The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos continue to go from strength to strength with further signings bolstering the side's off-field capabilities.
Lauren Morecroft will join the coaching ranks as North’s AFLW/VFLW assistant coach, supporting coach Scott Gowans and senior assistant coach Dennis Armfield.
Morecroft played a handful of games for the Western Bulldogs in 2017 before joining Essendon’s VFLW program as a playing assistant coach.
Selected by AFL Victoria for the ‘She Can’ coaching program which develops the next wave of female coaches, Morecroft will be a valuable addition. She holds a Bachelor in Applied Science (Physical Education).
Jackson Kornberg has been appointed football performance coach, bringing with him two years’ of experience as assistant coach at Carlton AFLW.
Kornberg has long been involved with the Sandringham Dragons U18 boys program including the past three years as a line coach, and this year was appointed senior assistant for the Vic Metro U18 boys program competing at the National Championships. He holds a Bachelor of Exercise Science & Human Movement and Sport & Recreation Management.
Esther Hassett will also join the Kangaroos as player development coordinator, coming across from the Bulldogs where she was the AFLW leadership and development coach.
Hassett has a long playing and coaching history with Melbourne University Women’s Football Club and holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Graduate Diploma of Education (Primary).
Kate Gordes, currently working at the Disability Forensic Assessment and Treatment Service, will undertake a role as provisional performance psychologist, bringing experience from her time at Richmond as well as the Australian Table Tennis team.
Melissa Haberfield will support North’s head physiotherapist Marie Pham.
Haberfield spent numerous years treating Australian basketballer Lauren Jackson, and was involved with the AIS, Vic Metro & Country U16 and U18 girls basketball programs.
Currently working with the Australian Gymnastics team as part of the 2018 World Championships campaign in Belgium, Haberfield also spends time in a private practice specialising in musculoskeletal protocols.
North Melbourne football operations manager Laura Kane said the appointments will ensure the club is well resourced for its inaugural season.
“We went hard in the recruiting phase so we need to ensure we have the resources in place to get the girls on the park each week and have them performing at their best,” Kane told North Media.
“Entering the competition two years after its inception means we’ve been able to learn a lot about the competition and we'll leave no stone unturned in order to be the best team and club we can possibly be.
“We want to ensure the women have the same opportunities and access to resources as our men's teams.”
North is one of the only clubs to have full-time AFLW resources in place, including coach Scott Gowans, AFLW football operations manager Matt Bolitho, and AFLW High Performance manager Alex Veitch.
