Women’s sevens coach Tim Walsh wary of player poachers

Australia’s women’s sevens coach Tim Walsh expects rival sports to try and poach members of his champion squad.

Women’s sevens coach Tim Walsh with players, from left, Alicia Quirk, Emilee Cherry, Evania Pelite and Ellia Green. Picture: Brett Costello

Australia’s women’s sevens coach Tim Walsh expects rival sports to attempt to poach members of his Olympic gold medal-winning squad but he’s confident they will stick with rugby.

Walsh recruited players from several sports, such as rugby league and touch football, to populate the Olympic sevens squad, which has become the world and Olympic champions. He is concerned those players in turn will become targets for rival codes.

World women’s sevens player of the year, Charlotte Caslick, said earlier in the week that she would be keeping an eye on sports such as AFL and rugby league.

“I’m sure they would be interested,” Walsh said. “These girls are incredible athletes. If I was the other codes, I’d be looking at it.

“They are very well established. They are relatively well looked after. We get the opportunity to go to the Olympics.

“We do have a big point of difference. The other thing is we ­really enjoy what we do. I don’t think there is too much danger of those girls jumping. But you never know. That could happen.

“I think it is great for women’s sport to have all of those sports ­giving the opportunity to girls to play elite, professional sport.

“It’s fantastic and, to be honest, there is a lot of talent out there. It’s just cultivating it and getting coaches and programs and giving them opportunity to play. There is enough to go around.”

Walsh said his players’ salaries, which average $55,000, were ­competitive with other sports such as the new AFL women’s comp­etition, which will pay players between $8500 to $27,000.

“From what I have read they are definitely competitive, but still not where we want it to be,” Walsh said. “They are growing and we are heading in the right direction.

“We do everything we can to look after these girls and I know the ARU is pushing and trying to make ways to increase their salaries to make it comparable to the (Australian sevens) men.”

Walsh’s latest “transitional” player is 17-year-old Hannah Southwell, who played goalkeeper for the Newcastle Jets W-League soccer team.

Along with new faces Emma Sykes and Shanice Parker, Southwell made her debut for the Australian sevens team at the Oceania tournament in Fiji last weekend.

“Two and a half years ago I saw Hannah at a NSW talent ID day,” Walsh said. “Very impressed with her. Ever since then we have been monitoring her and now at 17 it was a good time to bring her in.

“She is like a power forward. A power runner. Very strong, and she can move. She is very agile.

“She falls into the Sharni ­Williams and Shannon Parry mould, a little bit bigger, more powerful, but can pass left and right 15 metres and she can step, too. Pretty dangerous.”

With injuries to Elia Green and Brooke Walker, Walsh said there was a chance the rookies could force their way into the squad for the opening round of the world ­series in Dubai next month.

“There’s a possibility,” Walsh said. “The way they performed they proved they are there or thereabouts, particularly Emma. The way she slotted in as that ball player was really good.

“We have a couple of niggles in the ball player role. Closely looking at Emma to see how she goes. If Hannah gets the nod as well, it will be great for her to get that experience and build that depth that we are after, but without taking our eye off performing in round one and getting off to a good start.”

Walsh will attend the national sevens championships in Adelaide this weekend to scout more potential players for his squad. “There’s younger players coming through. It would be awesome to uncover someone there,” he said.