Panthers Premier League Netball is eagerly looking forward to the 2022 Origin Energy Premier League season after the disruptions of the last two years.
The Opens team welcomes Moira Gaha as Head Coach and Elicha Reitsma as Assistant Coach in what will be her first year with the franchise.
For the past two years Gaha was the Panthers U23s Head Coach but is now looking forward to the working with the Opens. Sandra Hadley, mother of Swifts and Diamonds Champion Paige Hadley, returns to the Opens setup again in 2022.
The Panthers Opens side has stayed fairly stable with just a few new players to add to the mix. Sarah Blair and Jasmine Hyde have progressed from Panthers U23s to the Opens, while Emma Thompson has joined from the Victorian Netball League and Olivia Doyle returns to Sydney and representative netball after last playing with the Panthers in 2016.
When asked what she was most looking forward to this year, Gaha said: “Seeing our team grow in confidence and trust as they build on the bonds being made, continue to grow in connection and play quality netball.”
Jenny Barsby, the previous Opens Assistant Coach, has been appointed as the Head Coach of the Panthers U23s for 2022, with Yvette Sheedy welcomed as her Assistant and Rachael Ghobrial looking after Team Manager duties.
While five U23s players have been retained from 2021, four new athletes have progressed through the pathway from the Penrith District Netball Association.
“I am excited to see our new talent blend with our established players,” Barsby said when asked about the upcoming season.
The Panthers are also delighted to have Lisa Beehag returning as High Performance Manager, as well as all Board Members representing the Panthers’ three affiliated Associations: Penrith District, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury City.
The franchise would also like to welcome back the following staff in 2022: Sports Physiotherapy & Work Rehabilitation Centre, Natalie Deegan (S & C Coach), Katelyn Jones (Performance Analyst), Karen Haddad (Performance Psychologist), Holly Edstein (Sports Nutrition).
Find out more about the Panthers’ Premier League Netball teams by visiting their Team Bios page on the Origin Energy Premier League website: https://www.nnswpremierleague.com.au/premier-league-teams/panthers/
