NEW Terang Mortlake coach Alison Kenna says she is up for the challenge of her first crack at football mentoring.
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The former Kolora-Noorat premiership netballer and A grade coach replaces the club's inaugural female football mentor Tania Barbary.
Kenna said the wheels were set in motion for her appointment when the Western Victoria Female Football League gave the green light for a season in 2020.
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"In recent weeks since we were informed that a season could go ahead Tania said she couldn't do it due to work so it came down to me," she said.
"I was team manager last year and I loved it as it was such a positive and happy environment.
"My daughter (Sophie, 13) was too young and trained with the girls and they were all terrific but now she is old enough to play and I was going to be there a lot so I thought 'why not (take on the role)'."
Kenna said Sophie and her other daughter Matilda, 11, preferred football over netball and were glad to see the district establish its own female side last season.
The St Pat's Camperdown and St Thomas Terang PE teacher said there were no expectations on the side this year following three wins in their first season.
Kenna, who learnt the game by watching her father Gerard, her uncles and brothers play, praised Barbary for how she set up the team.
"It's such a positive and happy environment and Tania created that and didn't want to put a lot of pressure on the girls to master set plays," she said.
"It was just real basics, learning to kick and handball, playing as a team and it was an environment where they had a lot of fun.
"There was no expectations in the first year and we came away with three wins and they were thrilled with that and I hope to pick it up from here.
"There will again be no expectations. It is just about providing opportunities for girls in the district to play footy if that's what they want to do."
The Bloods return to training at 4.30pm next Wednesday. The WVFFL junior competition starts on August 1.
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
