Kate Dobson, Chris McLaren to coach at Koroit Football Netball Club in 2022

Seven-time premiership player Kate Dobson has jumped aboard as the Saints' open netball mentor while Chris McLaren has re-signed as senior football coach.

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Dobson, 42, will be non-playing mentor having previously been a joint co-coach as a player.

The nurse practitioner, who is a mother-of-three, said she was excited to lead the club again.

"I have always enjoyed the challenge to get the best out of each individual and break things down," she said.

"I was lucky in my career being surrounded by some really good netball girls with a lot of knowledge and I just want to give some of that back.

"I am very lucky to be involved at a club with such good ethics and just the way it runs means its success speaks for itself."

McLaren, 41, will go into his sixth straight season as football mentor.

"It's technically four-and-a-half after we didn't play last year and only half of this year," he said.

He said the backing of his senior players was a catalyst for recommitting.

"As a coach I feel you always have a lifespan," he said.

"Going into the season I thought this would most likely be my last year but a couple of phone calls off two or three of the senior players in the middle of the year, just asking what I was doing encouraged me to go again.

"The majority of the senior group were keen for me to go again."

McLaren said seeing the Saints' youth filter through the team also spurred him on.

"I enjoy giving those guys opportunities and enjoy trying to help them," he said.

He said the club was looking at doing training options with its young players after pandemic restrictions had sidelined them for large chunks of the past two seasons.

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