Introducing the Junior Coaches for 2025!
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Nathan Norford (17B), Annan Whittington (19B), Gavin Lloyd (19G), Rebecca Peterson (17G)
Some faces have returned to the coaching role and some new faces have stepped up to the table to take on our Mendi Blackhawks Junior Teams.
Welcoming back the current U17 Coaches back for 2025
Welcoming back U17 Cyril Connell Cup Coach Nathan Norford and U17 Harvey Norman Girls Coach Rebecca Petersen who will again take both the U17 teams. Both Coaches are already looking forward to another year ahead with some old and some new faces joining their squads in 2025.
“Obviously being a young U17 squad we have had a lot of turn over so that’s something we got to take into consideration for next year but there’s enough awesome juniors in North Queensland that are ready to come through and take their place. Were going to start with a fairly big squad, we will have a look at finals in the coming weeks and see how they are travelling between club and school football.” – Nathan Norford U17 Cyril Connell Cup Coach
“Preparing for 2025 will be a new challenge for me because it is going to 6 weeks round instead of 3 and I have learnt a lot about what we will need to do to become a better team to do well in 2025. With selections happening at the moment, I think there is only about 40% of the squad coming back. There is a lot of young talent out there now so it’ll be exciting to see some new faces. We will start a squad of up to 45 girls beginning in October through to early December. ” – Rebecca Petersen U17 Harvey Norman Girls Coach.
Whilst some of their squads will remain the same as both coaches have touched on there will be a turnover of 17-year-olds who will be transitioning into the U19 squads in the 2025 season.
Welcoming the NEW U19s Coaches for 2025
We would like to also welcome to the Mendi Blackhawks Coaching Staff the new U19 Coaches who are both ready to take on a new role and share their knowledge of the game to their squads. U19 Harvey Norman Girls Coach for 2025 is Gavin Lloyd and U19 Mal Meninga Cup Coach for 2025 is Annan Whittington.
“I am looking forward for the year ahead and getting a good group of girls together, speaking to Bec there is a lot of girls who will come up into 19s and will make the step pretty easily, I’ve also been watching local footy and some school games and trying to put together a squad so it should be good. I’m excited to get into pre-season. We are inviting the u/17 playing squad up we have girls from the Northern rep team and a list of girls currently playing open women’s. We are also contacting schools where girls are playing and asking coaches for their opinion on potential players”. – Gavin Lloyd U19 Harvey Norman Girls Coach.
“Happy (Adrian Thomson) spoke to me at the Confraternity Carnival about coming on board in some capacity in our junior pathways and since getting the position, the coaching staff and I have attended RLTD 18s, 20s & A Grade fixtures. We have been watching back footage of this year’s Cyril Connell and Mal Meninga fixtures and we have also kept a close eye on the Blackhawks Schoolboy Trophy and Aaron Payne Cup Schoolboy seasons. We are narrowing our numbers down now and will be sending out invites for a place in our extended squad”. – Annan Whittington U19 Mal Meninga Cup Coach
All coaches are in the process of identifying players for their extended squads. invites will be mailed out to selected players in the coming weeks with pre season training to commence in October and November. Final squads will be cut back and named prior to Christmas.
We look forward to seeing all our 2025 coaches in action throughout the season!!
