Cassia Colbeck, a senior Tigers player and 2015 premiership coach in the Picola District League, has been reinstated after a year out of the game while pregnant.
Colbeck has a long-standing association with the club, as does her maiden name, Saunders.
“My older brother Tyson was an assistant and head coach, so I came over and coached netball for four years and won a title here,” Colbeck said.
“My younger sister Tesslyn coached for a couple of years, but COVID also made that difficult.
“My mum Vicki helps out on meals in the canteen too, so we have a lot of people out there for sport but also contributing to the community.”
Colbeck’s work will be cut out for her in the early going, tasked with trying to lead Katamatite out of the PDL netball doldrums.
The side notched only a single win in 2023 — over wooden spooner Blighty, which failed to register one — and significant work will be ahead for the next campaign.
According to Colbeck, though, the side will be primed for an immediate push back up the table, with a trio of contributors — herself included — returning to the game after becoming mothers.
“This year was hard without the usual goaling combination; we had some key injuries as well,” Colbeck said.
“It was a challenging season, but they started to focus on developing younger players, which was good to see.
“I’ll be looking to continue the work Tess has done with a mix of youth and experienced players.”
Optimism extends beyond mere performance on the court at Katamatite, though, with the club described by Colbeck as making “a lot of family orientation” its priority.
“There’s an excitement around for the new players and families coming to the club, which we welcome,” Colbeck said.
“Hopefully, everyone is well, and we really encourage women coming back to sport after being mums.
“For us who had this year off, we’re really excited to hit the court again come November.”
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