Siblings set to go head-to-head at Harry Trott

BY KIERAN ILES
BENDIGO TIMES

SPARE a thought this Saturday for Deb Dupuy – the mother of BFNL A-grade netball coaches Lauren Bowles and Jayden Cowling.

For the first time in more than 20 years of going to watch her siblings ply their netball trade, she will need to navigate divided loyalties.

In a BFNL first, a sister and brother will go head-to-head as rival coaches, as Bowles’ South Bendigo clashes with Cowling’s Kangaroo Flat at Harry Trott Oval.

The sibling rivalry was made possible by Bowles’ return to the BFNL this season, following a prosperous nine years at Heathcote District club White Hills as a playing coach, highlighted by three premierships and multiple grand final appearances.

That followed plenty of premiership success and a Betty Thompson Medal win in 2008 with Kangaroo Flat.

Their first coaching match-up will add a dash of sentiment to the top versus fifth round seven clash – that’s if you could call it a rivalry.

Both are each other’s undoubted biggest supporters.

“It’s going to be exciting more than anything,” Bowles said.

“I’ve been asked quite a bit, wouldn’t you like to be coaching alongside Jay? Of course I would.

“But this is the next best thing, coaching against each other.

“I am so proud of how he has progressed with his coaching – he has done such a wonderful job at Kangaroo Flat.

“He has just picked up on the success the club has already had and done brilliantly with his recruiting this year.

“They are a very slick looking team.

“From a personal perspective, as a sister, I would love for him to win a premiership one day and really savour that success.

“From an opposition coach’s perspective, it would be nice to upset him.

“We play them three times this year, so hopefully the chance comes.

“I feel we are developing as a side and at the end of the year I think we can really put it to them.”

The Bloods will be aiming to bounce back from an upset five-goal loss to Golden Square last week but will again be without star goal shooter Gabe Richards (overseas) and minus defender Amy Leetham.

It comes on top of the loss of defensive stalwart Steph MacCallum a few games into the season due to pregnancy.

More than anyone, Bowles said it would be an interesting day for their mum.

“We have our ladies’ day this Saturday at South, so I think mum will try and occupy herself getting things organised up there,” she said.

“She won’t know what to do.

“She supports both of us and I’m sure she will have a bit of red on and a bit of green on and will be cheering both teams.

“There’s 10 years between Jay and I, so when I first played there (Kangaroo Flat), he was only seven and he was the young boy on the scoreboard.

“When I left (to go to White Hills) he was only 18 and getting into his coaching under Jannelle (Hobbs).

“It’s exciting to see where it’s all ended up.”

Cowling - who has Kangaroo Flat brilliantly placed atop the ladder at 5-0, a game clear of Sandhurst – is eager to see what the first meeting between their teams will produce.

“It’s pretty cool, I don’t think it happens often … I don’t think many netball coaches would get to say they’ve coached against their sister. I haven’t heard of it before,” he said.

“I’m excited. South is a great team. They still have a few out, but it’s still going to be something special going up against my sister.

“I think mum is going to find it tough. I’m not sure what she’s going to wear – maybe a bit of green and a bit of red.

“I reckon she is going be more nervous than Lauren and I will be.

“She still tries to get both games at South and Kangaroo Flat. She’s a big supporter of both sets of players.”

While the pair have not coached against one another before, they have coached together, taking charge of the North Central 17-and-under team at State Titles a few years ago.

It was a special moment for both.

Cowling has kept a close watch on the Bloods during Bowles’ short time in charge and can only emphasise with the cards she had been dealt on the player front.

“It’s been tough to see the players they have lost from the first list she had available, so she has done an amazing job to cover the losses,” he said.

“I’ve only heard fantastic things from South players about what they are building.

“When I first started coaching, she went to White Hills, so it’s exciting to have her back in the league.

“I would have loved to have had her back in Kangaroo Flat colours, but South are a great family club and it’s worked out well for her and the club.”

Following an outstanding pre-season on the recruiting front, which netted former Melbourne Vixen Ruby Barkmeyer, Bendigo Strikers young gun Teal Hocking and six-time A-grade premiership defender Alicia McGlashan, who is back at Dower Park after a stint with South Bendigo, Cowling has been impressed by the Roos’ start the season.

Their playing stocks were given another boost with the return last Saturday of defender Ingrid Hopkins for her first game of the season, after injuring her calf in last year’s grand final.

“It has been a really great start to the year … it’s hard to believe that after this weekend we are nearly halfway through the year and have played everyone once,” Cowling said.

“While I’m happy with how we are tracking, we still have a long way to go.

“Like a lot of clubs, we’ve had to juggle players’ VNL commitments, but it’s probably helped that we have had a few byes here and there to balance that load.

“The great thing about our club is we have so much depth– the A-reserve girls can always step up.

“There are a lot of players throwing their hand up for selection.”

Meanwhile, while things have not exactly played out as well as planned player-wise for South Bendigo, which started with the loss of key recruits Bridget Murray (injury) and Karley Hynes (pregnancy) before the season had even started, Bowles is nonetheless relishing her change of scenery.

“It’s such a professional club. The girls are always so willing to learn,” she said.,

“A-grade has been a little bit up and down, but that’s due to some injuries and pregnancies, but overall, the whole of South – football and netball – we are doing some really great things.

“I am really proud of what we are doing here. And it’s not an overnight change - it takes years to create success.

“I’m confident once our playing group becomes more settled, we’ll be playing our best netball in the second half of the season.”

To accommodate the ladies’ day festivities, Saturday’s A-grade game at Harry Trott Oval will start at 1pm.