Nirranda appoints Maddie Hunger as 2024 A grade netball coach

Maddie Hunger, who led the Blues' A reserve side to this year's flag as playing-coach, will take the helm of the club's A grade team as it aims to win its third consecutive Warrnambool and District league premiership next year.

She replaces Lisa Arundell who has taken the reins at Port Fairy in the Hampden league.

Hunger jumped at the chance to coach the top grade, though it wasn't something she always sought to do.

"It was just the fact that an opportunity arose and I enjoy doing it," she told The Standard.

"It was too good of an opportunity to knock back really, especially with the same sort of playing group hanging around. (I thought) may as well have a crack and see how we go."

Hunger said the club was likely to retain most of its lists across all three grades after a season where its A grade and A reserve sides won flags while the B grade outfit made the preliminary final.

"It's good to have a good group that's hanging around, that's what I'm most excited about. It's just a really good place to be at the moment," she said.

The premiership mentor confirmed star midcourter Jo Couch, the winner of the past two Wilma Wallace Medals for the league's best and fairest, would return for the Blues next season alongside champion goal-attack Steph Townsend.

She said most of the side's other players were also onboard, with the potential for recruits to join.

"There's a few past players that we're hoping to get back at the club as well which will be good," she said.

"The likes of Hayley Pouw will be coming back too and then we're fortunate to have a lot of depth through the ranks with the A reserve and B grade both being really strong teams as well.

"So there'll be good opportunities for girls to have a go up playing through the ranks hopefully and some junior development too."

Hunger, who will continue playing in whichever grade she is selected, said the only expectation she had of the side was to "have a really fun year."

"Everyone's really good friends out there, so just making sure we've got a really good social group and success follows that a little bit I believe," she said.

The new Blues A grade mentor said her coaching style centred on developing positive relationships with the players.

"I'm probably a people person and I'm very vocal which can be positive or negative," she said.

"I like to think of myself as someone who puts the players first and I place a high emphasis on relationships.

"I'm just someone who likes to really know my players and have good relationships with them to get the best performance I can out of them. (I'm) hoping to develop those skills and really if you look at the team, it's a team that virtually leads itself so I'm just there to guide them."

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