Two of Netball SA’s most dedicated officials within The Hospital Research Foundation Group Premier League have been recognised for their achievements in coaching and umpiring.
Leanne Eichler, Head Coach of the Contax Netball Club’s Premier League side, has taken out the 2024 Nippy’s Performance Development Coach of the Year Award.
Chloe Grosser has been named FruChocs Premier League Umpire of the Year for her outstanding officiating on court.
Over the 2024 season, Leanne has shown an unwavering commitment to the development of the club's personnel, delivering programs to junior and senior players.
Leanne took up the mantle of Premier League Head Coach, High Performance Director and worked closely with Thunderbirds, SASI and Netball SA pathway programs as a mentor to develop the next generation of players.
Leanne’s work over her time in the development space include:
- Helping nine Contax athletes transition to SSN players
- Worked closely with five of Contax’s/Thunderbirds Futures players in this year’s SSN Reserves season.
- Coached back-to-back Premiership seasons with the Contax Netball Club in 2023/24
- Had three debutants make their Premier League debut in 2024
- Nine of her players were selected in the NSA’s State 19U and 17U who all came from her Futures Academy
- Through her coach and club player development programs, 31 of 36 Contax teams made finals
Leanne’s ability to identify and nurture local athletes has been instrumental to the success of her club and wider Netball SA community, making her the deserving winner of the Nippy’s Performance Development Coach of the Year for 2024.
Grosser was successful both on and off the court in 2024, adding a list of accolades to her name for her umpiring capabilities.
She is an A Badge Umpire who was selected as one of three SA umpires to officiate the National Netball Championships in April this year.
Additionally, Grosser umpired the AT Futures inaugural competition where she proved she could umpire at the elite level, earning her first selection to umpire the Premier League Grand Final.
Grosser has proven her commitment to the game and is always respectful and supportive of players and coaches when umpiring.
In her nomination, she was described to have navigated adversity during the season extremely professionally and has always shown a willingness to grow and develop as an umpire, making her a worthy recipient.
Both Leanne and Chloe accepted their awards at Netball SA’s Awards Gala on October 4th.
