Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong sign Georgia Tilyard as new A grade coach

Tilyard has been unveiled as the Lions' new A grade coach, replacing the partnership of Alice Anderson, Brigette Pritchett and Bec Johnson.

Tilyard has been a mainstay of Tigers' A grade team for the past six years, captaining the team in recent times as well as helping her sister Brooke with the coaching.

The 22-year-old defender has family out at Ganmain and decided the time was right to pursue a fresh opportunity.

"I was up for a new challenge, I guess," Tilyard said.

"I had Tigers A grade at the start of this year, which I really, really enjoyed doing while my sister was away. I just got a taste for it and thought actually I am ready to do this and I'm ready to step up.

"My family's out at Ganmain so I've got a connection out there and they've been trying to get us out there for quite some time now."

MORE SPORT NEWS

Tilyard is excited by taking on her first A grade head coaching role.

"It's a big move and taking on a head coach and A grade coaching role will be a big step up but I think it's something I'm ready to do," she said.

"I've been coaching rep for a few years now, I've been coaching at Wagga Tigers for over seven years so I've had plenty of experience in other areas but this will be my first full season doing A grade but I'm very excited, to be heading out to my family club as well. There's lots of support out there already for me before I even start getting to know the people."

Tilyard farewelled Wagga Tigers at the club's presentation night last weekend, where she bowed out by taking out the A grade best and fairest award.

A school teacher at Lutheran Primary School, Tilyard said it wasn't easy to leave Tigers and described the presentation night as a 'very emotional farewell'.

"Incredibly hard. As I kept saying to Tigers, this isn't a move because I dislike the club or the people or anything like that. I adore the club, I adore the people and that has made it so much harder to leave the friendships that I have behind," she said.

"I just see this as a really good development for myself, I want a new challenge, I want to go somewhere different and have a new experience, see how the club is run differently. Even though they're in the same league, I do think they do things very differently and I'm already starting to learn a few of those things.

"It's a very good opportunity for me to develop myself, as a person, as a coach, as a player. I really want a good family year so it was a very hard decision but I'm feeling really content and I'm super excited to step up to the plate."

Having been apart of strong Wagga Tigers teams, Tilyard knows what it takes to get to the top.

She is not hiding her aspirations to develop GGGM into a finals force but understands that will be a result of development.

"First year, I'm definitely aiming for finals, at the minimum. My ideal is that we want a premiership, that's pretty clear," she said.

"I've played alongside a fair few of the girls from Ganmain and there is a lot of young talent coming through and I'm really excited to work with that and build up what's already out there.

"They've got so many young girls with so much potential, my job is now to develop that. That's my goal for this year, a big development year."

The Lions will gain not only a talented player but a young yet experienced coach who is constantly working at her craft.

She's coached under 17s and B grade at Wagga Tigers for the past seven years and has played representative netball for Wagga, Riverina and the Southern Sports Academy.

She's also taken on a coaching position with the Academy this year, which she hopes will make her a better coach.

"This year I'm also coaching Southern Sports Academy. But I'm learning a lot from them as well, which is exciting because I've got more to bring to Ganmain," she said.

"I've got what I already have but I'm building even more resources. Hopefully a bit more to bring out there."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: