Tatura is hoping to build on the momentum of a historic and memorable 2023 A-grade season with its latest coaching announcement.
The Bulldogs unveiled talented goaler Steph Smith-Gorrie and young gun Elsie Boyer as the club’s newest coaches earlier this week.
The pair will act as playing co-coaches next year and replace Boyer’s mother Fiona — who is stepping down after two seasons in the top job.
Fiona won’t be lost to the Kennel and is remaining as coaching co-ordinator in a mentoring and support role.
Boyer and Smith-Gorrie’s announcement comes following the club’s most successful Goulburn Valley League A-grade season in almost two decades.
The Bulldogs played finals for the first time in 17 years and claimed a notable elimination final win against the reigning premier Seymour.
Boyer, who emerged as one of the league’s stars in 2023, said it was an easy decision to accept the co-coaching role alongside one of her “best friends” and at her second home.
“It’s pretty exciting to be honest. It’s hard not to be involved here (at Tatura), I love the club and the people,” Boyer said.
“The culture is amazing; it’s a home away from home for me. It’s a credit to the people at the club who have created an amazing environment. It’s pretty special ... Steph is one of my best friends and we talk all the time and, even though it’s early, the phone calls have already increased between each other.
“It will be a side-by-side approach, we’re on the same page and communication will be key.
“We’ll have plenty of support around us and I think you can’t go past the likes of Molly and Emma who have both coached A-grade sides. It really will be a one-in-all-in approach.”
Boyer, who will become one of the youngest coaches in the league following her 19th birthday last month, said she was not overawed by the appointment.
“I know a lot of people will look and say ‘well how can a 19-year-old coach older girls?’, but I’m lucky that I’m surrounded by an amazing group who support each other,” she said.
“We have so much respect for each other and we just want to have fun and win games of netball together.”
Tatura was the surprise packet in 2023 and the club’s semi-final finish coincided with Boyer capping a stellar individual campaign with a runner-up placing in the Wellman Family Medal.
Boyer said the new coaching panel was spurred on by the events of the past six months and that herself and Smith-Gorrie were planning to build on the success of last season.
“Hopefully Steph and I can create a winning culture,” she said.
“We know they are easy to break and harder to build. We’re lucky that a lot of players from this year have already recommitted for next year and hopefully we can keep building. It was really special for everyone; we didn’t go in expecting to play finals and then all of a sudden we were 6-0.
“It meant a lot to a lot of people and I think having seen how much it meant, we want to deliver that again and hopefully we can go deeper in finals.”
Tatura will commence its netball trials on Wednesday, November 8 from 6pm at Tatura Park.
Boyer encouraged new and returning faces to attend the trials.