An accomplished netballer in her own right as Adelaide Thunderbird #21, Illman debuted for the Club in 2000 against the Queensland Firebirds. She has coached Netball SA Premier League side Matrics since 2011 with a short break in 2013, taking the team to premiership glory four times, most recently in 2019.
Illman has a demonstrated history of developing athletes for further success on the high-performance pathway, and also recently completed the Netball SA Targeted Coach Program.
Adelaide Thunderbirds Head Coach, Tania Obst, says she is delighted to welcome Jacqui Illman to the Adelaide Thunderbirds for season 2020.
“Having worked with Jacqui previously and in her role with Matrics, she has demonstrated the skill set and expertise to fill the specialist coach role. Jacqui has also played at the elite level and comes with an appreciation of the demands required as an athlete,” said Tania.
“I would like to take the opportunity to thank Cathy for her work with our program over the past year. Whilst I am disappointed to see Cathy return to Victoria, I ultimately respect her decision and wish her all the best in her new role.”
Jacqui says she is excited by the opportunity to join the club's coaching ranks.
“I’m obviously very excited about this new opportunity to work with the Adelaide Thunderbirds alongside Tania Obst and Nat von Bertouch,” said Jacqui.
“I’m looking forward to being involved in a high-performance program in the best netball competition in the world and working with such elite athletes.”
“This is a great opportunity for me to not only develop my own coaching and understanding of high-performance environments, but also to contribute to the future success of the Adelaide Thunderbirds and South Australia’s performance on the national stage.”
“As a past player and proud South Australian I am eager to give back to the Club and am excited to be working with the next generation of Adelaide Thunderbirds particularly in this time of unprecedented growth for the sport.”
Cathy Fellows to depart Adelaide Thunderbirds
This announcement comes following the news that Cathy Fellows, existing Assistant Coach, will return to Victoria in a position split across the Victorian Institute of Sport and Netball Victoria.
Fellows will officially depart following the Suncorp Team Girls Cup preseason tournament in March and the Club wishes to acknowledge the contribution that she has made in the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Pathway environment over the past year, respecting her decision to return home.
