03/10/2023
Sandringham Football Club is pleased to announce Michelle 'Alpha' Densley will continue as Head Coach of the Southern Saints for the 2024 VFLW season.
Densley stepped into the VFLW Head Coach role in 2023 after a year as an Assistant Coach under former Head Coach, Dale Robinson in 2022, and has demonstrated why she is the perfect person to lead the side again in 2024.
Starting her playing career at Parkdale Football Club in 2006, she quickly progressed into higher leagues and eventually into assistant coaching roles, which inevitably led her to her role as Senior Coach of the Seaford Tigerettes, before joining the Southern Saints.
Although falling just short of the 2023 rebel VFLW finals series, one of the tightest competitions seen, Alpha is full of nothing but pride for the playing group, noting how amazing they all are as players, yet emphasising that they are 'even better humans'. She understands the importance of surrounding herself with people who are very different to her and bring different skill sets - both in her coaching team and her leadership group.
"I respect my players, particularly our Co-Captains Ali [Hynes] and Tay [Kearns], for their courage and ability to challenge me. I think I'm always right - I like that they tell me I'm not," says Alpha, jovially.
With the group's 'growth and development whilst learning to love the game' a highlight across season 2023, the focus is on finals success in 2024.
Alpha says there’s a lot to look forward to in the year ahead, “I’m excited about building on the program and standards set in 2023. Our playing group is even more exciting with most of our girls from this year coming back on board and we really want to focus on our values as a team, and a club, and appreciate and make the most of the opportunity we have”.
The Southern Saints will return to pre-season training next month.
Written by Sandringham Football Club Media
Photography by Anthony Vella