Six months into her tenure as GIANTS head coach, Nerida Stewart is settling into the rhythm of the role - one she has spent years working towards.
This weekend in Sydney, at Qudos Bank Arena, she will lead her side at home for the first time.
It’s not her first match in charge - that came in Bendigo last weekend - but it is a significant moment, both personally and professionally, as she steps out in front of a home crowd in one of the competition’s biggest arenas.
By her own admission, the first six months in the job have been full. Not overwhelming, but dense - filled with planning, learning and the steady build of understanding that comes with stepping into a head coaching role.
“It feels like it’s been about two months,” Stewart said, reflecting on the volume of work already done.
“There’s just been so much content that we’ve covered in the six-month period. But I think it’s been fun, it’s been exciting. I’m just ready to tackle the season now.
“I feel a sense of relaxed excitement about the season ahead. It’s not bad nerves - it’s relaxed excitement, because I know that we’ve got the goods to do the job.”
That sense of belief - in both herself and her playing group - is grounded in a coaching journey that has been built over time, across every level of the game.
From local club environments on the Central Coast to representative teams, pathways programs and high-performance environments, in both the women’s and men’s space, each step has contributed to the way she now leads.
Rather than defining her style, those experiences have given Stewart a framework to draw from - one that continues to evolve.
“I’ve been really lucky to work alongside a whole myriad of amazing coaches. I’m a big believer in stealing off people as a form of flattery. It’s taking the stuff that you really love that lends more to your approach to coaching and how you can shape that to go with your vision.
“It’s [her coaching journey] given me a lot of education around what suits me and how I can apply that to the group that we’ve got.
“It’s trial and error - sometimes you get it right, sometimes you get it wrong and you have to tweak things. But I think that’s what’s exciting about doing this sort of job, you’re constantly learning and you’re constantly growing as a coach and as a person.”
That mindset has carried directly into her first season in charge. Reflecting on last week’s opening game, Stewart’s analysis begins with her own performance, particularly in high-pressure moments.
“For me as a coach, I need to try and be a little bit calmer in those pressure moments,” she admitted.
“And making sure the messaging is very clear.
“And I think for us as a collective it’s just fixing our error rate. It’s really simple fixes. If we get that right, we should be able to deliver a more consistent performance. It’s just inconsistency at the moment.”
After a pre-season rich in detail, Stewart’s focus is on refining how information is delivered so players can act with confidence under pressure.
That understanding has been shaped across all the environments she has coached in - and continues to grow through her willingness to look beyond netball for insight.
“I’m reaching out to a lot of people at the moment. It’s been really great,” she said.
“You’d be stupid if you didn’t have a broader scope for the different areas that you need to tap into.
“People have different skills that you need to lean into, so it’s finding who those people are and making sure that I tap into the right person at the time.”
There is also a strong sense of identity in the way Stewart leads. A product of the New South Wales pathway- both as a player and coach - she brings a personal connection to the system that shapes many of her players.
“I’m blue all the way through,” she said.
“That part of you can shift into your culture, into the story of the team and also tapping into familiar experiences with the juniors that have come through the pathway.”
Stewart is one of three new Head Coaches leading for the first time in 2026, one of them being this week’s opposition in the Melbourne Vixens.
“I think it’s showing that there’s a lot more depth now across the board with coaching.
“For a while there, you saw the same coaches in roles and thought there was probably no room for anyone to get an opportunity. But what it’s showing is that as much as players are fluid within teams, there are also coaching opportunities opening up.
“There are some formidable assistant coaches in this competition doing an amazing job, and there’s opportunity there for those coaches to step up when the time is right.”
It’s a pathway she understands intimately - and one that informs the advice she offers to those coming through.
“Be patient and take opportunities when they’re in front of you and always make sure that it’s something you can learn from, because there’s always something you can learn. It’s not necessarily just about the game, but about the people.”
