Jeanfield Swifts are delighted to announce that Damon Neish has joined the coaching and development team. Damon will assume the role of Head of Elite Performance.
Donna Shaw announced the news tonight. As a club we have been talking to Damon for a while and were very keen to get him involved in some capacity. He is a busy coach so It was a case of agreeing something that fitted in with his other commitments, gave him a proper challenge and fitted into our own strategy as a club. It is important to have the right people in our team with the right development mindset in place to make sure we can help these players reach their full potential. We have been stretching all of our staff while the club has been developing and this role is one we have been covering as a group. With Damon now on board and assuming full responsibility we can really drive the club forward and continue to develop our young players. The appointment will allow me to move into my new role of Director of Coaching where I will oversee the development of players by working closely with all the coaches at the club throughout the age groups. Damon has a great record of developing and encouraging young players so we are all excited by the appointment".
Neish will assume responsibility specifically for coaching the U15 and U17 sides, and will also manage the U17s side in conjunction with the present coaching teams. With results at these age groups not critical at Jeanfield Neish's target will be to develop the 15-17 age group into future SWPL players and hopefully stars.
Senior Head Coach Jason McCrindle explained "as a senior side we have achieved great things in recent years and have always tried to do this by developing players. With the Ladies side operating at a higher level this appointment will ensure that the talented younger girls at the club are being prepared as Elite players and to play at SWPL level. I am committed to bringing through young players into my Ladies team and I'm looking forward to working with Damon and having him dedicated to players rather than results at youth level will certainly help the long term future of the Ladies side. We are now attracting players from outwith Perth as we are seen as a club that will put players first, always look to develop them and ultimately get them exposed to SWPL".
Neish was understandably keen to start as soon as possible. "I have missed coaching recently but wanted to take the Christmas period to step back and look at my options. I've always been impressed by the ethos at Jeanfield as they are player focused, and this fits in directly with my own beliefs. I think I have a good reputation for developing players and to me this role looks like the perfect fit. There are some incredibly talented girls at U15s and U17s but also right down the age groups here and I think the club have been forward-thinking in bringing me in to concentrate on Elite player development . This year the club has seen four players selected for National Squads and I'd like to think I can help maintain and improve this and most importantly play my part in helping Jeanfield provide the full national squad with players in due course".