“I wasn’t really interested in coaching at all,” she laughed.

“But I’m originally from Terang and I’ve always been interested in Terang Mortlake.

“They approached me.

“I thought about it for a few days and then said yes.”

Payne will lead the Bloods’ senior side this year after crossing from Nirranda, where she coached all three of the Blues’ senior teams in 2009.

“I was at Nirranda for years,” she said.

“First as a player, then I coached juniors and then I coached the three senior grades.”

The Boggy Creek Pub owner was looking forward to the upcoming season.

“We’ve had good numbers at training so far,” she said.

“We’ve got some good younger girls and some good experienced players.”

One of those experienced players is last season’s coach Jess O’Connor, who will give the Bloods a massive boost.

She will return to the court after giving birth to daughter Indi in November.

Like most teams at the start of the season, Payne’s early goal was for Terang Mortlake to make finals.

After going down in the 2008 grand final, last year the Bloods bowed out in the preliminary final against Koroit.

Other players from last season’s side who are staying at the club include Renae Meade, Aimee Arundell, Megan McKenzie and Virginia Moloney, while O’Connor was unsure if Tania Barbary would line up again.

Josie Ellerton has gone to South Warrnambool, Mandy Condon is coaching Panmure, Belinda O’Connor is travelling overseas, while Siobhan Sefton isn’t expected to line up for the Bloods again.

Another loss for the side is Hayley Plozza, who will be the joint coach of Cobden.

Plozza, who was the league’s third highest goal scorer last year after netting 507 goals, will share the role with non-playing coach Kathryn Robertson.

Last year’s coach Lisa Gardner is staying with the Bombers.