Darley has locked in its new women’s coach for next year’s Ballarat Football League women’s side, who brings AFLW experience to the club.
Danyel Waters joins the Devils next season as the senior women’s coach bringing a wealth of coaching experience from her time in the AFLW, Victorian Football League women’s, Coates Talent League and local level footy.
Coming off the back of her most recent roles as Essendon Football Club’s AFLW Pathway Program head coach and Calder Cannons under-18 girls assistant coach, Waters aid she was impressed by Darley’s reputation and its plans to evolve its women’s program.
“Darley has such strong support for their female program,” she said.
“It’s a testament to a club when they take an already successful team and ask ‘how can we make this even better?’
On the club’s social media, it said Waters had been looking for a club which was willing to take its women’s program to the next level.
She said the Darley role stood out to her.
“When the role came up, it felt like it was meant to be,” she said.
“It’s one thing to have a winning side, but to have a club truly invested in the success of their program, beyond wins and losses, as well as alignment between their women’s and men’s programs, and a stellar culture as well – Darley ticked all the boxes for me.”
Drawing upon her background in nutrition and human movement, Waters feels she has more to give back to community level footy after three years in the pathways space.
She said she was keen to make a better athlete, not just a player.
“Being able to give players knowledge of how to fuel for performance or minimise injury through adequate prep and recovery, that’s something that will set this program apart from the rest” Danyel said.
She plans to design a training program specifically for women’s development.”
The Devils enter next year coming off the back of a third straight premiership.
Waters said she was keen to further grow the program.
“I want to make Darley the destination club; the premier development hub for the Ballarat and western region,” she said.
“I want it to be known as the place female footballers want to come to. That Darley is the gold standard of the league, and not just ours, but other leagues as well.
“To find a club so willing to pour resources into the women’s department and start from the ground up in terms of development, that’s what makes me so excited about my partnership with Darley.
Any interested players can contact the club’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/darleyfnc
