Following the appointment of VFLW Senior Coach, Mitch Skelly, the Darebin Falcons have finalised its 2020 VFLW coaching panel.
Julia Chiera remains on board as an assistant coach and will be joined by Roi Boutsikakis and Susan Cadman. The three assistants will look after the midfield, defenders and forwards respectively.
Matthew Skubis, who joined the Falcons in 2019 as an assistant and specialist ruck coach, will be the Club’s VFLW Senior Assistant Coach in 2020.
Rounding out the 2020 coaching panel is Under 18’s 2019 Premiership Coach Mat Poultney who will join the VFLW program as a development coach.
With pre-season training underway, Club President Sarah Brady, is impressed with the strengths and structure of the 2020 VFLW coaching panel.
“We are so pleased with the makeup of the 2020 VFLW coaching panel. We believe we have assembled an excellent spread of coaching experience from elite AFL/AFLW level through to community level in order to cater for the range of experience within our playing group.
The focus of this coaching group will continue to be individual player development, as evidenced by the four players we had drafted this year. We also want to strengthen our connection to our community teams and instil our brand of Darebin football right across the senior program. We believe this coaching group will do that.”
VFLW Coaching Panel (l-r): Susan Cadman, Matthew Skubis, Mitch Skelly, Julia Chiera, Roi Boutsikakis and Mat Poultney.
Meet the 2020 VFLW Assistant Coaching Panel:
Julia Chiera – Assistant Coach (midfield)
Julia is a three-time Darebin Premiership player, Life Member and former Club President. 2020 will be her third season as a VFLW Assistant Coach. Julia was also Head Coach of Darebin’s inaugural Division 2 team and has recently graduated from AFL Victoria’s ‘She Can Coach’ program. Julia has also had experience at the highest level having served as Carlton’s Player Welfare Manager for the 2019 AFLW season.
Roi Boutsikakis – Assistant Coach (defence)
Roi’s football CV is extensive. She is a four-time Darebin Premiership player, 2007 Lisa Hardeman Medalist, Victoria State Representative (1999-2001), was named at Full Back in Darebin’s Silver Jubilee Team and also named in the VWFL’s ‘Team of the 2000s’. Roi recently returned to the Falcons in 2019 as the gameday coach for the Club’s Masters team. Throughout her teaching career, Roi has also coached girl’s school football for many years, with her intermediate group winning the State Championships in 2019.
Susan Cadman – Assistant Coach (forwards)
Susan has played a majority of her senior football for the Gungahlin Jets in Canberra. She has been an ACT and NSW state representative, named in the Canberra Women’s Team of the Year five times and was also named at Full Back in the Canberra Women’s Team of the Decade (2008-2017). In terms of coaching Susan was an Assistant Coach for the Gungahlin Jets from 2015 to 2018, including their premiership year in 2016. She has also had elite level experience as an AFL Canberra Assistant Coach and a GWS Giants Academy Coach. Susan joined Darebin in 2019 as the Club’s Division 1 Assistant Coach and together with Division 1 Senior Coach, Elise Casamento, took the team all the way to a Preliminary Final.
Matthew Skubis – Senior Assistant Coach
Matthew has played over 180 games of state league football in Queensland, including a premiership in 2008 with the Western Magpies. Matthew’s coaching and elite level experience is vast including; Western Taipans summer development coach, Brisbane Lions AFL senior team runner, Gold Coast Suns NEAFL senior team runner and bench coach and Gold Coast Suns Academy part time ruck coach.
Mat Poultney – Development Coach
Mat has played state league football in Western Australia and Tasmania, plus a stint in the Mortlock Football League in country Western Australia before injuries curtailed his career at the age of 24. Mat turned his hand to coaching this year taking the reins of Darebin’s Under 18s team and winning the 2019 Under 18s NFNL Premiership. As a development coach, Mat’s focus will be on individual skill development and fostering the link between the VFLW and community football programs.
Senior football pre-season training has commenced in preparation for the 2020 season. Training is on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6:30pm at AH Capp Reserve, Halwyn Crescent, Preston. All current and prospective VFLW and NFNL players are welcome.
For more information, contact the Club via: [email protected]