Chatfield, 29, was persuaded by older brother Danny, the Bombers senior football coach, to take up the top netball job at the Reid Oval-based Warrnambool and District league club.

“I’m excited to join up. Obviously helping my brother this year and the family connections brought me here,” she said. “It will be the first time I have coached and I have always wanted to do it. Danny said I should go for it and I did but I didn’t expect it to come so quickly.”

Chatfield is a two-time premiership player at Dennington (2016-17), where she was an equal club best and fairest winner and runner-up once. The mother-of-one played at Allansford in 2018 where she was captain of the Cats’ A grade side. 

The Warrnambool Primary School teacher aid said she was eager to draw players capable of playing A grade to her side in the off-season.

“Hopefully we can encourage players to stay and we can get stronger,” she said.

“But we also want to attract girls who have the capacity to play A grade but have been stuck in the lower grades.

“We want these girls to push and come to East and play in our top side.”

Chatfield will don the red and black dress for the first time since the Bombers went through undefeated to claim the 2011 B grade flag.

The goal attack/wing attack will lead East Warrnambool in an on-court capacity.

Justin Balmer has stepped down as president of the club with Allan Miller taking up the role in 2019.