Elin Salase-Edmonds from Dalby Diehards women’s team crowned as town’s best coach for 2021

Dalby’s best coach for 2021 has attributed her win to her wonderful team of ‘amazing girls’, who throughout the season improved and won against tough competition in the region.

Dalby’s best coach for 2021 has attributed her achievement to her “holy moly” team of superstar women in the Diehards women’s team.

Elin Salase-Edmonds won out against several other inspiring sporting coaches across Dalby to be crowned the town’s best for 2021.

The superstar coach took on the open women’s side role as its first woman coach in Diehards history, with Salase-Edmonds saying it was a stressful, yet rewarding season.

“We had a mixture of those who had played rugby league before, and those who had never played, so we taught them a lot of the basics at the beginning of the season,” she said.

Elin Salase-Edmonds and her grandson Elijah. Picture: Facebook

Salase-Edmonds said her players learnt everything from the technicalities of passing in league, to the rules of tackling.

The side took on their new-found skills with both hands, and executed their game plans throughout the season, with two matches standing out in particular for the coach, who also played as the team’s number 7.

“The game against [Toowoomba] Brothers was special as my brother had just passed away, and my girls had stepped up for me to win that, so that was pretty emotional,” she said.

“Then our win against Pittsworth, holy moly, that was on another level.

“They didn’t look like the team we started with at the beginning of the year, but that day they were just the ‘holy moly’ team.”

The team played against stiff competition across the Darling Downs, encountering teams who had been playing for years, with players who had made representative sides such as the Parramatta Eels development squad.

Even in the face of this, Salase-Edmonds said her team could hold their heads up high after a terrific season of camaraderie and sportsmanship.

“Women’s squads in Dalby after definitely growing in rugby league, and in other codes such as rugby union and AFL,” she said.

“There’s so many people interested in coming next season to have a run, even if they haven’t played before.”

Dalby’s best coach for 2021 said if players were keen to have a go next year, they would be joining an “amazing bunch of women” from all walks of life.

“It’s fun to find new things and grow, and if they’re keen to have a good laugh with an amazing team, they should come down and play for the Diehards,” Salase-Edmonds said.