State U18 Youth Girls coaches appointed

The WAFC congratulates Michelle Harris and Kara Donnellan, pictured, on being appointed as Assistant Coaches to the State U18 Youth Girls Coaching team.

Harris and Donnellan will work with returning Head Coach Michelle Cowan, who was recently named Female Football Woman of the Year at a gala celebration in Melbourne.

Harris was reappointed to the coaching panel following a very successful two years with the team, one as Head Coach and more recently as an Assistant Coach.

As a teacher and lecturer she brings a wealth of knowledge and stability to the position. She is a highly respected Head Coach in the South West region of WA, coaching some of the elite youth boy’s teams and capping off the 2013 season with a Grand Final win.

Donnellan is a three-times All Australian player and earned her first WA All Australian status in 2013 in Cairns where the WA team finished second to Victoria. She is a passionate player and even more passionate developing coach who hopes to share all her skills and knowledge with the WA Youth Girls in 2014.

She is currently studying PE teaching and working with Swan Districts Football Club delivering football clinics in her spare time.

Michelle Cowan will lead the team, having capped off a brilliant 2013 by representing WA at the Melbourne High Performance Academy and being named as Melbourne’s coach for the first AFL Women’s Draft game at the MCG in Women’s Round.Her side defeated the Western Bulldogs team led by Peta Searle from Victoria.

Cowan was also the inaugural Head Coach of the first female Australian team the “Breeze” who played in New Zealand in October. She also achieved success with the South Fremantle Reserves team winning the WAFL Reserves Grand Final in September.

The State U18 Youth Girls will attempt to win WA’s first ever Youth Girls National Championship title in 2014 when the event is played in Canberra in May.

Last year’s team made the Grand Final and were in front up to half time, but inaccurate kicking in the third quarter cost them game. Following on from the success of the State 16’s in Darwin in 2013, this year’s group of 18s is sure to form a formidable side for 2014.

Training will begin on Sunday January 5 at All Saints College at 9am. All Saints College will again support the program by being the premier training venue for the female State teams and the WAFC Talent Academy.