Two high achievers from within The Hospital Research Foundation Group Premier League competition have been recognised for their achievements in the coaching and umpiring spaces.
Jacqui Illman, head coach of the Matrics Netball Club Premier League side, is the 2022 Performance Development Coach of the Year Award while Chloe Grosser is the Umpire of the Year for the competition.
Illman has a long standing association with Matrics Netball Club, having played through the Junior and Senior ranks through to Premier League, the Commonwealth Bank national trophy and the Australian World Youth team.
Since 2009, she has been the head coach of Matrics and in that time has participated in 11 grand finals, securing six premierships for the club.
During this period she has undertaken significant personal development attaining elite level coaching status and became an Assistant Coach of the Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2020.
Illman also plays a key role in the development of junior players at Matrics, overseeing 43 teams and offering assistance to coaches, umpires and players with specialised training sessions.
In 2022, she led the Matrics side to a premiership and less than a month later, took South Australia’s Southern Force side to a Championship victory at the Australian Netball Championships in Victoria.
Chloe Grosser was selected by Netball SA’s Pathway Manager and High Performance Umpire Panel, taking into account nominations from her peers.
She was chosen for her outstanding 2022 season, during which she received her A badge and was allocated to umpire The Hospital Research Foundation Premier League Grand Final.
Receiving multiple nominations from her fellow umpires, Grosser was acknowledged for her dedication to the field and willingness to support her peers in their own development.
Known for being approachable and helpful, she is a deserving winner for not only her own successes but also her care for others and commitment to umpiring in general.
Grosser and Illman received their awards at the Netball SA Awards Gala.
