There will be a sense of stability as well as change at Pioneer Park, after the club appointed Clare Grimes as netball head coach for the 2027 Ovens and King season.

Mother of outgoing coach and star player Ash Grimes, Clare steps into the role with a netball CV positively glowing with accomplishments.

With experience at club, association and state level, as well as time at the Victorian Netball League, Grimes is well-equipped to lead the A grade netball side, as well as the wider netball program.

While it’s still early in the off-season, Grimes said the work never stops, and she was excited to take up the opportunity to lead the netball program.

“Ash came to me wanting a bit of a change, so it was definitely a handover, not a takeover – she said she’d like to be able to focus on her own game, and asked if I was interested,” Grimes said.

“I had a chat with the incoming president and a few people, and it all went from there.

“I’m really happy to be taking over where it is now, I think the previous coaches have done a great job building it, and Ashleigh certainly lifted the professionalism over the last couple of years.

“It’s a really great place to be, so I’m really excited to jump in there and keep working on what they’ve been building for years.”

The challenge facing Grimes is a daunting one, given the club has never won an A grade flag in the Ovens and King competition, nor even made a grand final.

“We don’t shy away from that, we definitely see that as an opportunity,” Grimes said of the dearth of A grade silverware.

“We’re looking at a lot of different ways we can improve and we know success won’t happen overnight, but we’re looking at a whole-club approach.

“We’re really focussing on our juniors and hoping to bring that right through and set the foundations and systems and culture, and hopefully that will lead to success in the future.

“We are definitely looking at a lot of different options.

“We are in recruitment mode as well as developing our own home-grown talent, and hopefully getting a few back who have had some time off.”