GIANTS AFLW star Alicia Eva will take on the role of Head Coach of the AFL NSW/ACT Youth Girls squad with former number one draft pick Nicola Barr as her Assistant.
Eva joined the GIANTS from Collingwood in the most recent AFLW Trade Period after playing every game of the inaugural season.
The former Magpies vice-captain and Best and Fairest runner-up is an accomplished coach, most recently leading the Calder Cannons to the inaugural TAC Cup Girls Premiership.
Eva will take on a new role developing NSW and ACT talent after moving to Sydney for the upcoming 2018 NAB AFL Women’s competition.
Eva and Barr led the first AFL NSW/ACT Youth Girls talent camp last weekend, meeting the girls they will be working with over the coming months.
“Camp one with the girls was a really good experience for myself to get an understanding of who the girls are, and where they are at in terms of their football development,” Eva said.
“The immediate focus is to continue to develop the squads fundamental skills first, to be able to further develop their Footy IQ.
“A big focus for the coaching group is to help fast-track the skills of the girls new to the game and the squad. We have already seen some great work done by Tim Schmidt in this space.
“The really encouraging thing for me as a coach is that these girls have already shown they are highly committed to help drive their own development when away from the squad. “
A former AFL NSW/ACT Ram herself, Barr is excited to be giving back to the sport.
“The talent coming through the ranks is certainly exciting,” Barr said.
“Coming through the system myself, and now having a coaches perspective, I can see the growth in both depth and talent, which has developed over the past few years.
“With the introduction of AFLW, it means these girls can aspire to playing elite football, and this will ensure that the depth of talent in NSW and the ACT continues to grow.”
Eva and Barr will combine their coaching pursuits with pre-season training ahead of the opening round of the NAB AFL Women’s competition in February.
Eva will also ply her trade as a coach with the GIANTS Academy during the AFLW season before moving into a role with the club’s NEAFL team after her own season has finished.
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