Off-season change-of-heart sets-up fifth campaign for Coysh

Notwithstanding past successes, Kalgoorlie women’s coach Shane Coysh embarked on the Goldfields Football League’s 2024 campaign with a mindset that it would be his last.

But even before a mass turnover of players from an all-conquering 2023 squad produced a fourth-placed finish and a quick exit from the finals, Coysh was already having second thoughts.

Either way, he had nothing to prove after he had guided the Roos into the GFLW grand final in each of the first three seasons, highlighted by back-to-back flags in 2022-23.

However, it was during an off-season of contemplation and reflection when Coysh decided there was substantial unfinished business with a largely raw but emerging squad.

“It was challenging (last year) but sometimes strangely rewarding as well, because we had new players in and I enjoyed working with those different people,” Coysh said.

“Without being silly about it, I just like the challenge and that probably goes back to when I coached junior basketball and it was never for one of the top teams.

“Not necessarily underdogs, but I like the idea of coaching that team where you can go right back to basics.

“I decided last season that it would be my last.

“But as the year went on, there were players who were aged above 20 but were juniors in a footballing sense and I enjoyed coaching them and watching them develop.

“And there were others who three years ago had never played football and now they’re the senior members of the group.

“Watching them grow and develop too (it) fired me up to go around again.”

Coysh, who formally launched pre-season on Tuesday night, said a lot hinged in 2025 on how many players from last year’s squad were retained.

“Always the most daunting part of pre-season is that you never quite know what numbers you’re going to get,” he said.

“Everyone’s keen until the day of (training), so it’s a fluid thing planning these sessions.”

Under Coysh in the inaugural 2021 GFLW season, Kalgoorlie were minor premiers but lost the grand final against Boulder by three points.