Vickers enjoying second stint at St Mary’s

ST MARY’S new mentor Kathryn Vickers is enjoying the “full circle” experience of coaching the GNL A Grade team she played for more than a decade ago.

Vickers, who hails from Simpson, played for the Saints from 2008-2011 before going on to play for Modewarre in the BNL until the end of last season.

After jumping to a 19-5 quarter-time lead, St Mary’s beat Grovedale 61-32 at home in round 4 and will venture to Leopold tomorrow (Saturday, May 17) for a 1.40pm clash.

The eighth-placed Lions have a 1-2 win-loss record after falling 66-45 to Newtown and Chilwell.

St Mary’s is fourth with three wins and co-captains Eliza Brown and Isabelle Grapsas as well as Renee Garing were named the best players last weekend.

Vickers said Brown was an intercepting machine, tearing up the Tigers’ attack and reading the ball well as goal keeper.

Goal attack Grapsas was praised for her accuracy in shooting 27 goals while the ever reliable Garing intercepted well and displayed great leadership from wing defence and centre.

Vickers has been thrilled to have former Australian netballer Caitlin Thwaites on board as a specialist coach.

“I was like ‘Wow, what an opportunity to learn from the best in the country, she is amazing’,” Vickers said.

“She’s so knowledgeable… I’ll be taking training and then she’ll just pop in with ‘This is what New Zealand used to do to us and so we’re going to do this to break that’.”

Vickers’ husband Bryce Flannery, who played for the Australian men’s netball team, is coaching the Saints’ B grade side, which is third on the table with three victories.