Melton Centrals have announced they will re-sign coaches Randy Pereira and Doug Mitchell for 2022 Riddell District Netball League.
In a Facebook post last week, the club announced the news with comments from the pair saying they are “looking forward to 2022”.
This year the club was on top of the B-grade and C-grade ladders when the season was called off. The under-19s were also in a finals position.
Speaking to Star Weekly, Pereira said they plan on “trying to get all our teams into finals” and that they “have some terrific young talent to work with”.
“We are excited about the future of our netball teams and the club as a whole,” he said.
Pereira said that despite last season being “bitter sweet” due to the pandemic, he is “really looking forward to next year”.
“At least we know we get a season,” he said.
The A-grade team, which finished eighth this year, is expected to look a lot different, with most of the players set to be under 30.
Even Centrals’ B-grade will have three teenagers playing, including two under-15s. He said the club was in a rebuilding phase.
Pereira said the chance to play against more advanced teams will be a “good learning curve” for the girls.
“It’s also the way I like to go,” he said.
Pereira said he’s found younger players have “more enthusiasm” and “less back chat”.
“I’m getting too old for back chat.”
Next season will be Pereira’s 15th as the Centrals’ coach, including an unplayed season last year.
He said he hasn’t been able to find “somebody who can take over, that the girls like, who can look after the club,” but said that Mitchell is a “good thing”.
“He knows what he’s doing,” he said.
Trials are expected to run mid-late November or early December after the club knows more from the Victorian government on restrictions for team sport.
