Geelong veteran Kate Darby opens up on passion for coaching, helping teammates be their best
Geelong’s Kate Darby kept a busy off-season schedule, with an array of coaching opportunities priming the veteran AFLW utility for life post-footy. But don’t expect her to be barking orders on field.
Geelong veteran Kate Darby is poised for a post-playing coaching career, but says she doesn’t take a mantle of being an on-field coach.
Instead, the 34-year-old is happy to pass on her knowledge to her younger teammates at training heading into her ninth AFLW season, insisting every player took on a role in the leadership of the Cats’ playing group.
While all eyes are now on a round 1 blockbuster against the reigning premier North Melbourne on Saturday, the versatile tall was kept well and truly busy in the off-season with coaching roles within Geelong Falcons’ program, including at last month’s Barwon Showcase, while spending six weeks coaching Surfcoast Suns’ new female high performance academy.
Last week Darby was awarded a AFL Coaches Association Women’s Pathway Scholarship – which is designed to help fast track development of women’s coaches at the highest level – with Cats’ AFL assistant coach James Rahilly to mentor Darby as part of the program.
“Coaching is definitively a pathway I’d be interested in post-career,” Darby said.
“If I can get involved anywhere I can, like the Showcase game … I’m trying to take those opportunities now because I know I’m not exactly at the start of my playing career.
“If I can get into some places now, hopefully that sets us up for opportunities moving forward.”
“But even whether it’s coaching in a serious way or just getting around kids (at junior clinics), it just brings back the joy of footy.”
Darby, who is expected to spend more time in the forward line this season after shouldering the ruck role last year, said her coaching nous tended to come out at training rather than on-field.
“Whether it’s at training and I’ve got some younger players with me, we might be versing each other and it’s ‘if you move here at this time, it might be good’ or feedback with our defenders – Lexi (Gregor) is one of our new defenders and I can talk about as a forward against her what I don’t like and she can make sure she does that against the oppo on the weekend,” she said.
“I definitely don’t see myself as a coach on the field, but all of us take some sort of role in the leadership of the group to make sure we’re helping each other be better players and push each other to be the best we can for the greater good of the team.”
Darby, who coached tennis before starting her football career, revealed she’d previously doubted herself when coaching, but came to know the collective coaching she’d received over 10 years in the game had given her valuable lessons to pass on.
“I’m starting to really understand, anything I can pass onto the younger players is beneficial,” she said.
“I love getting down there (Falcons) and helping out the girls, it’s huge PD (personal development) for myself to keep learning the game but also teaching the game.
“Whatever I learn, if I can bring that to some of the players coming through, it’s really fun.”
This pre-season has seen a student go up against the master, with ex-Falcons ruck Hayley Peck, now a regular opponent for Darby as an AFLW train-on player at Geelong.
“We now verse each other and make jokes all the time, like ‘I’ve taught you that too well if she’s beaten me in a contest’,” Darby said with a laugh.
The relationship between the Cats and Falcons appears strong, Falcons coach Tash Heffernan a figure out on the track at a Cats training session last month, as younger players in Geelong’s program including Georgie Prespakis have also started to dip their toes into the world of coaching.
“I remember when Pres first started here, she was so quiet, I used to say to her: ‘at this training session tonight I want you to say five words’,” Darby said.
“To see her really coming out of her shell, she’s such an incredible footballer and a smart footballer, so for her to be able to pass on her knowledge to those younger players is really important.
“If you’re a younger player coming through the ranks, you’re going to absolutely idolise someone like Pres … to have her as a mentor is super incredible for them.”
For Darby, her philosophy in coaching can be instilled to authenticity and relationships.
“What I would like from people that I work with is that they have the freedom to know they can make mistakes and know that’s a growth thing, that’s not a negative,” she said.
“And to make sure they’re comfortable with you and connected with you that when you do give constructive feedback, it’s not an attack on them as a person, they know you’re on their team.
“And just to try and enjoy it as well.”
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