SAVVY Swans recruiting has secured proven premiership coach Leesa Battistello to lead an on-court rebuild.
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Battistello, a Dunnstown premiership coach and Central Highlands best and fairest winner, has signed with Ballarat Swans as a netball coach and director.
Keen to get started, Battistello has already started analysing the roster and actively recruiting to complement the existing Swans’ playing list.
The Swans are determined to be competitive again after a winless Ballarat Football Netball League A-grade season.
“I look at it as an exciting project and I’m moving to a whole new league,” Battistello said.
“I knew their record last season coming into the club but I saw this more as an opportunity to come in and help build the club.
“...Ballarat has traditionally always had awesome under-19s and we want to carry that through.”
Battistello said it was a hard decision to leave Dunnstown, where she has played the past nine years and coached the past eight seasons – netting the Towners’ first A-grade netball title in 2010 after reaching the Central Highlands Netball League grand final for a fourth consecutive year.
Battistello said she was excited about starting a new chapter.
There are a lot of familiar faces about the league for Battistello in former Towners rivals or teammates, like her premiership co-coach Georgia Cann who is now Sebastopol head coach, and those she has played alongside or against in Ballarat Netball Association premier competition.
The Swans is also the club where Battistello’s husband Mathew had a long playing career.
“I knew it was a great club when I joined and I really want to help on the netball side of things,” Battistello said.
“It’ll be a big change but there is such a young and enthusiastic committee here. I really like it.”
Brown Hill premier reserves coach Karen Goonan joins the Swans as reserves coach.
Swans’ netball pre-season training officially starts on February 5.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au