New coaches aim to build Torquay pathway

JOSIE Smith and Lisa Robinson will join forces to coach Torquay’s women’s football team next season.

The pair each bring a different skillset to the role. Smith has a wealth of football knowledge and comes on board in a playing-coach role, while Robinson has more than 25 years of coaching experience across a range of sports.

Smith said she was stoked to see the transformation the women’s game has taken since she was a junior and could not wait to help develop the pathway at Torquay.

“I’ve seen it go from Victorian Women’s Football League where it was massive, but the difference to now is you’ve got youth girls and under-12s… for it to be now happening in Torquay, Lisa and I are really excited to be heading up women’s football and hoping to build a really strong program.

Robinson is passionate about women in sport and will bring a broad coaching knowledge and is already familiar among the group having served as an assistant coach in 2019.

“I’m a strong advocate for women in sport, that’s my passion that women and girls are given opportunity in every sport they play,” she said.

“Josie and I work really well together… we really want to build a strong foundation, it’s an exciting opportunity.”

Smith has been playing football since she was 10, working her way through the ranks to play for the Eastern Devils in the Victorian Football League Women’s competition. As for her coaching credentials, she has coached the senior women at North Ballarat and was an assistant coach for a year with Essendon’s VFLW side.

Robinson has coached netball in the Geelong and Bellarine Football Netball Leagues as well as boasting coaching experience in basketball, football and cricket, priding herself on player development and club culture.

Torquay is still on the lookout for anyone who wants to become a part of the women’s program, both on and off the field – all levels of experience welcomed.