Rhys Cahir has taken over as head coach of the Greater Western Victoria Rebels TAC Cup girls squad.
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Cahir steps into the role that was left vacant when previous coach Jeff Whittaker decided to stand down due to personal and work reasons.
Rebels female talent coordinator Krista Woodroffe thanked Whittaker for all the time he had put into the side over the past year.
“It will be good for Jeff to take on a new role as our coaching and player mentor,” she said.
“It will give our players more one-on-one involvement with our coaching staff, and for the coaches as well.
“Jeff has had acquired great experience over the last few years and it is very important for us to keep him in our program.”
Cahir coached Mininera and District Football League club SMW Rovers from 2011 to 2013.
He left the Rovers and joined Dunnstown in the Central Highlands Football League as playing assistant coach in 2014.
“We’re excited to have Rhys as our head coach for the remaining eight rounds,” Woodroffe said.
“He’s been heavily involved with everything we’ve done from a coaching standpoint this season and our players really respond to him.”
The change in coach comes after the first game of the season for the Rebels.
The GWV team went down to the Eastern Ranges by 19 points.
The Rebels will return to the field for a round two clash against the Geelong Falcons at Ballarat’s Marty Busch Reserve on Sunday.
It is the club’s first home game for the year and is a must-win clash to stay within reach of the top two teams.
The Falcons are coming off a dominant 20-point win against Sandringham in their season opener and will provide a strong test for the Rebels on their home ground.
The match will give a good indication of whether the Rebels are likely to be a contender this year after missing out on finals and finishing in seventh position in 2017.
The Rebels had four individual goal kickers in the opening match and will be hoping to continue spreading the load across the team, rather than focusing on individual efforts from a handful of players.
With only nine rounds in the TAC Cup girls competition, early season wins are vital to build momentum and set up a spot in the finals.
The team had not been announced for this weekend’s clash at the time of printing.
The first bounce for the round two clash is scheduled for 1pm.
