Drysdale’s new coach happy to be home
THE lure of returning to her home club, combined with the challenge of lifting a team from the bottom end of the table, was enough to convince Olivia Young to take the reins as Drysdale coach next season.
Young, who played all her junior netball with the Hawks (then as Olivia Wilson), makes the switch from Barwon Heads, where she has served as playing coach for four years.
The highly respected mentor said she always planned on returning to Drysdale and conceded it was too hard to say no when approached to take the coaching role for 2020.
“I thought it was time to head back there with all of my nieces and nephews there, and with a daughter now as well,” Young said.
“I played my juniors there and start of seniors, and I have had two years at Grovedale and now four at Barwon Heads, so it is a good time.
“I really enjoy coaching and taking Barwon Heads from the lower part of the ladder to where they were, that is something Drysdale needs and I was going home to play regardless, so when they offered the coaching role it was hard to say no.
“It is a work in progress, so we will work on some things and get some more depth and hopefully we (can improve) in the next couple of years.”
Drysdale has finished eighth in each of the past three seasons and has not played finals since 2016.
Young said while there was enough talent to work with at the Hawks, she would be aiming to bring some experienced players to the club next year.
“Having played against them and coaching against them, Drysdale was quite young,” she said.
“So we probably need some experience in there to be able to bring the juniors up. Some of the younger ones have been in A-grade quite a while, but if they had some people around them with a bit more experience they could really shine.
“So something like that, someone in each third, that would build us up. They are quite a good side, but they just couldn’t sustain it for a full game and each quarter, and that is when teams get on top of you.”