Why the Devils girls coach can’t wait to get started

THE Tasmania Devils’ inaugural NAB League girls coach Emma Humphries cannot wait to get her hands on the squad of 45 to gauge their fitness and endurance at a test day at the TIS in Launceston on November 24.

Announced yesterday as the Devils’ match-day coach as part of a six-member coaching panel, Humphries said she was eager to get started in the role.

The 24-year-old Kangaroos AFLW player will split her time between league games and coaching the state’s elite under-18 girls.

“The test day will give us a guideline to see where the girls are at,” Humphries said.

“It will be like the tests at the Draft Combine, and we will be able to make sure they are up to scratch and if they are not we’ll put in place some programs for them.”

Humphries will be supported by coaching team facilitator Mick Arnold, line coaches Jodie Clifford and Deb Reynolds, and mentor coaches Jim Ransom and Jamieson Smalley, with Smalley appointed the Tasmanianbased assistant coach for the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos AFLW team.

“It’s our first year so we’re starting from scratch and we don’t know what to expect from the girls but I think they will go alright,” Humphries said.

“We’ve got a good plan and a solid coaching structure, so the girls will be in good shape going into the season and hopefully we can have some good success.”

Humphries said participation of girls in footy in Tasmania had exploded. “It has grown massively over the past few years _ I didn’t think we’d have 45 in the squad, I thought it would be more like 35 to start with,” she said.

“It’s going to be good working with a larger number and it will be good for the development of the girls too.

“We’ll meet every Sunday at Campbell Town for training. Our first run will be on December 1.”