridie Hodgson and Hayla McGregor.
In a boost to the club and a sign of the culture at Tungamah all of the senior netball coaches and several of the junior netball coaches are long-term premiership players at the Bears, the perfect people to be leading each grade.
First year senior coach Holcombe, who has previously coached juniors, said everyone was keen to have a good year on the netball court.
“The A-grade have retained half of last year’s list, while also picking up a tall shooter and a couple of midcourters,” she said.
“We should be pretty good this year, but across the whole netball club we just want to get everyone out here and having fun.
“As a club we start trials this week and have had good numbers for pre-season (before Christmas and early new year).
“Everyone is just looking forward to the season start and to see how far we can go this season.”
The senior football and netball are hoping to play two practice matches against Bright and possibly Mulwala before the season proper kicks off on April 6 against Rennie at Rennie Recreation Reserve.
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