Former Tiger to run the jungle in 2022

THE Torquay Netball Club is hoping a past champion will bring future success to the club, announcing a new face will occupy the head coaching role for the first time in almost a decade.

Former Torquay Tiger and Geelong Cougars coach Sonia Harris is returning to the club where she won a premiership in 2016, succeeding her old head coach Courtney Coulahan at the helm.

“I am super excited,” Harris said.

“I’ll go in a bit easy to start though. I want to get to know everybody first, see how they react to things and see what they take to and what they don’t.
“In saying that, I also think people are a bit COVID fatigued so we won’t get started until next year, but I will be very happy to get into some court-work once we get to that.”

The Tigers’ A grade side is fresh off a promising 2021, but with little to show for it after the season was cancelled following the first week of the finals fixtures.

Harris said that “without a doubt” the A grade side will be looking to challenge for another shot at the premiership in 2022, a mindset that her predecessor had instilled in the current playing group years ago.

“With Courtney as their previous coach, the mindset of the girls over the last few years has been to make finals, reach the grand final and win the grand final,” Harris said.

“I like winning, I like to win, and I want to maintain a winning culture at the club so that’s what we will be aiming for.”

Having also held coaching roles at Thomson’s GDFL Netball side and the Victorian Netball League’s City West Falcons, Harris’ experience was a major drawcard for the club according to president Megan Mifsud, among many others.

“Sonia is also former player of the club, a former champion, a Torquay local and is really familiar with the club, she just ticks all the boxes,” Mifsud said.

“She has a wealth of knowledge and people like her which is great, but change is great, change is exciting. It’s scary, but also exciting.

“She might even attract players that we might not have known about towards the start of the season and we are always striving to be one bit better.”

Coulahan will continue to remain an important figure at the Tigers, focusing more of her attention towards the club’s junior program.