A NUMBER of returning netball players will form the Ararat Eagles netball coaching panel for 2020.
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The club announced that former players and coaches Olivia West, Nat Coghlan and Hayley Lugg will lead the A, B and C grade sides respectively.
West started playing with the Eagles when she first moved to Ararat before joining the Ararat Rats in the Wimmera League where she both played and coached.
"I played (with the Eagles) in 2000 and went to Ararat (Rats) in 2001," West said.
A family connection helped to bring her back to the Eagles.
"My sister plays for Ararat Eagles and I'm getting towards the end so I wanted to have some game time with her at the same club," she said. "Sarah's played here from the start."
West said she wasn't feeling any pressure over leading the Eagles' first A grade side since 2018 after the club failed to get 2019 numbers up.
"They didn't have an A grade last year so it will be nice to have the team filled and ... hopefully be competitive," West said. "The numbers are looking good. At last week's training we had 32 people here and there was a couple of apologies as well."
Coghlan previously coached A and B grade at the club for one season, then took a lengthy break.
Despite that, Coghlan said it didn't take "much convincing" to get her on board after witnessing the hard work the club had put into its recruitment following a difficult 2019, where it struggled to field teams.
"I actually admire what the club has tried to do this year with the football recruiting the young kids and that's something I wanted to be a part of," she said. "I just admire the hard work the club has gone through."
Lugg has a more recent history with the club. She played her junior days as an Eagle before going on to play in the Wimmera League before returning four years ago as a player and a B grade coach, where she led the Eagles to the semi-finals.
"I came back to the Eagles but ended up having a knee reconstruction, so was out of netball for a while," she said.
Looking forward, Lugg said she wanted the side to "enjoy the season".
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