Souwest Jets assistant coach Cherie Farnan to take over as head coach as Karly Guadagnin steps back

Souwest Jets are set to experience a changing of the guard within the coaching panel as Karly Guadagnin makes the decision to step down as head coach and assistant Cherie Farnan taking the reins. During the club’s end of season function at the Dolphin Discovery Centre on Saturday, it was officially announced Guadagnin, who joined the Souwest Jets in 2021, would be departing from her coaching role, citing personal reasons. There was hardly a dry eye in the house as Farnan presented Guadagnin with a sentimental “Karly Jar” containing various trinkets that signify Guadagnin’s personality and impact on the club. The pair also have a long netball history together, with Farnan previously coaching Guadagnin before stepping in to assist her at various clubs throughout the years. Speaking to the South Western Times, Guadagnin said she was sad to step away from the coaching role after the team left the 2022 season with some unfinished business. “The group and the club are amazing and I’m really sad to step away,” she said. “I am running out of time in the days and weeks and I know it’s really hard to say that to a club where there’s distance involved all the time. “I can’t fit everything in at the moment and unfortunately something had to give. “I’ll miss it, I’ll miss the relationships, I’ll miss the day-in day-out coaching. “It is tough and challenging and I just live for it and love it so I don’t know what I’m going to do with that time.” Guadagnin said she strongly believed the club list would be able to return in 2023 and compete in the top four. “They just need to find a way to ensure that they’re looking after the ball in attack and really stick to their strengths under pressure,” she said. “We’ve got some really great talent there and I’m confident Cherie and the other coaches will be able to get that out of them. “I hope the club keeps growing and find more people that want to buy in and get involved because that succession plan for a regional team is hard and there’s a lot of people that put a lot of time into this club.” Farnan said she was excited to step into the head coaching role and help the Souwest Jets continue to forge their own path after previously tasting success in 2021. “We had an awesome year then, we’ve had an average year, so I think basically all expectations are just anywhere and everywhere so they’re not on our shoulders now,” she said. “It will be interesting to see what group we put together and how they connect together. “It’s just an open slather and a blank screen for us so we can just go and do what we want to do.” Having spent several years working with Guadagnin, Farnan said she hoped she would be able to find a new assistant coach that she would be able to complement. “I’ve just got to find that other person now that I’ll be able to work well with,” she said. “It will be another sort of fishing expedition to find that person so we’ll just tread carefully as we go and hopefully find the right person.”