Marc Hyland will be taking on the role of head coach for the Cowra Blues Senior Women’s Team this season, stepping up to lead the team on his own once again.
With previous solo coaching experience under his belt, Marc is ready for the challenge, despite the demands of work commitments.
Marc’s primary goal for the upcoming season is to build on last year’s performance by increasing the number of goals scored and continuing to develop a strong team culture.
He’s determined to push the team forward and create improvements, even if they’re small steps.
“Every season is about improving. If we can just do better than last season—kick more goals, win more games, even if it’s just one more game—that would be a success,” Marc said.
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“We really need to focus on keeping our numbers consistent, particularly for away games, and continuing to build the culture around the women’s team.”
One of the key strengths of last season was the team’s resilience.
Marc was particularly impressed by how the players maintained their effort, even when fatigued or short on numbers.
“Even when we were exhausted and tired, not one of the ladies stopped running or gave up,” Marc said.
“They pushed right through to the end of the game, which was really good.
“Hopefully, we can keep that same energy this season,” he said.
As the team prepares for the season ahead, fitness will be a top priority in preseason training.
While the players won’t be touching a football until just before March, a trial match in Canberra against teams from the region will take place in early March to give the team a chance to test their fitness and refine their skills.
“We’ll be focusing on fitness first. We want to build up a bit more endurance so we can handle the games longer,” Marc said.
One of the ongoing challenges for the team is ensuring consistent player numbers, particularly for away games.
Like many small-town teams, Marc acknowledged that balancing work, family, and other commitments can make it difficult to keep players on the field for every match.
“It’s a challenge keeping numbers on the field, especially for away games,” he said.
“Last year, we went to a couple of games with the bare minimum number of players, just so the game could go ahead.”
“But we tend to start the seasons pretty strong, and then life gets in the way—work, kids, all those things,” Marc said.
Both new and returning players expected to show up for preseason training.
For those interested in staying updated, more information about the team’s progress and schedule can be found on the Cowra Blues Facebook page.
“We’ll have some new faces as well as all the faces from last year. It’s going to be an exciting season,” Marc said.
